archival records, berlin wall, citizen action, courage, east germany, secret police, stasi, surveillance state

The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Courageous Act That Preserved History

The sudden collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked not only the physical dismantling of a barrier but also the symbolic crumbling of an oppressive regime. The East German State Security Service, known as Stasi, was a formidable force that had, for decades, instilled fear in the hearts of the people it was supposed ...

Max Lu

Germans celebrating at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

How Gorbachev Changed the World Order Without the Use of Force (Part 2)

Please go here for Part 1 On Christmas night, December 25, 1991, Gorbachev signed his last executive decree as President of the Soviet Union and resigned as Supreme Commander of the Soviet Armed Forces. Over the Kremlin, the “hammer and sickle” flag representing communism had disappeared entirely, and the once flamboyant and mighty Soviet “empire” ...

Michael Segarty

A Gorbachev doll.

How Gorbachev Changed the World Order Without the Use of Force (Part 1)

Please go here for Part 2 Mikhail Gorbachev, the legendary and famous Russian political figure, wielded significant influence in the second half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, he passed away from illness at 91 on August 30, 2022. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the dramatic opening up and changes in Eastern Europe, and the ...

Michael Segarty

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

From Tiananmen to Berlin

In the early morning of June 4, 1989, the bloody suppression of the student-led demonstration by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Tiananmen Square shocked the world. The Western world and media severely condemned this. Four months later, the Berlin Wall fell. On October 7, 1989, at the National Day celebrations of the 40th anniversary ...

Max Lu

Germans celebrating at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.