The founding myths of the new century are called into question, with surprising and far-reaching consequences: what if the Cold War did not really end with the fall of the Berlin Wall? Meyer’s work at the United Nations allows him to look at the fall of the Berlin Wall from a different angle. Today, twenty years later, most of which spent as a reporter and the last two as chief speechwriter for the UN Secretary–General, we asked him to tell us about those days. He was Newsweek’s Bureau Chief for Germany and Eastern Europe. Michael Meyer was in East Berlin on 9 November 1989. He addressed the triumphal misunderstanding of history that led the United States into some of the most intractable conflicts it faces today. Michael Meyer recently wrote a book, The year that changed the world: the untold story behind the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Like every event in history, this one also has its founding myths. Pro-Soviet governments in nearby Poland and Hungary.Few doubt that the fall of the Berlin Wall is the event that closed the Cold War era and brought in the twenty-first century. Of radical political changes occurred in the Eastern Bloc,Īssociated with the liberalization of the Eastern Bloc'sĪuthoritarian systems and the erosion of political power in the Took its toll on Soviet coffers and its military. Communism just could not keep up with any free marketĬapitalist system in the world at that time. Was a paper tiger and not a viable system, the Soviets never knew Planned weapons system the Soviets feared the most. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), or Star Wars, was the The Eastern Bloc by basically bankrupting their capability to The 'war' was a chess matchīetween the two powers especially in the development of perspective Try and isolate the Soviets, social implications, especially in theĮarly 1950s, caused the great 'commie hunt' in the United States, There was little political discourse, economic sanctions existed to

Spending and development 'battles' were fought between the parties. TheĬold War was a non-combat 'war.' The Cold War, as noted, existedīecause of differing political ideologies between the two powers.īasically, it was the Western Ideals of democracy against theĮastern communists. China could also be included in the definition.

The 'Cold War,' refers to the 'war' between the United StatesĪnd Russia.

Why was the cold war called the coldwar