Page 5- The Wall Comes Down
When Gorbachev came to power in the USSR, he was determined to end the Cold
War and put pressure on the GDR to liberalize. This began a snowball effect
of reforms. Eventually, the right to travel to the FRG was demanded. On 9 November
1989, an order was issued to allow all GDR citizens with a passport the right
to an exit visa for any border crossing, including Berlin. This was supposed
to take effect on the morning of 10 November, but it was leaked to the press
that night. At 11 pm the border guards were faced with a crowd of thousands
of people trying to leave. They opened the checkpoints and they were never closed
again.
People celebrate on top of the wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate on the
night that the borders were unofficially opened.
