World Freedom Day
On this day in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall starts with the opening of passage between East and West Germany. Shortly thereafter, celebrating Germans began using hammers and chisels to tear it down.
The decision came after Hungary opened their border with Austria, which meant people would be able to get from East to West anyway.
The wall had been erected overnight in 1961 - the people of Berlin woke up one morning unable to get to the other side for work or family. Over the years, those in West Germany thrived under capitalist economic conditions, while those in East Berlin lived with difficulty under Communist rule. Many defected, and others demanded free elections and a free market system.
In 1990, Germany became a single state again. Gorbachev had encouraged the actions of East Berlin, and the destruction of the wall is considered one of the most significant actions to ending the Cold War.
Ronald Reagan is considered "one of the most instrumental personalities in the collapse of the Soviet Union," as well as Margaret Thatcher from the UK. Pope John Paul II encouraged East Europeans to banish their fear of Soviet Communism, convincing them that liberation was possible.
This day serves to acknowledge that the resolve of the masses can shift boundaries, break unfavorable resolutions, and ultimately determine the type of leadership they desire.
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