🚶 People leaving
Thousands of East Germans were still fleeing to the West, many through Czechoslovakia. Factories, hospitals and shops were losing workers.
The Peaceful Revolution, 1987-90 » Krenz and the Opening of the Berlin Wall
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Section A, Investigation A5, Key topic 5
- The pressures Egon Krenz faced as the new leader
- Why the government tried to change the travel rules
- How a confused announcement was made on 9 November 1989
- What happened at the Berlin Wall that night
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Unlock This CourseKrenz takes over
On 18 October 1989 Egon Krenz replaced Erich Honecker as leader of the SED (the Socialist Unity Party that ruled the GDR, or East Germany). Krenz had been one of Honecker's closest helpers, so many East Germans did not believe he would really change anything. He promised a "turn" (a change of direction) and talked of reform, but the SED had already lost the trust of its people.
Krenz faced three big pressures at once:
📢 Protests
The Monday demonstrations kept growing. On 4 November hundreds of thousands gathered in East Berlin to demand free speech and free elections.
💰 A weak state
The economy was struggling and Gorbachev would not send Soviet help. The government could not rely on force.
Key terms:
- Travel law: the rules deciding when and how East Germans could leave the country.
- Border crossing: a checkpoint where guards checked the papers of people passing between East and West Berlin.
Trying to calm the crisis
Krenz decided the best way to ease the pressure was to let people travel. Many were leaving for good because they feared the border might close again. If they could travel freely, the leaders hoped, more would come home.
- 3 November: people were allowed to leave through Czechoslovakia, and thousands did so.
- 6 November: a draft travel law was published. Protesters said it did not go far enough.
- 7 and 8 November: the government resigned, and the Politburo (the SED's top committee) resigned too. A new Politburo was chosen, led by Krenz.
A new travel law was now being written in a hurry. Its main aim was to let people apply to leave or travel abroad without needing to give a reason. Under the plan, East Germans would have to go to a police office for a visa first, and the rules would start the next day.
The confused announcement, 9 November
On the evening of 9 November Günter Schabowski, the SED's Berlin leader and a Politburo member, gave a press conference that was shown live on television. He had been handed a note about the new rules shortly before, but he had not been fully briefed. Near the end he read out that private trips abroad could be made without the usual conditions.
A journalist asked when the rules came into force. Schabowski looked through his papers and said that, as far as he knew, it was immediately. In fact the rules were meant to begin the next day, after the proper visa procedure was in place. His answer was a mistake, but the news spread fast. West German television reported that the border was open.
Why was it so confused?
- The rules were written in a rush.
- The spokesman had not been fully told what to say or when it began.
- It was broadcast live, so the mistake spread to the whole country in minutes.
The night of 9 November
Within hours East Berliners began to gather at the Wall. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, split East and West Berlin, and crossing it had been almost impossible for 28 years. People demanded to be let through.
The border guards had no clear orders. They had not been told that the rules would start that night, and they could not reach anyone who would give a decision. Crowds grew at crossings such as Bornholmer Strasse, where the pressure became too great. Late that evening, at about 11.30 pm, the guards opened the gates and let people through without checking their papers. Other crossings followed.
Thousands crossed into West Berlin. West Berliners welcomed them, and people climbed on top of the Wall and celebrated through the night. The Wall was not knocked down that night. In the following days and weeks crowds and souvenir hunters chipped pieces from it, and the official dismantling came later. In effect the Wall had stopped working as a barrier.
Why did it matter?
- The Wall had been the symbol of the divided Germany. Its opening showed the SED had lost control.
- Krenz had not planned an open Wall. It happened because of confusion and people power.
- Once the Wall was open, it became much harder for the SED to hold on to power.
Common mistakes
- Saying the Wall was knocked down on 9 November. It was opened that night. Taking it down came later.
- Saying Krenz planned to open the Wall. The leaders planned a new travel law with visas, not a free crossing for everyone.
- Saying Gorbachev or the West forced it open. It was the crowds and the guards' lack of orders.
Exam-style question
This is a Paper 2 Section A (a) question. It tests whether you can describe features with accurate detail.
Describe TWO features of EITHER the pressures on Krenz as leader in October and November 1989 OR the opening of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. [6 marks]
Model answer
I will describe the opening of the Berlin Wall. One feature was the confused announcement. At a live press conference on 9 November, Günter Schabowski said the new travel rules applied immediately, although they were meant to start the next day with visas. West German television reported the border was open.
A second feature was that the guards opened the gates without orders. Crowds gathered at crossings such as Bornholmer Strasse, and late that night, at about 11.30 pm, the guards let people through without checking their papers. Thousands then crossed into West Berlin and celebrated on the Wall.
What lifts it to the top level: it gives two clear features, and each one is developed with accurate dates, names and detail.
Exam tip
Choose the option you can support with more precise facts. Give two different features and back each with a date, a name or a place.
Recap
- Krenz replaced Honecker on 18 October 1989 but faced people leaving, huge protests and no Soviet help.
- He tried to calm things by easing travel, and the government and Politburo resigned on 7 and 8 November.
- On 9 November Schabowski wrongly said the new travel rules started immediately.
- Crowds went to the Wall, and at about 11.30 pm the guards opened the gates.