Glencoe World History: Modern Times

"The Fall of the Berlin Wall"

Introduction
The fall of the Berlin Wall followed a period of much suffering in East and West Berlin. In this activity you will learn about conditions in the divided city, and how events in the Soviet Union and in East Germany led to a swift decision to tear down the wall and reunify Berlin.

Destination Title: A Concrete Curtain

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Directions

Start at the Concrete Curtain Web site.

• Click on each of the links on the left and read the articles, taking notes as you read. To go from page to page within one topic, click on the subtitles on the right.
• Click on Annexes on the right to learn more.

1			What action did Krushchev and the East Germans take during the 1958 Crisis? Why?
2			What was the purpose of the wall, according to East German officials? What was the wall's actual purpose?
3			According to the authors, what major announcement by Mikhail Gorbachev was "the kiss of death" for East Germany?
4			What events inside East Germany contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall?
5			Several East German groups began working during the late 1980s for an end to Communist rule in East Germany. Imagine you are an East German, calling for democracy and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in 1989. On a separate piece of paper, compose a short political manifesto calling on others to work toward these goals. Make references to the conflicting values of democracy and communism, describe living conditions and political conditions in East Germany, and include demands to the East German leader, Erich Honnecker, and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.