Ep 4. Tear Down This Wall

The Eighties season 1 episode 4, Tear Down This Wall, focuses on the events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The episode begins with an overview of the Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, which had divided Europe into two opposing blocs. The episode then shifts its focus to the Soviet Union, tracing the economic and political decline that led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet system.

We are introduced to Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, who implemented a series of reforms aimed at modernizing and democratizing the Soviet economy. Gorbachev's reforms, known as perestroika and glasnost, unleashed a wave of political and social change that destabilized the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Europe. The episode also explores the role of the United States in the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

President Ronald Reagan is featured prominently in the episode, with his famous 1987 speech in Berlin where he challenged Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" becoming a focal point of the episode. We learn how Reagan's rhetoric and policies aimed at confronting the Soviet Union helped to reinvigorate Cold War tensions, but it also fostered a new spirit of defiance and freedom in Eastern Europe.

The episode chronicles the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, including the protests in East Germany that began in 1989. We are also introduced to key figures in the East German government who were instrumental in bringing about the end of the communist regime, such as Egon Krenz and Günter Schabowski. Finally, the episode shows the reactions of the people of Germany and the world at large to the fall of the Wall.

Throughout the episode, we see archival footage, interviews with key policymakers and historians, and commentary from journalists, expert analysis, and the eye-witness accounts of people who lived through this historic period. Tear Down This Wall offers a comprehensive and engaging overview of the historical, political, and social factors that led to one of the most significant events of the 20th century.