Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

An image of the Berlin Wall taken from the American side. The sign is warning travelers that they are leaving the American, capitalist side and entering the communist sector ran by the USSR

The fall of the Berlin Wall, which divided West Germany from East Germany was a pivotal moment in the overall dissolution of the USSR. Germany marked the event as representing the final unification of the country, and for the U.S. the tear down symbolized the end of the long lived Cold War. The Iron Curtain lifted from Soviet Russia and a new age of foreign relations not focused on the looming threat of communism began for America. President Ronald Reagan was integral in negotiating with Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev for Germany's reunification from the very beginning of his terms in office. Reagan's famous demand was given in a speech at Brandenburg Gate in 1987. He sent Gorbachev a message with his demand telling the Russian leader that if the USSR desired an end to hostilities with the capitalist world, Russia would "tear down this wall!" Two years later, Russia followed through with Reagan's request. The US triumphed in a global conflict between differing political outlooks which had consumed the world since the end of World War II. America's biggest competitor on the world stage was now declining and dissolving, leading the US to take on the role as the number one global power.

This clip is from Ronald Reagan's speech at Brandenburg Gate. Ronald Reagan made it clear in this speech that he would work with the Soviet Union if they were willing; however, if the USSR continued on its current path, the US would not be lenient.