James A. Baker, III, peers into East Berlin through a hole in the Berlin Wall, on Dec. 12, 1989.
Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall fell, paving the way for German unification and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Baker Institute honorary chairman James A. Baker. III, who at the time was U.S. Secretary of State for President George H.W. Bush, was having lunch with then-Philippine president Corazon Aquino. He went on to play a pivotal role in the negotiations that merged East and West Germany together and set the stage for contemporary Europe.
In this week’s Newsweek, Baker reflects on “Why the Berlin Wall Fell,” examining the broader historical context that led up to the transformative event, and his own personal and emotional recollections.
He also answers “Three Questions” about this historic event in The New York Times and is interviewed by the BBC for a piece on “Gorbachev and Baker Recall 1989.”
The Baker Institute’s Joe Barnes, who spent more than a decade working for the state department, shares his thoughts on the role diplomacy played in the unification of Germany. Read his commentary, “The Art of the Diplomacy, 20 Years Later,” in The Houston Chronicle.
There’s also an archived webcast to view from the recent Baker Institute conference, “German Unification: Expectations and Outcomes,” which featured a panel discussion including Baker, former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas, former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, Lord Charles Powell of Britain, West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and East German Foreign Minister Markus Meckel.
Where were you when the Wall fell?