The collapse
Subtitle: the accidental opening of the Berlin Wall
By: Mary Elise Sarotte
Publisher: Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 291
ISBN-13: 9780465064946
Subjects: Politics and government; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Freedom & Security / General; HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century; Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989; HISTORY / Europe / Germany; History
Other titles: Accidental opening of the Berlin Wall
Description: "In The Collapse historian Mary Elise Sarette shows that the opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, was not, as is commonly believed, the East German government's deliberate concession to outside influence. It was an accident. A carelessly worded memo written by mid-level bureaucrats, a bumbling press conference given by an inept member of the East German Politburo, the negligence of government leaders, the bravery of ordinary people in East and West Berlin--these combined to bring about the end of nearly forty years of oppression, fear, and enmity in divided Berlin. Drawing on evidence from archives in multiple countries and languages, along with dozens of interviews with key actors, The Collapse is the definitive account of the event that brought down the East German Politburo and came to represent the final collapse of the Cold War order"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-272) and index.
Table of contents: title: Discovering the causes of the collapse; title: The struggle within the Soviet Bloc and Saxony. A brutal status quo ; Marginal to massive ; The fight for the ring; title: The competition for control in East Berlin. The Revolution advances, the regime plays for time ; Failure to communicate on November 9, 1989; title: The contest of wills at the Wall. The Revolution, televised ; Damage control? ; Violence and victory, trust and triumphalism.