Tear down this wall!

Speech Writing And Internal Debate

Peter Robinson traveled to West Germany to inspect potential speech venues before drafting the text. He gained an overall sense that the majority of West Berliners opposed the wall despite official restrictions. Senior staffers advised against including the phrase tear down this wall due to fears of causing tension. White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker objected saying it sounded extreme and unpresidential. Deputy U.S. National Security Advisor Colin Powell agreed with the cautionary stance. Despite little support for suggesting Reagan demand the wall's removal, Robinson kept the phrase in the draft. On Monday the 18th of May 1987, Reagan met with his speechwriters and responded positively to the document. He stated I thought it was a good solid draft while others remained skeptical. Nevertheless Reagan liked the passage and decided to leave it in place. Anthony Dolan offered another account attributing the line directly to Reagan himself during an Oval Office meeting prior to Robinson's draft. A friendly exchange of letters between Robinson and Dolan over their differing accounts appeared later in The Wall Street Journal.

When did Ronald Reagan deliver his speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin?

Ronald Reagan delivered his speech at the Brandenburg Gate on the 12th of June 1987. The event took place at two o'clock in the afternoon while East German police prevented citizens from coming close to the wall.

Who wrote the phrase tear down this wall for Ronald Reagan's 1987 speech?

Peter Robinson drafted the text containing the phrase after traveling to West Germany to inspect venues. Anthony Dolan offered an alternative account claiming Reagan originated the line during an Oval Office meeting before Robinson's draft.

What was the reaction of East German authorities to Ronald Reagan's 1987 speech?

East Germany's communist rulers dismissed the speech as an absurd demonstration by a cold warrior. Politburo member Günter Schabowski recalled this reaction decades later and Soviet press agency TASS accused Reagan of giving an openly provocative war-mongering speech.

Where did Ronald Reagan stand when he gave his famous speech about the Berlin Wall?

The president stood before the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin on the 12th of June 1987. Two panes of bulletproof glass shielded him from East Berlin during the address while West German president Richard von Weizsäcker watched closely.

How did John F. Kennedy's 1963 speech relate to Ronald Reagan's 1987 address?

Ronald Reagan's speech followed John F. Kennedy's famous 1963 speech Ich bin ein Berliner which also took place at the Brandenburg Gate. Author James Mann placed the speech in context of previous Reagan overtures such as the Reykjavik summit of the previous year.

Tear down this wall!.

Speech Writing And Internal Debate

Delivery At Brandenburg Gate

Immediate Media And Political Response

Posthumous Legacy And Symbolism

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