That was extremely important, because after the fall of the Wall the developments in the G.D.R. At the same time, we did our utmost to make sure that the process moved along peaceful lines, without infringing on the vital interests of our country or undermining peace in Europe. In those conditions, the Soviet leadership’s first step was to rule out military force by the Soviet troops stationed in the G.D.R. 9, 1989, was the result of specific circumstances and the evolution of popular mood. The fall of the Berlin Wall was therefore not a surprise for us.
The protests and the political demands–from freedom of emigration to freedom of speech and the dissolution of government bodies to the reunification of Germany–were gaining momentum. Subsequent events confirmed that the G.D.R. They were chanting: Perestroika! Gorbachev, help! We knew that they had been carefully pre-selected, which made their behavior even more striking.
As I stood on the rostrum, greeting the columns of participants in the parade, I felt almost physically the people’s discontent.
In October 1989, I attended the festivities in East Berlin marking the 40th anniversary of the G.D.R.
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