As a young adult in 1989, I remember the joyous displays of people crossing the border from East Germany to West Germany. I was unknowledgeable about the significance of the "fall of the Berlin Wall", but I understood through the media that it was an important historical event of the twentieth century and would surely become a significant part of world history. ... In August of 1989, Hungary removed border restrictions with Austria, resulting in more than 13,000 East Germans escaping to West Germany through Hungary (Duke). ... The new East German government removed travel restrictions for t...

• Word Count: 861
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

History and role of the Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact was dominated by the Soviet Union. ... When it was clear that the Soviet Union would no longer use force to control the Warsaw Pact countries a series of rapid changes started in Eastern Europe in 1989. ... Poland since 1989 In the 1970's and 1980's the whole system in Poland was deeper and deeper in the crisis and was beginning to crumble as was the whole Eastern bloc with the USSR as the fading superpower. ... These talks broke off in October, but a new series, the "roundtable" talks, began in February 1989. ... In December ...

• Word Count: 2078
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate