one city becomes two 1961: A WALL ARISES IN BERLIN

WORLD WAR II VICTORS – THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE AND THE SOVIET UNION – DIVIDED GERMANY INTO FOUR ZONES, EACH CONTROLLED BY ONE OF THE FOUR COUNTRIES. BERLIN ALSO WAS DIVIDED INTO FOUR ZONES, THE SAME WAY THE REST OF GERMANY WAS.

AT FIRST, BERLIN'S CITIZENS COULD MOVE FREELY BETWEEN THE ZONES TO WORK OR VISIT FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE U.S., BRITISH AND FRENCH ZONES BECAME CAPITALIST AND DEMOCRATIC. THE SOVIET ZONE BECAME A COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP.

MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE LEFT EAST GERMANY FOR A BETTER LIFE IN THE WEST. BY 1961, THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT KNEW IT HAD TO STOP THE EXODUS.

2:00 AM August THE WALL WAS JUST A BARBED WIRE BARRICADE AT FIRST

19-YEAR-OLD HANS CONRAD SCHUMANN, THE FIRST BORDER GUARD TO DEFECT

 This house was on the line between East and West Berlin. The street is in The West, the house is in The East. Later, the houses were torn down SOME LUCKY ONES STILL MANAGED TO ESCAPE

 August A MORE PERMANENT BARRIER GOES UP

 East German Border guard or “VOPO” (Volkspolitzei) with West Berliners FRATERNIZATION WAS POSSIBLE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT

THE ONLY WAY TO GET FROM EAST TO WEST WAS THROUGH CHECKPOINTS

more than 260 people died attempting to flee to the West. THE FULL SYSTEM ALL BUT ENDED SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES TO WEST BERLIN

"Ich bin ein Berliner." Viewer/oEX2uqSQGEGIdTYgd_JL_Q.as px 26 JUNE 1963: JFK IS NOT A JELLY DONUT

JUNE 12, 1987 RONALD REAGAN URGES GORBY TO “TEAR DOWN THIS WALL”

THE WALL COMES DOWN Nov. 9, 1989, jubilant East and West Berliners began tearing down the Berlin Wall

 An overwhelming feeling of relief, of joy, of unreality filled one that this monster was dead, and people had conquered it Richard Pinard THE MAUER-SPECHTE (WALL-WOODPECKERS) WERE ALREADY WELL AT WORK CHIPPING AWAY AT IT

 [Those in] the West in general and the intelligence and diplomatic services in particular did not believe it would happen and were stunned when they woke up on 10 November falls/6czmmv0?q=The+berlin+wall+comes+down&FORM=VIRE3 SHOCK AND AWE

 POLAND:  -- Feb 2, Communist authorities begin talks with Lech Walesa and banned pro-democracy Solidarity movement on power sharing and democratic reform. Talks end in April with landmark deal on partially free elections. Events stir the entire bloc.  -- June 4 - Solidarity overwhelmingly wins elections, taking all eligible seats in parliament. Solidarity-led government takes power in Poland in September. WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN EASTERN EUROPE???????

 Sept. 11, Hungary opens border with Austria to allow departure of East German refugees. More than 30,000 eventually reach West in first big exodus of East Germans since  -- Oct 7 - East Germany's 40th anniversary overshadowed by anti- government protests. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev tells his East German host, Stalinist boss Erich Honecker: "Life punishes those who delay."  -- Oct 18 - Honecker resigns, replaced by Egon Krenz, who promises reform. Protests continue.  -- Nov 9 - East Germany opens Berlin Wall in desperate bid to placate people. Reform Communist Hans Modrow appointed prime minister days later.  -- March 18, Free elections, ruling Communists lose majority. In October, Germany is reunified and the communist German Democratic Republic ceases to exist. EAST GERMANY:

 -- Nov 20/21, Two days of demonstrations culminate with more than 200,000 people jammed into Wenceslas Square, cheering Roman Catholic Primate Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek who declares: "We cannot wait any more."  -- Nov 23 - Former leader Alexander Dubcek addresses rally in Bratislava in first political speech since he was ousted in Army says it will defend socialism.  -- Nov 24 - Dubcek tells more than 300,000 people in Prague his ideal of "socialism with a human face" is still alive in the minds of new generation. After day-long crisis session Communist Party leader Milos Jakes steps down. CZECHOSLOVAKIA:

 -- May Janos Kadar, leader since 1956, ousted from Political Committee of ruling communist party with others.  -- Jan Parliament passes law allowing formation of parties. Talks between democratic parties and government start in June.  -- June 16 - Quarter of a million Hungarians attend reburial of Imre Nagy, prime minister executed for his role in 1956 anti- Soviet uprising: mounting pressure on the government to allow free elections.  -- March 25, First democratic elections bring democratic opposition to power. HUNGARY:

-- Dec 22-25, Romanian Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu executed in popular anti-communist revolt. First government of National Salvation Front (NSF) formed. -- Nov 3, More than 4,000 Bulgarians join Eco-glasnost march in Sofia in first unofficial public protest for 40 years. -- Nov 10 - Bulgaria's Todor Zhivkov, Eastern Europe's longest- serving leader, resigns as Communist Party chief and head of state. -- Feb Government resigns after opposition parties refuse to join coalition until free elections. ROMANIA: BULGARIA:

THE NEW EASTERN EUROPE

THE END!