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Berlin: A Tale of Two Speeches

Document A:ExcerptfromtheStasiFilesof1973fortheconductoftheBerlinBorderGuards

It is your duty to use your combat … skills in such a way as to overcome the cunning of breach. Don’t hesitate to use your weapon even when border breaches happen with women and children, which traitors have often exploited in the past.

Source: Crossland, David. (2007) “Letter from Berlin: New Find Evokes Horrors of the Berlin Wall”. Retrieved from: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/letter-from-berlin-new-find-evokes-horrors-of-the-berlin-wall-a-499626.html

Photo Below: Berlin Wall 1973- Checkpoint Charlie, the Allied forces gate to West Berlin. A few feet away are the East Berlin tower guards.

Source: Elfman: History of How Stuff Happened in the Twentieth Century (2016). Retrieved from: http://elfman.co.uk/the-berlin-wall-seriously-important-concrete/ Citation:Safire,W.(2004).LendMeYourEars:GreatSpeechesinAmericanHistory.NewYorkCity:W.W.Norton&Company.


DocumentB:KennedySpeech

PresidentJohnF.Kennedy

WestBerlin,WestGermany

June26,1963I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguishedMayor, who hassymbolizedthroughouttheworldthefightingspiritofWestBerlin.

AndIamproudtovisittheFederalRepublicwithyourdistinguishedchancellorwhoforsomanyyearshascommittedGermanytodemocracyandfreedomandprogress,andtocomehere inthecompanyofmyfellowAmerican,GeneralClay,whohasbeen inthiscityduringitsgreatmomentsofcrisisandwillcomeagainifeverneeded.

TwothousandyearsagotheproudestboastwasCivisRomanussum.Today,intheworldoffreedom,theproudestboastisIchbineinBerliner.

IappreciatemyinterpretertranslatingmyGerman!

There aremany people in theworldwho really don't understand, or say they don't,what is the great issue between the freeworld and the Communist world. Let themcometoBerlin.

TherearesomewhosaythatCommunismisthewaveofthefuture.LetthemcometoBerlin.

And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with theCommunists.LetthemcometoBerlin.

AndthereareevenafewwhosaythatitistruethatCommunismisanevilsystem,butitpermitsustomakeeconomicprogress.Lass'sienachBerlinkommen.LetthemcometoBerlin.

Freedomhasmanydifficultiesanddemocracyisnotperfect,butwehaveneverhadtoputawalluptokeepourpeoplein,topreventthemfromleavingus.

Iwanttosay,onbehalfofmycountrymen,wholivemanymilesawayontheothersideoftheAtlantic,whoarefardistantfromyou,thattheytakethegreatestpridethattheyhavebeenabletosharewithyou,evenfromadistance,thestoryofthelast18years.

Iknowofnotown,nocity,thathasbeenbesiegedfor18yearsthatstill liveswiththevitalityandtheforce,andthehopeandthedeterminationofthecityofWestBerlin.

While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of theCommunistsystem,foralltheworldtosee,wetakenosatisfactioninit,foritis,asyour


mayor has said, an offence not only against history but an offense against humanity,separatingfamilies,dividinghusbandsandwivesandbrothersandsisters,anddividingapeoplewhowishtobejoinedtogether.

WhatistrueofthiscityistrueofGermany-real,lastingpeaceinEuropecanneverbeassuredaslongasoneGermanoutoffourisdeniedtheelementaryrightoffreemen,andthatistomakeafreechoice.

In18yearsofpeaceandgoodfaith,thisgenerationofGermanshasearnedtherighttobefree,includingtherighttounitetheirfamiliesandtheirnationinlastingpeace,withgoodwilltoallpeople.

Youliveinadefendedislandoffreedom,butyourlifeispartofthemain.

SoletmeaskyouasIclose,toliftyoureyesbeyondthedangersoftoday,tothehopesof tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country ofGermany,totheadvanceoffreedomeverywhere,beyondthewalltothedayofpeacewithjustice,beyondyourselvesandourselvestoallmankind.

Freedomisindivisible,andwhenonemanisenslaved,allarenotfree.

Whenallarefree,thenwecanlookforwardtothatdaywhenthiscitywillbejoinedasoneandthiscountryandthisgreatcontinentofEuropeinapeacefulandhopefulglobe.

When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sobersatisfactioninthefactthattheywereinthefrontlinesforalmosttwodecades.

All freemen,wherever theymay live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a freeman,ItakeprideinthewordsIchbineinBerliner.


DocumentC:EuropeAfterWorldWarII

Source:Burns,David.(2012).EuropeafterWorldWarII:FrameworksofAmerica’sPast.Retrievedfrom:http://www.fasttrackteaching.com/burns/Unit_11_Cold_War/U11_Europe_After_WW_II.html


DocumentD:

ExcerptfromaspeechbyJohnF.KennedycampaigningfortheU.S.Senate(1952)

“ButInoureffortstocontainthetideofCommunistexpansion,itwouldbeamistaketojudgetheCommunistthreatasprimarilymilitary,althoughitisRussianmilitaryprestigethathasforce&givespersuasiontothebeliefsofitspolitical&economicdoctrines.

CertainlywemuststandanddevoteallouravailableenergiestothetaskofrebuildingourmilitarystrengthandweshoulduseeverymeansatourdisposaltopersuadeourfriendsintheWesttodolikewise.”

Source:TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory.(2016)“JFKonthecontainmentofCommunism”retrievedfrom:https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/fifties/resources/jfk-containment-communism-1952

DocumentE:NikitaKhrushchevhuggingFidelCastro,leaderofCubaatUnitedNations1960

CastroallowedKhrushchevtoplaceRussiandefensemissilesinCubain1961.ThemissilespromptedtheCubanMissileCrisis,aUSresponsetoSovietmissilesbeingclosetoUSsouthernborders.

Source:ABCNews.(2016)“TimelineofUSandCubaRelations”retrievedfrom:http://abc7ny.com/politics/timeline-of-us-and-cuba-relations/440448/


DocumentF:PilotFrancisGaryPowerstrial

PilotFrancisGaryPowersontrialforespionageinMoscow.PilotPowers’releasetotheUSoccurredtwoyearslater(1962)inexchangeforaRussianspy,RudolfAbel,whowasdiscoveredspyinginNewYork.FredrickPryor,anAmericanstudentwhowasheldinEastBerlin,wasalsoreleasedtotheU.S. Source:Greenblatt,Alan.(2012).“SpyExchangewouldbeaColdWarFlashback”NationalPublicRadiowebsite.Retrievedfrom:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128381620


DocumentG:ApoliticalcartoonabouttheDominoTheory

UStroopsenteredtheVietnamWartocontainthethreatandspreadofcommunisminSoutheastAsia.Asthewardraggedon,moreAmericansathomebecamedisillusionedwiththewarefforts.SouthVietnameventuallyfelltocommunists’troops,theVietConginthesummerof1975.

Source:Sibilla,Chris.(2016).“Vietnam:ALookBack”AssociationforDiplomaticStudiesandTrainingwebsite.Retrievedfrom:http://adst.org/2014/11/vietnam-a-look-back/


DocumentH:ThePolishSolidarityMovementandLechWalesa,1981

By the late 1970s the Polish economy is on the brink of collapse. In July 1980, when the government more than doubles meat prices, a series of nationwide strikes ensues. Workers realize that they can escape reprisals by holding the shipyards and factories hostage. Striking employees at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk remain true in their demands. The authorities try to seal off Gdansk to drive the workers out. Shipyard workers fan out across the city and sympathetic students and professionals slip through roadblocks, bringing news of the strike to other regions. The workers elect Lech Walesa, a shipyard electrician, as their leader. By late August 400,000 workers are united in striking. Ignoring rumblings from the Soviets and squeezed by growing economic pressures, the controlling power agrees to free unions, wage increases, and limits on censorship. Calling itself "Solidarity," the movement decides to expand its reach. At its first national congress in the fall of 1981, an Action Program promotes "self-management" in all areas of society including the establishment of democratic local governments, independent judges, and equal protection under the law. After several years of underground resistance by Solidarity, the Communists are forced to invite Solidarity to help them reconstruct the Polish nation on the basis of a different, multi-party democratic model. Source:Ackerman,Peter&Duvall,Jack.(2000).“AForceMorePowerful”.Retrievedfrom:http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org/films/afmp/stories/poland.php


DocumentI-ExplanationbyMikhailGorbachev,GeneralSecretaryoftheUSSRregardingperestroika(restructuring)andglasnost(openness)excerpt: Perestroikaisanurgentnecessityarisingfromtheprofoundprocessesofdevelopmentinoursocialistsociety.Thissocietyisripeforchange.Ithaslongbeenyearningforit.

Inthelatterhalfoftheseventies--somethinghappenedthatwasatfirstsightinexplicable.Thecountrybegantolosemomentum.Economicfailuresbecamemorefrequent.Difficultiesbegantoaccumulateanddeteriorate,andunresolvedproblemstomultiply.Elementsofwhatwecallstagnationandotherphenomenaalientosocialismbegantoappearinthelifeofsociety.Akindof"brakingmechanism"affectingsocialandeconomicdevelopmentformed.Andallthishappenedatatimewhenscientificandtechnologicalrevolutionopenedupnewprospectsforeconomicandsocialprogress....Anabsurdsituationwasdeveloping.TheSovietUnion,theworld'sbiggestproducerofsteel,rawmaterials,fuelandenergy,hasshortfallsinthemduetowastefulorinefficientuse.Oneofthebiggestproducersofgrainforfood,itneverthelesshastobuymillionsoftonsofgrainayearforfodder.Wehavethelargestnumberofdoctorsandhospitalbedsperthousandofthepopulationand,atthesametime,thereareglaringshortcomingsinourhealthservices.OurrocketscanfindHalley'sCometandflytoVenuswithamazingaccuracy,butsidebysidewiththesescientificandtechnologicaltriumphsisanobviouslackofefficiencyinusingscientificachievementsforeconomicneeds,andmanySoviethouseholdappliancesareofpoorquality.This,unfortunately,isnotall.Agradualerosionoftheideologicalandmoralvaluesofourpeoplebegan….Anunbiasedandhonestapproachledustotheonlylogicalconclusionthatthecountrywasvergingoncrisis....Itwasnotsomethingoutoftheblue,butabalancedjudgment…..TherearepeopleintheWestwhowouldliketotellusthatsocialismisinadeepcrisisandhasbroughtoursocietytoadeadend.Wehaveonlyonewayout,theysay:toadoptcapitalistmethodsofeconomicmanagementandsocialpatterns,todrifttowardcapitalism.Wewillproceedtowardbettersocialismratherthanawayfromit.Wearesayingthishonestly,withouttryingtofoolourownpeopleortheworld.Anyhopesthatwewillbegintobuildadifferent,nonsocialistsocietyandgoovertotheothercampareunrealisticandfutile.Wewantmoresocialismand,therefore,moredemocracy....

Source:Gorbachev,Mikhail(1987).Excerptsfrom:Perestroika:NewThinkingforOurCountryandtheWorld:NewYorkHarperandRow.Retrievedfrom:https://college.cengage.com/history/west/resources/students/primary/perestroika.htm

Citation:TheAirUniversity.(2011).RonaldReaganSpeech,TeardownThisWall.Retrievedfromhttp://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/speeches/reagan_berlin.htm


DocumentJ:ReaganSpeech(excerpt)

PresidentRonaldReagan

WestBerlin,WestGermany(BrandenburgGate)

June12,1987 Thankyouverymuch.

Chancellor Kohl, GoverningMayor Diepgen, ladies and gentlemen: Twenty-four yearsago,PresidentJohnF.KennedyvisitedBerlin,speakingtothepeopleofthiscityandtheworldattheCityHall.Well,sincethentwootherpresidentshavecome,eachinhisturn,toBerlin.AndtodayI,myself,makemysecondvisittoyourcity.

WecometoBerlin,weAmericanpresidents,becauseit'sourdutytospeak,inthisplace,offreedom.ButImustconfess,we'redrawnherebyotherthingsaswell:bythefeelingofhistoryinthiscity,morethan500yearsolderthanourownnation;bythebeautyofthe Grunewald and the Tiergarten; most of all, by your courage and determination.Perhaps the composer Paul Linckeunderstood something aboutAmericanpresidents.Yousee,likesomanypresidentsbeforeme,IcomeheretodaybecausewhereverIgo,whateverIdo:IchhabnocheinenKofferinBerlin.[IstillhaveasuitcaseinBerlin.]

OurgatheringtodayisbeingbroadcastthroughoutWesternEuropeandNorthAmerica.I understand that it is being seen and heard as well in the East. To those listeningthroughoutEasternEurope,aspecialword:AlthoughIcannotbewithyou,Iaddressmyremarkstoyoujustassurelyastothosestandingherebeforeme.ForIjoinyou,asIjoinyourfellowcountrymenintheWest,inthisfirm,thisunalterablebelief:EsgibtnureinBerlin.[ThereisonlyoneBerlin.]

Behindmestandsawallthatencirclesthefreesectorsofthiscity,partofavastsystemof barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, thosebarriers cut acrossGermany in a gash of barbedwire, concrete, dog runs, and guardtowers.Farthersouth,theremaybenovisible,noobviouswall.Butthereremainarmedguards and checkpoints all the same--still a restriction on the right to travel, still aninstrumenttoimposeuponordinarymenandwomenthewillofatotalitarianstate.Yetit ishere inBerlinwherethewallemergesmostclearly;here,cuttingacrossyourcity,wherethenewsphotoandthetelevisionscreenhaveimprintedthisbrutaldivisionofacontinent upon themind of theworld. Standing before the BrandenburgGate, everymanisaGerman,separatedfromhisfellowmen.EverymanisaBerliner,forcedtolookuponascar.

President von Weizsacker has said, "The German question is open as long as theBrandenburgGate isclosed."Today Isay:As longasthegate isclosed,as longasthisscarofawall ispermitted tostand, it isnot theGermanquestionalone that remainsopen,butthequestionoffreedomforallmankind.Yet Idonotcomehereto lament.


For I find inBerlin amessageofhope, even in the shadowof thiswall, amessageoftriumph.

Inthisseasonofspringin1945,thepeopleofBerlinemergedfromtheirair-raidshelterstofinddevastation.Thousandsofmilesaway,thepeopleoftheUnitedStatesreachedout to help. And in 1947 Secretary of State--as you've been told--George MarshallannouncedthecreationofwhatwouldbecomeknownastheMarshallPlan.Speakingprecisely 40 years ago this month, he said: "Our policy is directed not against anycountryordoctrine,butagainsthunger,poverty,desperation,andchaos."

In the Reichstag a few moments ago, I saw a display commemorating this 40thanniversary of the Marshall Plan. I was struck by the sign on a burnt-out, guttedstructurethatwasbeingrebuilt.IunderstandthatBerlinersofmyowngenerationcanremember seeing signs like it dotted throughout thewestern sectors of the city. Thesign read simply: "TheMarshall Plan is helping here to strengthen the freeworld." Astrong,freeworldintheWest,thatdreambecamereal.Japanrosefromruintobecomeaneconomicgiant.Italy,France,Belgium--virtuallyeverynationinWesternEuropesawpoliticalandeconomicrebirth;theEuropeanCommunitywasfounded.

In West Germany and here in Berlin, there took place an economic miracle, theWirtschaftswunder. Adenauer, Erhard, Reuter, and other leaders understood thepracticalimportanceofliberty--thatjustastruthcanflourishonlywhenthejournalistisgiven freedom of speech, so prosperity can come about only when the farmer andbusinessmanenjoyeconomic freedom.TheGerman leaders reduced tariffs,expandedfree trade, lowered taxes. From 1950 to 1960 alone, the standard of living in WestGermanyandBerlindoubled.

Where fourdecades ago therewas rubble, today inWestBerlin there is the greatestindustrialoutputofanycityinGermany--busyofficeblocks,finehomesandapartments,proudavenues,andthespreadinglawnsofparkland.Whereacity'scultureseemedtohavebeendestroyed,todaytherearetwogreatuniversities,orchestrasandanopera,countless theaters, andmuseums.Where therewaswant, today there's abundance--food, clothing, automobiles--thewonderful goods of the Ku'damm. Fromdevastation,fromutterruin,youBerlinershave, infreedom,rebuiltacitythatonceagainranksasone of the greatest on earth. The Sovietsmay have had other plans. Butmy friends,therewereafewthingstheSovietsdidn'tcounton--BerlinerHerz,BerlinerHumor, ja,undBerlinerSchnauze.[Berlinerheart,Berlinerhumor,yes,andaBerlinerSchnauze.]

Inthe1950s,Khrushchevpredicted:"Wewillburyyou."ButintheWesttoday,weseeafreeworldthathasachieveda levelofprosperityandwell-beingunprecedented inallhuman history. In the Communist world, we see failure, technological backwardness,declining standards of health, evenwant of themost basic kind--too little food. Eventoday, the Soviet Union still cannot feed itself. After these four decades, then, therestandsbeforetheentireworldonegreatandinescapableconclusion:Freedomleadsto


prosperity. Freedomreplaces theancienthatredsamong thenationswith comityandpeace.Freedomisthevictor.

Andnow the Soviets themselvesmay, in a limitedway, be coming tounderstand theimportanceoffreedom.WehearmuchfromMoscowaboutanewpolicyofreformandopenness.Somepoliticalprisonershavebeenreleased.Certainforeignnewsbroadcastsare no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted tooperatewithgreaterfreedomfromstatecontrol.

Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state?Or are they tokengestures,intendedtoraisefalsehopesintheWest,ortostrengthentheSovietsystemwithoutchanging it?Wewelcomechangeandopenness; forwebelieve that freedomand security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen thecause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would beunmistakable,thatwouldadvancedramaticallythecauseoffreedomandpeace.

GeneralSecretaryGorbachev,ifyouseekpeace,ifyouseekprosperityfortheSovietUnionandEasternEurope,ifyouseekliberalization:Comeheretothisgate!Mr.Gorbachev,openthisgate!Mr.Gorbachev,teardownthiswall!

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