Tear down this wall rhetorical analysis timeline degrading of soviet union general secretary gorbachevif you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the soviet union and eastern europe, if you seek liberalization. Was there any argument for not using the tear down this wall line that you found compelling. In 1987, president reagan delivered a speech in west berlin, germany, in which he called on gorbachev to continue his reforms and famously urged him to remove perhaps the most prominent symbol of the cold war. President ronald reagans speech at the berlin wall. Get an answer for write a letter to a relative in response to ronald reagans tear down this wall speech.
Tune into the eighties this thursday, april 21, at 9 p. But it got big reverberations once the wall came down and people looked back at reagans speech and remembered that it was controversial at the time to say that. Whatever the reason for the soviet unions eventual collapse, however, millions of americans will forever associate it with the gippers famous ultimatum. The berlin wall was a potent symbol of the intractable conflict between the. Ronald reagan tear down this wall speech flashcards. Tear down this wall a speech by ronald reagan on june 12, 1987, president ronald reagan spoke in west berlin, near the border with east berlin. Speechwriter who helped reagan tear down that wall. Gorbachev, tear down that wall speech at the berlin wall because of diplomatic concerns over the topic, speechwriter peter robinson told newsmax tv monday. Begin the class by introduction the concept of fact and opinion. Another area that is lacking is his respect for the soviet and german leadership. The fall of the berlin wall in 1989 helped germany recover its selfrespect, robinson says. By this time, former president ronald reagan had been out of office for two years. Up until the last minute, people were still trying to change the words of the speech and in particular, president reagans call to tear down this wall. In 1987 standing at the brandenburg gate and the berlin wall, us president ronald reagan gave one of the most powerful speeches of his career.
Why do you suppose this speech and the phrase tear down this wall part are so famous and memorable. Reagan called for the general secretary of the communist party of the soviet union, mikhail gorbachev, to open the berlin wall, which had separated west and east berlin since 1961. Can you describe the united states policy of containment and show an example of an event when the policy was used and why. 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. The speech was made at the brandenburg gate near the berlin wall on june 12, 1987. Remarks on eastwest relations at the brandenburg gate in west. The speech is remembered largely for reagans explicit call to tear down this wall, but the line, now recognized as its most powerful, almost didnt make it in to the script. The significance of the speech and these lines in particular are an example of what great leadership is all about. 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. 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. President ronald reagans tear down this wall speech marked his visit to. 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. Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of president reagans famous speech at the brandenburg gate in west berlin that culminated in the famous line, mr.
Throughout his speech reagan uses example after example of how other countries are prospering because of freedom. Tear down this wall 1987 ronald reagan in late 1991, the soviet union collapsed and what remained of the cold war went with it. The audiobook includes the full speech reagan gave, which id. Tear down this wall rhetorical analysis timeline by. By reagan using this metaphor, he allows the audience to feel unified together as one nation who is forced to all view this national flaw in their nations history. In my opinion, simplicity is often the most effective characteristic of a well. The warrant behind reagans speech is that people want to live in stable countries with nice homes and a strong economy. His speech put significant pressure on the new soviet leader, mikhail gorbachev. Reagan continues and gets to the most memorable part of this speech and says, general secretary gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the soviet union and eastern europe, if you seek liberalization. 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. Remembering reagans tear down this wall speech 25 years. Over the next three weeks, the speechand specifically, the direct challenge to gorbachev to tear down the wallbecame the subject of.
A city, a president, and the speech that ended the cold war on. This book is an insightful account of reagans famous tear down this wall speech at the berlin wall in 1987. Its the speech given by ronald reagan on june 12, 1987. And two years later, the wall would come tumbling down. The roar from the audience as reagan calls out to gorbachev to open this gate. Germany, 19611989, tear down this wall language english west berlin june 12, 1987. Speech analysis this 8 page cold war resource includes a speech analysis of ronald reagans famous brandenburg gate speech in berlin in which he famously declared tear down this wall. That is a speech we can all hear in our minds now very easily, robinson told americas forum hosts j. On this day in 1987, in one of his most famous cold war speeches, president ronald reagan challenges soviet leader mikhail gorbachev to tear down the. Were watching a movie, and the main character is going through a seriously difficult life event of some kind. 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.
Just putting myself in the shoes of the berliners who showed up to his speech and hearing him say the words that all of them were thinking out loud is incredibly powerful. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. President reagan went against his advisers to deliver a powerful charge to a divided soviet union. If you look back to the day after the speech, or the month after, i dont think it was written about that much. Tear down this wall for many months, east germanys beleaguered rulership tried desperately to quiet an increasingly oppositional movement and stem the tide of the people that were leaving the country ratnesar web. Write a letter to a relative in response to ronald reagan. Reagan told me that he was always pleased that it wasnt gorbachev who tore down the wall but the germans themselves. Start studying ronald reagan tear down this wall speech. Media in category 1987 ronald reagan speech in berlin the following files are in this category, out of total. As long as this gate is closed, as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand, it is not the german question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind. The name is derived from a key line in the middle of the. The resource includes excerpts from the overall speech in order to. Lessons from reagan after tear down this wall speech.
For many, reagans infamous tear down this wall speech a few years earlier on june 12, 1987, represented a new eraa profound turning point in history with the power to unite a world once divided. To what extent do you think this was a powerful speech from a united states president. I never was able to talk to reagan about the speech after the wall came down, but mrs. Short rhetorical analysis of tear down this wall essay.
This speech by president ronald reagan to the people of west berlin contains one of the most memorable lines spoken during his presidency. In my opinion, simplicity is often the most effective characteristic of a wellcrafted speech. Its become famous, first of all, because what he called for happened. President ronald reagan delivers this memorable speech at the brandenburg gate. The tragedy of the wall is long forgotten today, but at the time it was tremendous symbol of the failure of socialistic authoritarian governments. Excerpt taken from great speeches volume 23 from educational video group, inc. Downloads ronald reagan presidential library national. That wall has to come down, he told the speechwriters in a twentyoneminute meeting in the oval office.
Go here for more about reagans tear down this wall speech go here for more about the berlin wall it follows the text transcript of ronald reagans tear down this wall speech, delivered at the brandenburg gate, berlin, germany june 12, 1987. Ronald reagan library behind me stands a wall that encircles the. How reagans forgotten line became a defining moment president ronald reagan in front of the brandenburg gate in west berlin on. The wall symbolized the cold war between the united states and soviet russia. President ronald reagans 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. Remarks on eastwest relations at the brandenburg gate in west berlin. Nonetheless, many scholars credit reagan and his policies with has. Reagan tear down this wall in 1961, the berlin wall was erected in order to separate the free west berlin from the surrounding sovietoccupied east germany and east berlin. 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.
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. In the end, president reagan went with his gut and ended. It was made to honor the 750th anniversary of berlin. President ronald reagan tear down this wall speech at.
The berlin wall, referred to by the president, was built by communists in august 1961 to keep germans from escaping communistdominated east berlin into democratic west berlin. The president referring to the dividing wall as a scar reveals the negative opinion he has on the wall, as well. Cbs news tuesday marks 25 years since president ronald reagans famous tear down this wall speech at the berlin wall. Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part. What did columbus do besides sail to the new world. President ronald reagan tear down this wall speech at berlin. Elegant and dramatic, tear down this wall is the definitive account of one of the most memorable speeches in recent history and a reminder of the power of a presidents words to change the world. When i first heard this speech back in my 11th grade history class, i only heard the most famous part, but i still got chills from that. President reagan challenges gorbachev to tear down this wall. The background music is slow and sad, the main character and all of his or her friends are crying, and then it happens. What is ronald reagans tear down this wall speech about. A burkean analysis of ronald reagans tear down this wall speech stefanie e.
Skoniecki elizabethtown college come here to this gate. From the archives of cbs news, bill plante reports on president reagans historic speech at the berlin wall, on june 12, 1987, where he called. President ronald reagan almost did not deliver his iconic mr. In the end, president reagan went with his gut and ended up making one of the most memorable speeches of his career.
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