The collapse : the accidental opening of the Berlin Wall / Mary Elise Sarotte.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sarotte, M. E., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989.

Germany (East)--Politics and government--1989-1990.

Germany (East).

Berlin (Germany)--History--1945-1990.

Berlin (Germany).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (568 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

2014.

New York : Basic Books, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"In The Collapse historian Mary Elise Sarotte shows that the opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, was not, as is commonly believed, the East German government's deliberate concession to outside influence. It was an accident. A carelessly worded memo written by mid-level bureaucrats, a bumbling press conference given by an inept member of the East German Politburo, the negligence of government leaders, the bravery of ordinary people in East and West Berlin--these combined to bring about the end of nearly forty years of oppression, fear, and enmity in divided Berlin. Drawing on evidence from archives in multiple countries and languages, along with dozens of interviews with key actors, The Collapse is the definitive account of the event that brought down the East German Politburo and came to represent the final collapse of the Cold War order"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Contents; Maps and Photos; Abbreviations in the Captions, Maps, and Text; Note on Names; Introduction: Discovering the Causes of the Collapse; Part I: The Struggle within the Soviet Bloc and Saxony; Chapter One A Brutal Status Quo; Chapter Two Marginal to Massive; Chapter Three The Fight for the Ring; Part II: The Competition for Control in East Berlin; Chapter Four The Revolution Advances, the Regime Plays for Time; Chapter Five Failure to Communicate on November 9, 1989; Part III: The Contest of Wills at the Wall; Chapter Six The Revolution, Televised; Chapter Seven Damage Control?

Epilogue Violence and Victory, Trust and TriumphalismAcknowledgments; Brief Timeline of Major Events Highlighted in the Text; Additional Information About, and Abbreviations in, the Notes and Bibliography; Interviews; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-465-05690-3

OCLC:

892239203