President Ronald Reagan delivers this memorable speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Excerpt taken from Great Speeches Volume 23 from Educational Video Group, Inc. available at www.evgonline.com
+Dreamhackian _ Did he "scare" them into it or give them "weapons" for the hostages? Google "Iran Contra". As I said earlier, you are a "nightmare". Side note, you are really bad at "basic arithmetic" and "facts".
Well, yes. When Gorbachev made the decision to refuse to continue to prop up the communist regimes in eastern Europe with military force that was the beginning of the end for them. Mind you, that decision was made prior to Reagan giving this speech, which of course the United States was aware of. Reagan was just adding momentum to a process already under way.
Jason S. Yes but our arms build-up expedited the fall of the USSR, While it would have happened eventually,Gorbacav went to his cabinet and told them that an arms race with the US would collapse our economy for sure and this is what got them moving..Keep in mind that Russia was invading or occupying territories right up thru 1980 including most all of Eastern Europe. This stopped with the massive defense buildup in the west.
Yes I agree, to a point. During the arms race with the United States the USSR suffered from the guns and butter ptoblem, as in it ultimately had to decide whether to arm itself or feed its people. This challenge was particular to the Soviet Union's command style economy in which there was no room for the free market to benefit from (and create wealth with) government defense contracts. While the United States government certainly went into massive debt as a result of Reagan's defense spending during the arms race with the Soviet Union, it never faced the problem of the economy becoming bankrupted as a whole like they did in the USSR. Certainly Reagan's adminstration knew about the economic pressures that increased defense spending put on the former Soviet Union, but up until then all previous administrations, as well as the CIA, didn't understand the extent that the Soviet economy was crumbling.
Gorbachev did approve Helmut Kohl of the reuniting of the East and West. Without his approval it would not have been possible before the total collapse of USSR. Do you really think he did nothing on tearing down the wall???
@@1996koke people barely noticed it happened at the time but that doesn't mean it wasn't impactful. It laid the groundwork for the fall of the wall only a few years later, which Reagan/Bush had everything to do with separate from the public
@@andrewsutherland133 well I agree that Reagan's actions were part of it but not the speech itself, if you erase it from history the wall would have fallen pretty much the same way it fell in real life
@@1996koke that's true, but its important in that he's signifying to the public the end of the cold war. Similarly, JFK's, "we chose to go to the moon" speech, granted had more public attention, but had little impact in actually going to the moon, yet its iconic because we did go to the moon and although the speech had nothing to do with it, it was foreshadowing to something great
You nailed the exact period I was thinking of. Obama though thinks the best days of America are today under his failed leadership. He said the world has never been less violent, 1 month after Orlando: See RU-vid video id: (v=biXWZYMugnY)
Yes I don't like Reagan, but compared to the orange clown we have in office... He is an angel. BTW, imagine if Trump was in charge during the Cuban missile crisis. We wouldn't have jobs. We would all be dead in nuclear holocaust.
@@Novaheart1998 it is, instead of confining a nation, you're keeping out illegals who don't belong. If they wanna come in, wait there turn. People in Berlin didn't have that option
One of the seminal moments of world history. This is how a President of the United States speaks and acts. RIP Ronald Wilson Reagan. You were a great man and great leader.
" clearly have never seen his speeches." And his brilliant decision-making. He was right to oppose the "NO NUKES" movement that liberals where advocating in the 1980s. Today, 25+ years later, The Ukrainians REGRET the day they ever gave up their nukes. Bill Clinton disarmed their Nukes in 1994, leaving it vulnerable to the Russian invasion of 2014. Here is a video of Bill laughing like an idiot with Russian president Boris Yeltsin when they disarmed the Ukraine: RU-vid video id: (v=SJ7-PgVq73A) "NO NUKES" didn't work. And Ironically, it was Bill Clinton's mistake that proved Ronald Reagan right again - 20+ years later.
yeah putin is a murderer and moral corrupted bastard and former kgb agent but russia does not deserve better president they had had their chances but failed greeting from chech republic prague
@@willemoranje No, He let terroism happen. Regan stopped that, and he built the economy and got jobs. Obama didn't the man most like Regan is Trump those 2 are the best presidents.
@@101patrol8 Lol,Trump is the best example of how dumb 'Mericans' are these days, you want another example of the watch the opening scene of the serie The Newsroom and listen to stats listed about the glorious,richest,powerfull USA, your country is a joke man, own up to it,your biggest enemies own your biggest debts if they collect them your country goes bankrupt again,your are not SUPER power anymore. educate your self about the state of your country and then have discussion with me.
Happy 107th Birthday to Ronald Reagan, one of the greatest presidents in our country's history!!! Thank you for all that you did for our great country!
As a German, I feel deeply grateful to President Reagan and America for the unwavering defense of freedom in the world in general and in my country in particular. Sadly, today’s GOP seems to forget this commitment to freedom, even in the USA itself.
At least Joe Biden didn't stole medical supplies from other nations, didn't even tell people to drink detergent. Your last president made the mess we are living today. And who are you to say anything, you are a nobody.
we the people should have a right to recall the president b4 general elections or overthrow the govt. thomas Jefferson said- if law become tyranny, duty become action. if it becomes an apocalypse, we citizens should create an uprising rebellion against an empire with mandates and unlawful rule (mob rule) a revolution isnt enough, 1/6/21 is only the beginning if things dont change.
This right here is one of the greatest speeches of all time. Reagan knew the teardown of the wall would put an end to the soviet union, decades of tension and uncertainty, an ongoing feud that dates back to the start of WW1. The end of everything and the rise of a great American superpower... Love or hate reagan... This was one of the greatest speech of all time.
This speech barely had an effect on world war, the Soviets had already decided to ease restrictions to travel to west Berlin and it all came down because of a mistake in a press conference
@@1996koke the announcement made that had the miscommunication that border crossings were going to be eased "immediately" only came about because Gorbachev was persuaded by Reagan and others in exchange for taking off the pressure they were exerting on the failing totalitarian state. Talks behind the scenes were more important then this actual this speech, what it represents is that it simply encapsulated his immovable convictions soon to come to flourishion.
Wrong. He knew the end of the Soviet Union is near, so he made this speech to make it his achievement. And people like you believe it. But for neutral people with the background Information... it's just a smart but dirty a$$h0le move. One of the Greatest con artists ever.
I truly miss this great man. I am so proud he was the first president I voted for, and I'll treasure it forever. He got me involved in conservatism and politics, and I never looked back. He was a man of substantial substance, a God-fearing, self-made man who came from a humble upbringing. May his beloved memory be eternal 🙏 ✝️ 🇺🇸🙌👏
I regret that I had the chance to vote for President Reagan, but his leadership and steadfast belief in the greatness of America has stayed with me to this day.
I was a United States soldier in Germany when this speech happened and in Berlin when that wall cane down. I remember all the little cars flooding accross the border after it came down. Before it came down though when we had to take our missiles out of Germany. I guarded a missile base and had to show 20 russian diplomat's it was empty and translated everything with an overhead projector.
+CrayDesigns His views on environment/his environmental policies. "Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do." -- Ronald Reagan, 1981. However, I'm not judging him, I actually think he was quite charming, but just like all presidents (and human beings) he wasn't perfect, thus my comment: he had his ups and downs, cause don't we all?
Stephanie Estrada I also think his ups outweigh his downs. But the environment was not as big of a campaigning factor as today back then in my mind. I mean in the long run, he made the country better.
I’m an American that was held in Hohenschönhausen from 1979 to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. My release wouldn’t have been possible without President Reagan. 🥺
@Joe H. -- And current POTUS is 70 and looks like a drunk, bloated bullfrog with a dustmop on top of his head -- though I wouldn't care if he looked like the world's ugliest reptile if he had a clue...
Ainsley Jo Phillips aww looks like someone got triggered just over a comment on RU-vid 😂 i mean you don't have to hide it either it's blatantly obvious after that comment haha
my Grandpa worked for Reagan when he was the governor of California as Chairman of the Parole Board. he was also one of the best governors ever and is much better than Donald Trump I feel
DOUG HEINS Without the Marshall plan Europe would never have managed to recover from the war as well as it did. Many countries would probably be very instable and the Soviet Union would most likely have been able to further spread their influence even to western Europe.
KyleBuschPackFan You do know he wanted to use nuclear bombs on innocent people as well as combatants. And that would have started a nuclear war. In turn we would all be dead due to Mutually Assured destruction.
Speech writers work with the president. Also he purposely took out "tear down this wall!" because he thought it was too provocative, Reagan put it back in on the spot during the speech.
President Reagan WILL forever be my favorite President - I adore him and miss him so much - he loved his country and DID help other countries as well. I LOVE this speech - he will always be the BEST at making his speeches which were true to his heart; we NEED another President like HIM who was courageous and didn't take any crap from other countries who were trying to bring us down. It was HE who had the hostages freed on the day of his inauguration b/c that country KNEW that ONCE Pres. Ronald Reagan was in office he wasn't going to play their games and they were scared of Pres. Reagan b/c he was determined to get the hostages freed - and he would do so anyway way it took to bring them home, unlike Pres. Carter who was too soft and did nothing; PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN I MISS YOU SO MUCH. The administration in office right now is just horrible and has done NOTHING - everything is being SWEPT under the rug - Obama is depleting our military very fast, he is taking away Veterans money and forgetting about them, and for the men and women fighting for our Country he is taking away money that should go toward their protection while fighting for our FREEDOM. I wish people would quit drinking the Obama Kool-Aid b/c our Country is NOT doing well and he needs to stop APOLOGIZING for the U.S. and start protecting us from these other countries who hate us so much. Again, this is the WORST Administration we've had, the Obamacare is NOT working as well among other issues Obama seems to be ignoring !!! I think Carter/Obama are the worst Presidents we had --- PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN - YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND FOREVER BE IN MY HEART- GOD BLESS YOU (yes I said it)!
Do you know what is funny.😏 Before this speech all of Ronald Reagan's advisers and speech writers told/begged him not to mention the wall. Even at the last second they begged him to not mention the wall. What did Reagan do? Told Gorbachov to "Tear down this wall!" Reagan was not perfect, but this was his moment to shine!
Mimi Luv one is to control the flow of people into the country (not stopping immigration) and the other was built to trap people on one side of a city and prevent them from leaving
I think at that time most of Europe (except Thatcher) were seriously doubting Reagan intentions since his backers were profitting the most from the cold war. But in hindsight it was a great speech and it probably helped Gorbachev making one of is most courageous decisions of his autharian reign : No support from Soviet millitary support for the faltering Eastern Europe goverments to strike down revolts which led eventually to the teardown of the wall and the DDR but not forget also to the collapsing of the Soviet union where mr Gorbachev had lot less glorious role because there he did order to strike down the revolts violently.
Ordered the following books from Amazon and will be sending them as soon as i get them 1) The Official US Army Combat Skills Handbook - 7/6/2024 CE 2) The Official US Army Fitness Training Handbook - 5/6/2024 CE
Could you ever imagine Joe Biden in This position?. A terrifying prospect. He'd mumble and fumble the speech then fall off the podium. Ronald Reagan was a true statesman. Helmut kohl next to him. Another giant. How we've fallen.
The Berlin Wall was a national monument where it was not only a historical landmark for the American presidential speeches,tourism and visitation,but this is a reminder to the approaching generations that will read about this siting in the future,watch documentaries on it in the future,parents will take they're infants to watch it
Real leader here,this generation of today doesnt understand that there was a time and place where we as Americans had pride and this man was the embodiment of the American man and fighting spirit. Everytime joe Biden speaks Ronald Reagan rolls in his grave guys