German History Paper

Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com 1989 Timeline of Events Introduction Event Text Click on the circles below to travel through a 1989 timeline of events that led up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.

1989 January 15 Event Text On the seventieth anniversary of Karl Liebknecht a nd Rosa Luxemburg's murder , hundreds dem onstrated in Leibzig, East Germany for the right of free expression, fr ee assembly, and freedom of the press. Around eighty dem onstrators were arreste d when police arr ived and broke up the d em onstration. February through April Event Text The East German Communist party and the oppositional Solidarity party agreed to hold free elections in the East.

April Event Text The Chinese army massacred more than 5,000 student demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. The East German leaders supported the Chinese communist government's decision. When faced with growing demonstrations in the upcoming autumn, the prospect of a violent crackdown by security forces became known as the "China solution." Ironically, during this month the GDR abolished the "s hoot to kill" policy for the border patrols. Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com May 2 Event Text Hungary began to dismantle its border fortifications into Austria. Soon after, citizens of the GDR fled through Hungary, over the border, and into Austria and sought asylum in the West.

June Event Text Solidarity, the oppositional party, won the parliamentary elections in Poland.

August through September Event Text East Germans vacationing in Hungary began to flee to West Germany through Austria in large numbers. Also, large numbers of defectors took shelter in West German embassies in Prague, Budapest, and Warsaw to pressure the East into allowing them free passage to the West. However, due to the chaotic conditions in the embassies, which were overflowing with exiles, Hungary opened its borders on September 11 to East Germans who wished to emigrate, despite opposition from the GDR. In only three days, more than 15,000 people flooded into West Germany. On September 30, East Germans who sought refuge in the embassies were granted permission from the GDR for passage to the West. As the trains carrying the exiles passed through East German railway stations, others jumped on and escaped to West Germany. The opening of the borders of many other East-bloc countries to the West forced East Germany to restrict the travel of its citizens in the East.

Also during September, the East German oppositional party Neues Forum, or New Forum, was formed. It requested approval for political unification with the West, as well as establishment of official local chapters throughout East Germany. Their requests were turned down. However, encouraged by the Glasnost countries, hundreds of members of church and civil rights groups began demonstrating on Mondays in Leipzig. During these Monday demonstrations (see later) the people called for a government responsive to their needs, independent parties, freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of travel. On September 4, 11, and 18, East German police used violence to break up the demonstrations and arrested some of the leaders.

Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com October 7 Event Text The fortieth anniversary of the founding of the GDR was celebrated with large state celebrations, including a visit by Gorbachev. East German leaders assured Soviet officials that the situation in their country would be stable in time for the anniversary celebrations. Gorbachev informed the GDR leaders that the Soviet Union would not interfere in East German affairs, but is said to have warned the head of the East German state and party, Erich Honecker, that "history punishes the latecomer." The opposition, under the leadership of the New Forum, organized mass demonstrations in all the major East German cities. That evening, the police used violence to brutally disperse the demonstrators and arrested 1,050 citizens.

Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com October 9 Event Text Seventy thousand demonstrators pushed through the downtown area of Leipzig in protest. Erich Honeker ordered that the demonstration be crushed, if necessary, with weapons. However, his security apparatus did not obey him.

Just nine days later he resigned from power.

October 18 Event Text After eighteen years, Erich Honeker resigned from the position of state and party leader and was succeeded by Egon Krenz. Krenz made known his plans for a political Wende, or reform, and shortly thereafter a number of leading politicians and functionaries were removed from power and replaced with new, reform-minded leaders.

However, Krenz did not intend to institute a democracy, but rather pushed for reforms in East German socialism.

October 27 Event Text The government gave amnesty to those trying to flee the country and those arrested during the recent demonstrations. Massive demonstrations, primarily in Dresden and Leipzig, continued until the end of October, however.

November 4 Event Text Close to one million citizens demonstrated at Alexanderplatz in East Berlin (10,000 in other cities) and were addressed by both SED and opposition leaders as well as by leading East German writers and intellectuals. Booing the state party speakers, the demonstrators called for a new democratic form of government in which the people were truly the state. The call went out for a new form of socialism. Also, the borders into other countries were opened once again, and within two days more than 15,000 people left the GDR. Some regard this as the falling of the Iron Curtain.

November 7 Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com Event Text The government of the GDR resigned, and the next day a new Politburo was formed. The opposition party New Forum was made legal.

November 9 Event Text In a poorly organized and orchestrated late-night press conference, Krenz opened the Berlin Wall, announcing that East Germans could now travel freely to the West. Ironically, this move was a last-ditch effort to stop the flow of East German exiles to the West (more than 50,000 had, by this point, left the country), which was the same reason the wall had been constructed in 1961. Hundreds of thousands of GDR and FRG citizens crowded the wall to rejoice. As many celebrated at the Brandenburg gate, climbing up onto the wall, feelings of brotherhood and jubilation abounded.

November 10 through November 11 Event Text Crowds of East Germans (more than 200,000) crossed through the wall to visit West Berlin. Chancellor Helmut Kohl canceled a trip to Poland and addressed a large crowd at the City Hall in West Berlin. Shops and banks stayed open late to accommodate the large influx of visitors (German businesses usually closed around 6:00 p.m.). The West German government announced that each East German visitor would receive fifty West German Marks to spend during their initial visit. The exchange rate for the East German Mark (maintained officially at 1-to-1 in the GDR) went from 7-1 to 10-1 and even higher at banks in the West.

November 12 Event Text West Berlin Mayor Mompers and East Berlin Mayor Krack opened the wall at the Potsdamer Platz.

Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com November 13 Event Text Hans Modrow, an opponent of Honecker who had been pushed to the margins of the SED party, was elected the new president of the GDR. The East German Volkskammer expelled Honecker and twenty-six other members.

Modrow instituted a program of democratization and social renewal but refuted any claims that a reunification would take place.

November 28 Event Text West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl delivered his ten-point program that, through new forms of cooperation, would lead to the reunification of Germany. East German intellectuals, including Egon Krenz, signed the petition "For Our Country," which encouraged East Germans to work for a new, democratic socialist state in the East as an alternative to the Federal Republic.

December 7 Event Text Following Krenz's resignation on the previous day, opposition leaders began the "Round Table" talks with the SED on the structure for a new society and the format for the new elections in March.

December 17 Event Text The SED changed its name from Socialist Unity party to the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS; which was soon widely referred to as "Praktisch das Selbe" [Practically the Same Thing]). Also, from November to December, massive demonstrations took place in Prague, resulting in the old communist regime's resignation, and Marian Calfa's opposition party gained the majority vote.

December 20 through 23 Published by Articulate® Engage™ www.articulate.com Event Text During a visit to East Germany, French President Mitterrand declared that France would not oppose the reunification of Germany. The Brandenburg Gate was opened to pedestrians. In Romania, the Stalinist dictator Ceausescu was forced from office after a bloody uprising of the people.

December 31, New Year's Eve Event Text During New Year's celebrations in Berlin, throngs of East German citizens invaded the Stasi (State Security police) headquarters. They ransacked the building and much of its secret files on East German citizens.