Former reagan speechwriter anthony dolar writes in the wall street journal about the struggle in washington over ronald regans desire to keep four little words in his berlin speech. Reagan, obama and the legacy of the berlin wall politics us news. The wall refers, of course, to the berlin wall the physical barrier between west and east germany, as well as the symbolic barrier between two political ideologies. Tear down this wall a city a president and the speech that ended. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Downloads ronald reagan presidential library national. The speech that helped bring down the berlin wall shareamerica. In 1987, former president ronald reagan came to berlin to.
Subject ronald reagans speech brandenburg gate berlin the. President ronald reagan s speech at the berlin wall by white house television office. Too quick to forget that reagans 19831985 policies placed the soviet economy on. Ronald reagan presidential library 40 presidential drive simi valley, ca 93065 8004108354 reagan.
Calling on gorbachev to tear down the wall, in reagans mind, might actually encourage him to do it. General secretary gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the soviet union and eastern europe, if you seek liberalization. It would be a shame to let the week pass without taking note of an anniversary of historical significance. Ap explore berlin wall 25th anniversary associated press. A city, a president, and the speech that ended the. What is ronald reagans tear down this wall speech about. Not everybody applauded reagans berlin speech national. Tune into the eighties this thursday, april 21, at 9 p. Private email service reagan secure email services. Publication date 19870612 usage public domain mark 1. Lets please stop crediting ronald reagan for the fall of the berlin. Reagans remarkable speech at the brandenburg gate in berlin on june 12, 1987. Kennedy uttered four famous wordsich bin ein berliner i am a berlinerin a similar show of defiance in the face of soviet oppression.
On a trip to west berlin in 1978, he was taken to an eighthfloor office overlooking it and told the story of peter fechter, the youth who had been gunned down by east german police in 1962 as he tried to crawl over. Tear down this wall, also known as the berlin wall speech, was a speech delivered by united states president ronald reagan in west berlin on june 12, 1987. A look back at reagans berlin wall speech, 30 years later. German activist reflects on fall of berlin wall 30 years later wbur. It was a stunning challenge before the whole world at one of the most iconic places in the worldthe berlin wall which for more than two decades had stood as a. Download video quote watch the full speech download a pdf. Reagan statue unveiled in berlin at cold war speech site. When kennedy gave his speech, the mortar was barely dry on the. Ronald reagan chipped away at the berlin wall washington. The name is derived from a key line in the middle of the.
Standing before the brandenburg gate, every man is a german separated from his fellow men. At the time of the speech he was in his second term and won the 1984 election in a landslide. Lets please stop crediting ronald reagan for the fall of. This document can be used in concert with the video to highlight the differences between the text of a speech and how it is delivered. Twenty years ago, then us president ronald reagan made his historic speech in front of the berlin wall. A city, a president, and the speech that ended the cold. Berlin wall speech president reagans address at the. C41251a, president reagan, with chancellor kohl and eberhard diepgen, arriving to give a speech at the berlin wall, brandenburg gate, federal republic of germany.
The people of east berlin are walled in with barbed wire and boobytrapped explosives. Theres no wishywashiness and no one listening to or reading this speech could be unclear on how reagan feels about communism, capitalism, democracy, freedom, the berlin wallor even the benefits of team sports. Perched atop a hill with sweeping views of the southland, the reagan library is one of californias most beautiful and unique destinations. In ronald reagans 1987 speech at the berlin wall, two years before the wall fell, reagan made a direct challenge to the soviet leader mikhail gorbachev to tear down this wall. On june 12, 1987, president ronald reagan gave an historic speech to the people of berlin. Berlin wall the ronald reagan presidential foundation. In one of his most famous statements, president reagan declares mr. President reagans address at the brandenburg gate the. Germany reagans famous tear down this wall speech turns 20.
President reagan acknowledges the crowd after his speech in front of the brandenburg gate in west berlin, june 12, 1987. Ronald reagan, address at the brandenburg gate, june 12, 1987 in april 1987, when i was assigned to write the speech, the celebrations for the 750th anniversary of the founding of berlin were already under way. Reagans speech echoed the message of another famous american at the berlin wall some 24 years before. Remember how reagan brought down the berlin wall thomas. Reagan was known to be an effective communicator and an excellent rhetorician. Though this risk ended up paying off, reagan definitely damaged his good relationship with gorbachev and couldve sent the arms race on an even more. This file is licensed under the creative commons attribution 3. President ronald reagans speech at the berlin wall. President ronald reagans speech at the berlin wall by white house television office. Berlin wall speech ronald reagan presidential library. As reagan spoke, his words were amplified to both sides of the berlin wall, reaching both east and west germans. Tear down this wall recreates the charged atmosphere surrounding reagans visit to berlin and explores the speechs role in bringing about the fall of the berlin. The credibility gained by president ronald reagan in his speech starts with his extrinsic ethos. On june 12, 1987, president ronald reagan gave this historic speech at berlins brandenburg gate in which he implored.
Remarks on eastwest relations at the brandenburg gate in west. Inside reagans calculated risk to give the historic speech tear down this wall. For i find in berlin a message of hope, even in the shadow of this wall, a message of triumph. The brandenburg gate and the berlin wall separate berlin into east and west. The president referring to the dividing wall as a scar reveals the negative opinion he has on the wall, as well. Remarks at brandenberg gate, berlin, germany presidents speaking copy, 06121987. Embassy in berlin unveiled a statue of ronald reagan friday at a site overlooking the location of the former presidents iconic speech imploring the soviet union to remove the berlin wall.
It was the day the berlin wall came crashing down 20 years ago. Twenty years after the fall of the berlin wall, we can now see the speech as the event that marked the beginning of the end of the cold war. Download ap mobile for breaking news on your apple, android or windows. Purchase give a gift manage subscription download ios app newsletters. Reagan at the berlin wall making the history of 1989. Yet, it is here in berlin where the wall emerges most clearly. See more ideas about ronald reagan, ronald reagan quotes and president ronald reagan. The myth that reagan ended the cold war with a single speech. He speaks of future peace with the soviet union and encourages the soviet government to work on bringing east and west berlin together. Reagans speech in berlin was more than a good sound bite. President ronald reagan s tear down this wall speech marked his visit to the brandenburg gate in berlin on june 12, 1987, following the g7 summit meeting in venice.
General secretary gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you. Thirty years ago on saturday, the berlin wall came down, leading to the. President reagan giving his speech at the berlin wall, brandenburg gate, federal republic of germany. Printable pdf version hiresolution download larger version. President reagan went against his advisers to deliver a powerful charge to a divided soviet union.
President reagan speaks at the brandenburg gate of the berlin wall about the state of relations between east and west germany, calling on soviet president gorbachev to tear down the wall. You probably already know that, at the close of world war ii, germany and its dictator adolf hitler were defeated by the allied forces of the united. Ronald reagans berlin wall speech wikisource, the free. A crane removes a section of the berlin wall on november 11, 1989, as west berliners watch. In his opening remarks, he referred to west german chancellor helmut kohl. President ronald reagans tear down this wall speech marked his visit to the brandenburg gate in berlin on june 12, 1987. The official transcript of the speech as it was given by president reagan. Symbolically, the wall stood for the mistrust that plagued eastwest relations during the postwar period. Next, on american history tv former reagan administration chief of staff kenneth duberstein reflects on president reagans speech at the berlin wall twenty five years ago when the president. The wording of this speech is incredibly risky, with the pinnacle statement to tear down the berlin wall being a direct challenge to mikhail gorbachev, the soviet general secretary at the time.