Fall of the Berlin Wall and Formation of the European Union

• Gunter Chabowski incorrectly announced at a Communist Party press conference that complete freedom of movement was imminent and the Berlin Wall would be dismantled as part of a wider disarmament process by the Soviet Union.
• Journalists left the conference spreading the message that the borders were open, leading to crowds gathering at the Berlin Wall demanding to be let through.
• East German border guards were overwhelmed by the number of people and eventually yielded, opening the gates at 10:45 p.m. for East German citizens to freely cross into the West for the first time since 1961.
• The Berlin Wall was officially dismantled a year later in 1989, leading to the reunification of Germany by October 1990.
• The European Union was formed in 1992 with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, aiming to have decisions made by a parliament of EU officials in Brussels for increased trade, social protections, and a sense of European identity.

Learn about the pivotal events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent reunification of Germany. Explore how the formation of the European Union in 1992 aimed to promote trade, social protections, and a shared European identity.