The Fall of the Berlin Wall: 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago this November, the world changed when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) responded to increasing Eastern bloc unrest by permitting its citizens to cross into West Germany. The iron curtain, manifested to the world most clearly by the concrete Berlin Wall, fell. It was momentous almost beyond imagining—and was followed by decisions and maneuvers of further global significance. Five new books examine the context and consequences of that event.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall: The Revolutionary Legacy of 1989. Oxford Univ. Oct. 2009. 178p. ed. by Jeffrey Engel. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-19-538910-4. $27.95. HIST
The essays that Engel (Bush Sch. of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M Univ.) collects here were originally presented as papers at a 2009 conference. Each represents a different global perspective on the impact of the end of the cold war upon world leaders in China, Europe, the Soviet Union, and the United States, showing how leaders reacted to the collapse of communism in the Eastern bloc. Often, it seems, they were incredulous, with many clearly overestimating their popularity with their respective citizenry. With a chronological overview by Engel, this is best for students to use as a secondary text.

Kotkin, Stephen & Jan Gross. Uncivil Society 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment. Modern Library: Random. Oct. 2009. 240p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-679-64276-3. $24. HIST
Kotkin (modern & contemporary history, Princeton; Armageddon Averted) and Gross (war & society, Princeton; Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz) hone in on the uprisings in East Germany, Poland, and Romania after the end of communism. They assert that it was "uncivil society" (i.e., Communist Party officials) that caused Soviet-style socialism to fall apart rather than the unorganized opposition ("civil society," i.e., those following the rule of law), although it’s the opposition that’s often the center of attention in studying 1989. Uncivil society's many missteps caused a "political bank run" and ultimately introduced democracy and capitalism to the Eastern bloc nations, a largely peaceful revolution. This is a scholarly work, yet it will surely attract a wide variety of readers, from university students to general readers interested in this topic.

Sarotte, Mary Elise. 1989: The Struggle To Create Post-Cold War Europe. Princeton Univ. Nov. 2009. 336p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-691-14306-4. $29.95. HIST
Sarotte (international relations, Univ. of Southern California; Dealing with the Devil) provides a distinct perspective, not exploring the events of 1989 themselves and their causes, but instead providing an excellent analysis of how the events changed international relations thereafter. The political leaders then (Helmut Kohl, George H.W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, and James Baker), the dissidents, NATO, and then the EU had different ideas about what the new world order should look like. The leaders resorted to architectural metaphors—"restoration," "revivalist," "heroic," and "prefab"—choosing the last in the reunification of Germany. The results of what they considered the most workable approach were not without consequences. Advanced readers, particularly students in international relations programs, will absolutely want to read this.

Sebestyen, Victor. Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. Pantheon. Nov. 2009. 480p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-375-42532-5. $28.95. HIST
Journalist Sebestyen (Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution) writes a fast-paced, accessible book about the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Distinct from other books on the topic, Sebestyen takes the reader back to the late 1970s with the rise of solidarity in Poland and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which he proposes set the stage for 1989. As many authors note, but Sebestyen clearly acknowledges, the Soviets and the Eastern bloc never intended to surrender their system, but their actions allowed their system to fail. Both interested general readers and students will appreciate this book because it is well researched and features abundant ground-level details that are often absent from scholarly analysis of the period.

The Wall in My Head: Words and Images from the Fall of the Iron Curtain; A Words Without Borders Anthology. Open Letter: Univ. of Rochester. Nov. 2009. 231p. ed. by Words Without Borders. illus. ISBN 978-1-934824-23-8. $15.95. HIST
Personal recollection and reflection can provide readers with a deeper understanding of an event. This anthology of mostly Eastern European fiction, essays, images, and historical documents, assembled by the nonprofit organization Words Without Borders, does this exceptionally well. (Five pieces are English originals; the rest have been translated.) The contributing authors and artists are both local well-knowns and novices, all of whom experienced the fall of the iron curtain firsthand. Readers will experience their optimism, hopes, dreams, and disappointment with the communist society as it was implemented in Eastern Europe, as well as the joy and confusion following the collapse of the curtain. Students, along with general readers who enjoy genres from memoir to 20th-century global culture and world history, should consider this volume.