This Day in History - "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall"

On this day in 1987, President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the Berlin Wall. Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin and gave one of his most famous Cold War speeches. It was a dramatic and powerful speech--probably my favorite out of all his speeches.

After Germany's defeat in World War II, Berlin was divided into four sections. America, Britain, and France controlled the western region and the Soviet Union gained power in the eastern region. In August 1961, the East German government constructed the Berlin Wall to prevent its citizens from escaping to the west.

Two years later, on November 9, 1989, East and West Germans broke down the infamous Berlin Wall. Germany was officially reunited on October 3, 1990.

You can read more at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/reagan-challenges-gorbachev

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - Letter U

Trucking along to the letter U during this week's Blogging from A to Z April Challenge posts.

There were more items of interest under the letter U than I thought: Uncle Tom's Cabin, the Underground Railroad, United States Women's Bureau, and urban renewal to name a few. I finally settled on something I knew very little about. My hubby would be so disappointed, since this hails back to one of his favorite interests: the Cold War.

The U-2 Affair took place on May 1, 1960 during the Eisenhower administration. A United States reconnaissance plane flying at high altitudes was downed over the Soviet Union. U. S. officials denied the plane's mission, stating it was a weather plane that strayed off course. When the Soviets produced the pilot and the mostly intact plane, the United States admitted it had been engaged in intelligence activities.

A summit conference scheduled between President Eisenhower, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and France's Charles de Gaulle, collapsed because Eisenhower, though accepting full responsibility for the intelligence gathering program, refused to apologize for the incident. The pilot, Gary Powers, pleaded guilty and was convicted of espionage. He served almost two years of a ten-year prison sentence before being exchanged for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet intelligence officer, in February 1962.

This Day in History - June 12, 1987

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave one of his most memorable Cold War speeches.
President Reagan stood at Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, Germany and challenged General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to open the gate dividing Germany.

"There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable; that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Reagan would go on to pledge America's efforts to overcome the fear of war and pain of division. He spoke against Soviet expansion. His philosophy of peace through strength was clearly stated. He called for a reduction in arms on both sides. He called for the protestors from the past and those currently protesting to mark the fact that because we (Western Alliance) remained strong, the Soviets came back to negotiation table.

A little over two years later, The Berlin Wall came down. In the video below, TIME Magazine photographer, Anthony Suau talks about the fall of The Berlin Wall. He was sent in to photograph this historic event.

While I was only a year out of high school and home with a two-week old baby during Reagan's speech, I vividly remember the November 1989 coverage of The Berlin Wall being torn down. It still brings me to tears.