Having lived through this period of time in the US, I deeply appreciate Jens Schöne's excellent article. At that time I was actively involved in the failed candidacy of Jimmy Carter. Reagan's victory was no surprise but the utter landslide victory was. Carter presented a dour, "take your medicine" approach to America's problems at the time. The failed Iranian hostage situation certainly did not help! Ultimately Reagan benefited from almost mythic cult status for all the wrong reasons--US deficits boomed, de-regulation destroyed economic competition by concentrating the industry segments into the few, and the gap between rich and poor greatly accelerated and the arms buildup in America came at expense of social programs What he does rightly get credit for is his foreign policy and, strangely enough, a fairly liberal social attitude. Today's Trumpers like to claim Reagan as their own, but Reagan would be appalled by what the Republican Party has become. I wish Reagan could make a return appearance and say so himself.
Thanks again, Katja, for your outstanding efforts to tell history in a way that clarifies contemporary experience,
Very interesting read. Ronald Reagan like all presidents could be a polarizing figure but I really believed that he had compassion and empathy for oppressed people. I also remember the stark difference between East and West.
I visited Berlin in November 1974, on a study trip organised by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Council). I spent five days there, and the impressions made there have stayed with me. East Berlin was fascinating, but the crossing into and out of it was highly unnerving. Armed guards pointed machine guns underneath the U-Bahn I was on as we passed through Friedrichstrasse station. And then the Wall, the watchtowers, No Man’s Land separating West from East, the ruined buildings left as a reminder of World War II. By contrast, West Berlin was dazzling and frenetic.
I’m not surprised the visit left such a profound impression on Ronald Reagan.
Interesting Katja. I knew he visited but not the details. I will pop this svelte tome on the wish list. I have The GDR: A History of The Workers’ and Peasants’ State by Jens Schóne. Good book.
Thanks Katja 👍that was an eye opener 👏👏
"... the men made their way into the Platz and observed a man being checked and harassed by
heavily armed police, apparently without reason."
Wouldn't be an unusual sight for an American at home these days.
Having lived through this period of time in the US, I deeply appreciate Jens Schöne's excellent article. At that time I was actively involved in the failed candidacy of Jimmy Carter. Reagan's victory was no surprise but the utter landslide victory was. Carter presented a dour, "take your medicine" approach to America's problems at the time. The failed Iranian hostage situation certainly did not help! Ultimately Reagan benefited from almost mythic cult status for all the wrong reasons--US deficits boomed, de-regulation destroyed economic competition by concentrating the industry segments into the few, and the gap between rich and poor greatly accelerated and the arms buildup in America came at expense of social programs What he does rightly get credit for is his foreign policy and, strangely enough, a fairly liberal social attitude. Today's Trumpers like to claim Reagan as their own, but Reagan would be appalled by what the Republican Party has become. I wish Reagan could make a return appearance and say so himself.
Thanks again, Katja, for your outstanding efforts to tell history in a way that clarifies contemporary experience,
Interesting. In a sense Reagan’s ignorance allowed him to see the Wall with fresh eyes. For the rest of us, it had simply become an immutable fact.
Very interesting read. Ronald Reagan like all presidents could be a polarizing figure but I really believed that he had compassion and empathy for oppressed people. I also remember the stark difference between East and West.
Thanks for sharing!
I visited Berlin in November 1974, on a study trip organised by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Council). I spent five days there, and the impressions made there have stayed with me. East Berlin was fascinating, but the crossing into and out of it was highly unnerving. Armed guards pointed machine guns underneath the U-Bahn I was on as we passed through Friedrichstrasse station. And then the Wall, the watchtowers, No Man’s Land separating West from East, the ruined buildings left as a reminder of World War II. By contrast, West Berlin was dazzling and frenetic.
I’m not surprised the visit left such a profound impression on Ronald Reagan.
The book sounds like an interesting read.
Interesting Katja. I knew he visited but not the details. I will pop this svelte tome on the wish list. I have The GDR: A History of The Workers’ and Peasants’ State by Jens Schóne. Good book.
Such a crucial and iconic part of cold War history, thanks for highlighting Jens work and as it's free to download it would be rude not to.