November 9th in German History

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. This is a day that changes the world. One year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, on October 3, 1990, Germany was reunited after 41 years of division. With the eradication of the dictatorship of the Democratic Republic of Germany from German soil, the European Real Socialist camp completely disappeared from the political map. The conflict between East and West also ended. November 9, 1989, can be called the day that decided the fate of Germany and Europe.

end monarchy

In German history, several important events occurred on November 9th. In 1918 Social Democrat Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the establishment of a republic at the Reichsbauer in Berlin, ending the monarchy under Wilhelm II:

"Workers and soldiers, you know the historical significance of this day. Something unprecedented has happened. The work before us is many and complex. Everything comes from the people, everything is for the people. Nothing will be allowed to bring shame to the workers' movement. Unite, be loyal and responsible! The old and decadent imperial monarchy has collapsed. Long live the new life. Long live the German Republic!"

Hitler's "Beer Hall Putsch"

Germany's young democracy encountered great difficulties from the beginning. It was under attack from both the left and right. On November 9, 1923, the National Socialists (Nazis) held a demonstration after launching a coup in Munich. Their leader was Hitler. This action is known as Hitler's "Beer Hall Putsch". Ten years later, Hitler legally gained power to rule Germany, and then pushed the entire world into the disastrous World War II.

General rehearsal of the Holocaust "Kristallnacht"

In this process, the Jews living in Germany were gradually deprived of their rights and wealth. Beginning in 1942, Jews were systematically murdered. Prior to this, on November 9, 1938, before the start of World War II, synagogues were burned, and Jewish shops were smashed and looted throughout the German Empire. About 100 Jews were killed that day and 26,000 were sent to concentration camps.

Historically, this day was called "Kristallnacht", and it was like a "rehearsal" of the Jewish Holocaust. Robert Ley, the leader of the Nazi Party's German Works Front, made no secret of this. He shouted at a rally: "The Jews will and must die. The Jews will and must be destroyed. This is our sacred belief."

the fall of the berlin wall

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. The most common word people heard that night was "unbelievable." The frontier to the west was suddenly open. For many months, East German people have been holding anti-government demonstrations without interruption. Thousands of people have fled to the West through Hungary and West German embassies in Eastern European countries. The East German people's demand for free travel has put increasing pressure on the government. However, people did not expect the borders to open. On the same day, an international press conference held by the East Berlin government announced that the regulations on opening borders "take effect immediately." Tens of thousands of people flocked to the border with East Berlin. They expressed excitedly:

"In the past, they always let people go one by one, but now, they have opened the door. Now, we don't need to show any ID, and we can leave without checking. I didn't even bring my ID."

The wheel of history has not turned back. German history was written for the fourth time on November 9th, and this time it was a lucky one. Even though we experienced many difficulties later, this fact cannot be changed: after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German nation was reunified. What must not be forgotten is that what is more difficult than the formal unification of a country is the realization of true inner unity.