The Berlin Wall, toppled 20 years ago today, was brought down by Ronald Reagan's hawkish stand, right? Peter Beinart explodes conventional wisdom—crediting Reagan's dovish side instead.
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June 12, 1987: President Reagan challenges Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”
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January 19, 1989: Erich Honecker vows wall will stand "100 years"
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February 6: Chris Gueffroy becomes last victim of border guard shooting orders
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August 19: Tadeusz Mazowiecki nominated as first non-Communist Polish PM in four decades
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September 10: Hungary opens western borders to GDR refugees, thousands of East Germans defect via open border to Austria
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October 7: Gorbachev greeted as liberator during visit for 40th anniversary of East Germany
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October 9: "We Are the People" protests in Leipzig
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October 18: Honecker resigns and is replaced by Egon Krenz
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October 31: Politburo meets to discuss economic problems
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November 1: Gorbachev and Krenz meet in Moscow
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November 3: East Germans allowed into West Germany via Czechoslovakian border
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November 4: Hundreds of thousands show up to demonstrate for democracy
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November 6: New travel laws published to intense criticism
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November 7: Council of Ministers resigns; November 8: Politburo resigns
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November 9, around 4 p.m.: Krenz reads draft of expanded travel regulations
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November 9, around 5 p.m.: Günter Schabowski receives updated regulations and skims document
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Nov 9, 6:57p.m.: Schabowski tells press regulations are “effective immediately”
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Nov 9, 9:20 p.m.: Some allowed through at Bornholmer Street crossing
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November 9, 10:42 p.m.: West German reporter Hanns Friedrich announces opening of borders
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November 9, 11:30 p.m.: Traffic barriers raised at Bornholmer
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