steadfast, but events overtook him. Massive demon-
strations in East German cities in September and Oc-
tober, 1989, swelled beyond the government’s ability
to squelch them. On October 17, 1989, Honecker
was replaced by Egon Krenz, who met with Gor-
bachev on November 1, 1989, at which time Gor-
bachev urged Krenz to allow East Germans to travel
freely. In the wake of a demonstration of 500,000
East Berliners on November 4, 1989, the East Ger-
man government decided to end restrictions on
travel to the West.
At a press conference on November 9, 1989, in
East Berlin that began at 6:00p.m.Berlin time, East
German official Gunter Schabowski began reading a
lengthy announcement about the end of travel re-
strictions. About 7:00p.m., in response to reporters’
questions as to when this would take place, Scha-
bowski replied “immediately.” Actually the changes
were to take place on the next day, November 10,
1989, but he had not been given this information.
Journalists ran to report the news, which quickly
spread in both East and West Berlin.
East Berliners gathered at the seven checkpoints
seeking to enter West Berlin, but the East German
border guards had not been informed of the lifting
of travel restrictions. Repeated calls placed by the
guards did not provide clarification, while more and
more East Berliners crowded the checkpoints. West
Berliners gathered on the other side, chanting en-
couragement to the East Berliners. Between 9:30
and 10:00p.m.,East German border guards began to
open the gates, allowing the East Berliners to enter
West Berlin, where they were greeted by cheering
West Berliners. People climbed on portions of the
wall to celebrate, while others chipped off pieces to
keep as souvenirs or to sell; such actions might have
gotten them shot earlier in the day. After 11:00p.m.,
the Eastern German government officially ordered
the crossings open. Within days, large sections of the
Wall were opened to create more crossing points.
Impact The breech of the Berlin Wall set in motion
an unstoppable demand for the reunification of
Germany. Egon Krenz resigned in December, 1989,
and his government was replaced by a non-Commu-
nist government. Gorbachev indicated that the Sovi-
ets would not oppose reunification, although other
European countries, such as Great Britain and
France, were concerned about how a united Ger-
many would affect the balance of power in Europe.
U.S. president George H. W. Bush supported Chan-
cellor Kohl’s proposals for reunification. In June,
1990, the East German government began removing
the Berlin Wall altogether, and on July 1, 1990, cur-
rency exchange by East Germans for West German
currency heralded an important step toward reunifi-
cation, which formally occurred on October 3, 1990.
The changes in Berlin and Germany were part of
widespread change throughout Eastern Europe as
communist regimes collapsed in 1989, and compo-
nent parts of the Soviet Union proclaimed their in-
dependence, resulting in the dissolution of the So-
viet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991. Had
the Berlin Wall not been breached so soon after his
speech, Reagan’s demand for it to be torn down
might have been forgotten. As it was, however, the
phrase “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” became
one of the most famous to be uttered during the
1980’s, and it would later be treated as emblematic
of Reagan’s presidency.Further Reading
Cannon, Lou.President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.
New York: Public Affairs, 2000. This study of Rea-
gan’s presidency provides detailed material about
Reagan’s trips to Berlin.
Hilton, Christopher.The Wall: The People’s Stor y.
Stroud, Gloucestershire, England: Sutton, 2001.
A journalistic account of the impact of the Wall
on the citizens of Berlin.
Wyden, Peter.Wall: The Inside Stor y of a Divided Berlin.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989. A comprehen-
sive treatment of the building of the Wall, its
impact on Berliners, and it’s place in the Cold War.
Mark C. HermanSee also Foreign policy of the United States; Rea-
gan, Ronald; Reagan Doctrine; Strategic Defense
Initiative (SDI).Big Chill, The.
Identification Nostalgic bittersweet comedy film
Director Lawrence Kasdan (1949- )
Date Released September, 1983Lawrence Kasdan’sThe Big Chillcharted the course of
post-World War II baby boomers as they confronted adult-
hood and their own mortality.108 Big Chill, The The Eighties in America