Ronald Reagan: The 25-­‐Year Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall “Can you think of a time when you heard of a West Berliner jumping over the wall to get into
East Berlin? … Can you think of a time when any family, thirsting for opportunity,
left a democracy to live in a country that was not free?” ~Ronald Reagan, July 4, 1984 Let’s time travel backwards to midnight. November 9, 1989. Berlin. Intense protests directed at both sides of the Berlin Wall forced East Germany’s Communist leaders to open the gates. After decades of partition, after 191 souls were sacrificed, after thousands of families were destroyed, the Wall came down. Instantly, East Berliners surged through the gate, cheering and shouting, only to be welcomed by West Berliners on the other side. Ecstatic crowds immediately began to climb on top of the Wall and destroy 1 segments of the concrete fortress. Almost one year later, President and Mrs. Reagan continued the celebration by visiting the remnants of the most visible icon of communist aggression. That was 25 years ago. Throughout the chaos, one piece of that brutal division was saved. It had been a scar upon the minds of those who loved freedom. And when it fell, it was presented to the leader who had the courage to demand its destruction.
“A people free to choose will always choose freedom.” ~Ronald Reagan, November 9, 1989 Ronald Reagan’s unwavering dedication to freedom and democracy was a fundamental issue in almost every speech he delivered or every column he wrote. The very idea that a wall was constructed to prevent the daily activities of freedom loving, innocent people was deeply offensive to him. Just months after his inauguration as America’s 40th president, he embarked on a calculated strategy to bring an end to the Cold War. He took the opportunity to issue this proclamation on the 20th anniversary of the Wall: “The Berlin Wall is a dramatic example of the desperate and cruel extremes to which totalitarian regimes will go to deny their subjects contact with other Europeans. From the Baltic Sea to Southeastern Europe, a murderous barrier of minefields and barbed wire, manned by guards who shoot to kill, stands as a monument to the inhumanity of those who would make the individual the servant of the state. All who treasure freedom and human dignity should never accept nor take for granted this lethal barrier to freedom that stands today in the heart of Europe.” 2 And so the Reagan “anti-­‐Wall offensive” began. The 40th president was unrelenting and by June 11, 1982, was ready to level a second message directly to the gatekeepers in East Berlin: “Ours is a defensive mission. We pose no threat to those who live on the other side of the wall. But we do extend a challenge, a new Berlin initiative to the leaders of the Soviet bloc. It is a challenge for peace. We challenge the men in the Kremlin to join with us in the quest for peace, security, and a lowering of the tensions and weaponry that could lead to future conflict.” In 1984, he asked: “Can you think of a time when you heard of a West Berliner jumping over the wall to get into East Berlin? Can you think of a time when someone took a homemade balloon -­‐-­‐ hot-­‐air balloon and tried to float from free Western Europe into Czechoslovakia? Or when someone took a leaky fishing trawler on a death-­‐defying journey so they could enjoy the freedom of Havana, Cuba? Can you think of a time when any family, thirsting for opportunity, left a democracy to live in a country that was not free?” The campaign against the Berlin Wall and the road to ending the Cold War culminated in President Reagan’s famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate in June, 1987. “Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world…” ” There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” He never thought he’d see it in his lifetime, much less a little over a year after leaving office. The Wall fell on November 9, 1989 and a section of it was presented to former President Reagan to be displayed at his library. It was donated by the Berlin Wall Commemorative Group to President Reagan “for his unwavering dedication to humanitarianism and freedom over communism throughout his presidency.” The segment measures 3.5 feet by 10 feet, weighs approximately 8,000 pounds and has been the backdrop for many historic events at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
3 President and Mrs. Reagan with General Secretary and Mrs. Gorbachev May 1992 President Reagan and Lady Margaret Thatcher February 4, 1991 4 President Reagan and Lech Walesa March 23, 1991 th
It was a highly emotional moment for our 40 president to stand before a piece of the Wall, as it was hoisted into place for permanent display at his Library on April 12, 1990. Accepting it on behalf of the “191 brave souls who lost their lives trying to escape” and on behalf of the millions of courageous citizens who brought the Wall down, President Reagan was somber. Yes, thrilled the Wall had been destroyed, but agonized to think of those who suffered. At the time, the Library itself was unfinished, a work in progress to be opened in November 1991. The fact that the surroundings were quite rough did not matter to President Reagan. What mattered to him was to place this remnant of evil at the Library where freedom is celebrated. It seemed the perfect metaphor to explain the triumph of good over evil. And so it stands today, 25 years after the fall of the Wall. “Let our children and grandchildren come here and see this Wall and reflect on what it meant to history. Let them understand that only vigilance and strength will deter tyranny. Let them join with us in a solemn pledge to never give up the fight for freedom…” ~Ronald Reagan, April 12, 1990 5