Today In History: The Reunification of Germany

Today In History: The Reunification of Germany

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Some may remember the former Checkpoint Charlie, a well-known border crossing on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin.  Becoming a symbol of the Cold War, with the presence of American and Soviet tanks there at the height of crisis in 1961, this major military point sought to stop emigration and defection, at times unsuccessfully, into the West.

On September 12th, 1990 the former East and West Germany agreed under the "Two Plus Four Treaty" with European Allies (France, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States) that German boundaries comprised the entire area of Germany -- soon to be considered one country.  Reestablishing Germany as a single state occurred between November 9th, 1989 and March 15th, 1991, with October 3rd, 1990 as a key date when the Unification Treaty dissolved the German Democratic Republic (also known as the GDR or East Germany). The former German Democratic Republic  was viewed as a communist state stemming back to Soviet occupation during Nazi Germany (1933-1945).

This news curation focuses on the close period leading up to, and just after, the Treaty which ushered in the next stages of German reunification -- a major political, social, and economic decision that impacted the fall of the Berlin Wall and larger growth and influence of Western thought, including changes in education.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

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