Ronald Reagan Challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 by the East German government and later extended along the entire border between East and West Germany. Built to prevent defections, it became a symbol of the Cold War. In 1987, US President Reagan visited Berlin to commemorate the city’s 750th anniversary and used his speech to publicly challenge Gorbachev to destroy the wall. Two years later, it was dismantled in a failed bid by the Communists to retain power. Why did some Reagan staffers oppose his speech? Discuss

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