Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Egon Krenz: Succeeded Honecker as General Secretary of the SED and Chairman of the Council of State in October 1989. Krenz attempted to introduce some reforms, but he was unable to quell the growing unrest in the country. He resigned in December 1989.
Günther Schabowski: Member of the Politburo of the SED and East Germany's press secretary. On November 9, 1989, Schabowski mistakenly announced during a press conference that East Germans would be allowed to travel freely to the West. This announcement sparked the mass demonstrations that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Hans Modrow: Prime Minister of East Germany from November 1989 to April 1990. Modrow was a relatively liberal communist who attempted to negotiate a peaceful transition to democracy. He was unable to prevent the reunification of Germany in October 1990.
Helmut Kohl: Chancellor of West Germany from 1982 to 1998. Kohl played a key role in negotiating the reunification of Germany. He also provided financial assistance to East Germany during its transition to democracy.
George H. W. Bush: President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Bush supported Kohl's efforts to reunify Germany and helped to pressure the Soviet Union to withdraw its troops from East Germany.
Mikhail Gorbachev: General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. Gorbachev introduced a number of reforms in the Soviet Union, including glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). These reforms contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Ronald Reagan: President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Reagan's strong anti-communist stance and his public calls for the Soviet Union to "tear down this wall" are often credited with helping to bring about the fall of the Berlin Wall.