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[THREAD: OF CLAPS & COMMUNISM]
1/48
How long should a standing ovation last? One study pegs the typical duration at 6 seconds, but what do you think? Say, that person is exceptionally important.
15 seconds?
A minute?
15 minutes?
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2013.0466">https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.10...
1/48
How long should a standing ovation last? One study pegs the typical duration at 6 seconds, but what do you think? Say, that person is exceptionally important.
15 seconds?
A minute?
15 minutes?
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2013.0466">https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.10...
2/48
What if the person you& #39;re applauding isn& #39;t even present? In 1938, as Stalin& #39;s NKVD was executing an average of 1,000 a day in what came to be known as the Great Purge, a local Communist Party chapter held a conference just outside Moscow.
http://sovietinfo.tripod.com/ELM-Repression_Statistics.pdf">https://sovietinfo.tripod.com/ELM-Repre... (Page 1154)
What if the person you& #39;re applauding isn& #39;t even present? In 1938, as Stalin& #39;s NKVD was executing an average of 1,000 a day in what came to be known as the Great Purge, a local Communist Party chapter held a conference just outside Moscow.
http://sovietinfo.tripod.com/ELM-Repression_Statistics.pdf">https://sovietinfo.tripod.com/ELM-Repre... (Page 1154)
3/48
At this conference, a tribute was called to Comrade Stalin followed by a customary applause.
1 minute...5 minutes...10 minutes...no one would stop. The applause was deafening. Every person in the conference knew they were being watched. Closely. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/rampage/wp/2017/10/26/dont-ever-be-the-first-to-stop-applauding/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ramp...
At this conference, a tribute was called to Comrade Stalin followed by a customary applause.
1 minute...5 minutes...10 minutes...no one would stop. The applause was deafening. Every person in the conference knew they were being watched. Closely. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/rampage/wp/2017/10/26/dont-ever-be-the-first-to-stop-applauding/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ramp...
4/48
Stopping, or even slowing down, was risky business. So they kept going...
For 11 whole minutes.
Stalin isn& #39;t even there. Nobody wanted to be the first to stop. Until someone did, and wound up spending 10 very uncomfortable years in the gulag. https://mannerofspeaking.org/2010/05/12/some-chilling-public-speaking-history/">https://mannerofspeaking.org/2010/05/1...
Stopping, or even slowing down, was risky business. So they kept going...
For 11 whole minutes.
Stalin isn& #39;t even there. Nobody wanted to be the first to stop. Until someone did, and wound up spending 10 very uncomfortable years in the gulag. https://mannerofspeaking.org/2010/05/12/some-chilling-public-speaking-history/">https://mannerofspeaking.org/2010/05/1...
5/48
This was the scene behind the Iron Curtain under Ioseb Besarionis dzе Jugashvili or Joseph Stalin. And this was the man the likes of Roosevelt and Churchill had to appease in order to beat Hitler. Understandably, Stalin was a hard-sell to democratic Brits and Americans.
This was the scene behind the Iron Curtain under Ioseb Besarionis dzе Jugashvili or Joseph Stalin. And this was the man the likes of Roosevelt and Churchill had to appease in order to beat Hitler. Understandably, Stalin was a hard-sell to democratic Brits and Americans.
6/48
Both Roosevelt and Churchill pulled impossible mental contortions to make Stalin more palatable to their respective audiences.
For instance, in one of his radio addresses, the 27th "fireside chat" (Dec 24, 1943), President Roosevelt said the following:
Both Roosevelt and Churchill pulled impossible mental contortions to make Stalin more palatable to their respective audiences.
For instance, in one of his radio addresses, the 27th "fireside chat" (Dec 24, 1943), President Roosevelt said the following:
7/48
"I may say that I got along fine with Marshall Stalin. He is a man who confines a tremendous, relentless determination, with a stalwart good humor...I believe we are going to get along very well with him and the Russian people."
https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-24-1943-fireside-chat-27-tehran-and-cairo-conferences">https://millercenter.org/the-presi... (14:09)
"I may say that I got along fine with Marshall Stalin. He is a man who confines a tremendous, relentless determination, with a stalwart good humor...I believe we are going to get along very well with him and the Russian people."
https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-24-1943-fireside-chat-27-tehran-and-cairo-conferences">https://millercenter.org/the-presi... (14:09)
8/48
Another quick illustration is "Mission to Moscow," a 1943 propaganda film commissioned by none other than FDR himself to present the Purge as a war against German and Japanese conspiracies. This is what Ambassador Joseph Davies tells Joseph Stalin in one conversation scene:
Another quick illustration is "Mission to Moscow," a 1943 propaganda film commissioned by none other than FDR himself to present the Purge as a war against German and Japanese conspiracies. This is what Ambassador Joseph Davies tells Joseph Stalin in one conversation scene:
9/48
"I& #39;ve been greatly impressed by what I& #39;ve seen — the industrial plans...the work being done to improve the living conditions everywhere in Russia. I believe so that history will record you as a great builder for the benefit of mankind." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMtkwpfcOKo">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
"I& #39;ve been greatly impressed by what I& #39;ve seen — the industrial plans...the work being done to improve the living conditions everywhere in Russia. I believe so that history will record you as a great builder for the benefit of mankind." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMtkwpfcOKo">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
10/48
Fast forward to 1945.
The War has ended.
Hitler is dead.
The Allies are closing in on Germany, the Russians from the east and the other three — the Americans, the British, and the French — from the west.
Fast forward to 1945.
The War has ended.
Hitler is dead.
The Allies are closing in on Germany, the Russians from the east and the other three — the Americans, the British, and the French — from the west.
11/48
This is where Gen. Eisenhower blundered by not taking Berlin before the Russians did. It& #39;s said over 33,000-odd tons of bombs that the Allies had previously dropped failed to match the destruction wrought by the Red Army during these months. #v=onepage&q=33%2C000%20tons%20berlin%20allied%20bombs&f=false">https://books.google.co.in/books?id=gPnjXC1lEJ8C&pg=PA338&lpg=PA338&dq=33,000+tons+berlin+allied+bombs&source=bl&ots=Uz_RtIsb2_&sig=ACfU3U3fMkpudBqPzuxxC4h9opPAkJzUzg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKxK-W7IvqAhUfzzgGHQ8kCcEQ6AEwDHoECA0QAQ #v=onepage&q=33%2C000%20tons%20berlin%20allied%20bombs&f=false">https://books.google.co.in/books...
This is where Gen. Eisenhower blundered by not taking Berlin before the Russians did. It& #39;s said over 33,000-odd tons of bombs that the Allies had previously dropped failed to match the destruction wrought by the Red Army during these months. #v=onepage&q=33%2C000%20tons%20berlin%20allied%20bombs&f=false">https://books.google.co.in/books?id=gPnjXC1lEJ8C&pg=PA338&lpg=PA338&dq=33,000+tons+berlin+allied+bombs&source=bl&ots=Uz_RtIsb2_&sig=ACfU3U3fMkpudBqPzuxxC4h9opPAkJzUzg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKxK-W7IvqAhUfzzgGHQ8kCcEQ6AEwDHoECA0QAQ #v=onepage&q=33%2C000%20tons%20berlin%20allied%20bombs&f=false">https://books.google.co.in/books...
12/48
This Soviet raid, called the Battle of Berlin, left more than 20k Germans dead. That& #39;s just the civilians. That& #39;s just in Berlin. That& #39;s per Peter Antill& #39;s Berlin 1945. Alexandra Richie pegs the number at 100k in her novel, Faust& #39;s Metropolis. https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Berlin_1945.html?id=VYpIvgAACAAJ">https://books.google.co.in/books/abo...
This Soviet raid, called the Battle of Berlin, left more than 20k Germans dead. That& #39;s just the civilians. That& #39;s just in Berlin. That& #39;s per Peter Antill& #39;s Berlin 1945. Alexandra Richie pegs the number at 100k in her novel, Faust& #39;s Metropolis. https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Berlin_1945.html?id=VYpIvgAACAAJ">https://books.google.co.in/books/abo...
13/48
In the weeks following the fall of the Reich, women in food lines were asking each other questions like "how many times" as icebreakers. This referred to the number of times they& #39;d been raped since they last met. By the liberating Red Army troopers. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32529679">https://www.bbc.com/news/maga...
In the weeks following the fall of the Reich, women in food lines were asking each other questions like "how many times" as icebreakers. This referred to the number of times they& #39;d been raped since they last met. By the liberating Red Army troopers. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32529679">https://www.bbc.com/news/maga...
14/48
Although the city had served as the epicenter of Nazi activities in Germany as the Reich capital, most Berliners were far from hardened Nazis. In fact, only 3.4% of the city& #39;s population was young men between 18 and 30. Most of what remained, women and children.
Although the city had served as the epicenter of Nazi activities in Germany as the Reich capital, most Berliners were far from hardened Nazis. In fact, only 3.4% of the city& #39;s population was young men between 18 and 30. Most of what remained, women and children.
15/48
The Soviet invasion of Berlin was consensual. Roosevelt, high on Uncle Joe Kool-Aid, had agreed to share Berlin with Stalin as part of a deal when they met in Yalta. This was a terrible mistake the human cost of which is still hard to reckon.
https://europe.unc.edu/the-end-of-wwii-and-the-division-of-europe/">https://europe.unc.edu/the-end-o...
The Soviet invasion of Berlin was consensual. Roosevelt, high on Uncle Joe Kool-Aid, had agreed to share Berlin with Stalin as part of a deal when they met in Yalta. This was a terrible mistake the human cost of which is still hard to reckon.
https://europe.unc.edu/the-end-of-wwii-and-the-division-of-europe/">https://europe.unc.edu/the-end-o...
16/48
And so, as the Americans, Brits, and French engaged the West and the South, Stalin directed Marshals Koniev and Zhukov to race to the heart of the Reich. This sealed the city& #39;s fate. The exercise stands recorded in war history as the Race to Berlin. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/09/08/georgi-zhukov-and-ivan-konev-the-race-to-berlin/">https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/09/0...
And so, as the Americans, Brits, and French engaged the West and the South, Stalin directed Marshals Koniev and Zhukov to race to the heart of the Reich. This sealed the city& #39;s fate. The exercise stands recorded in war history as the Race to Berlin. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/09/08/georgi-zhukov-and-ivan-konev-the-race-to-berlin/">https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/09/0...
17/48
Once in Berlin, it was open season for the Red Army. German women and wealth were all theirs for the taking. With absolute impunity. Starting April 16, they plundered their way through Berlin seeking to avenge Hitler& #39;s earlier invasion of Russia. https://www.salon.com/2005/08/18/berlin_5/">https://www.salon.com/2005/08/1...
Once in Berlin, it was open season for the Red Army. German women and wealth were all theirs for the taking. With absolute impunity. Starting April 16, they plundered their way through Berlin seeking to avenge Hitler& #39;s earlier invasion of Russia. https://www.salon.com/2005/08/18/berlin_5/">https://www.salon.com/2005/08/1...
18/48
Stalin hoped his allies would eventually leave all of Germany to him. Germany was to never see democracy again. But that didn& #39;t happen. It split four ways as originally planned. Of those, 3 later merged as West Germany and the 4th, the one that belonged to Russia, as East.
Stalin hoped his allies would eventually leave all of Germany to him. Germany was to never see democracy again. But that didn& #39;t happen. It split four ways as originally planned. Of those, 3 later merged as West Germany and the 4th, the one that belonged to Russia, as East.
19/48
This split also divided Berlin although the city was enclaved within a Soviet-controlled East Germany. Despite the animosity between the 2 camps, Berlin remained an anomaly where one could flee Soviet oppression just by crossing a street. And thousands did.
Until 1961.
This split also divided Berlin although the city was enclaved within a Soviet-controlled East Germany. Despite the animosity between the 2 camps, Berlin remained an anomaly where one could flee Soviet oppression just by crossing a street. And thousands did.
Until 1961.
20/48
Okay, let& #39;s rewind a bit. You see, it took the Allies 4 postwar years to finally weld their German territories into one. May 8, West Germany published Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/index.html">https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_...
Okay, let& #39;s rewind a bit. You see, it took the Allies 4 postwar years to finally weld their German territories into one. May 8, West Germany published Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/index.html">https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_...
21/48
This document officially announced the unification of American, British, and French administrations into a single Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or Federal German Republic (FDR). Unofficially, West Germany. West Berlin too was part of this country. The capital was Bonn.
This document officially announced the unification of American, British, and French administrations into a single Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or Federal German Republic (FDR). Unofficially, West Germany. West Berlin too was part of this country. The capital was Bonn.
22/48
One curious anomaly here was that West Berliners, despite being citizens of West Germany, didn& #39;t have the right to vote along with the rest of West Germany — neither Bundesrat not Bundestag; but that& #39;s beside the point here. #v=onepage&q=constitution%20berlin%201950&f=true">https://books.google.co.in/books?id=oWFzvKt8fVoC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=constitution+berlin+1950&source=bl&ots=hyuCIJgkpd&sig=6M92IDToC3d9dPMZ0Z_d5ugtsuc&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y #v=onepage&q=constitution%20berlin%201950&f=true">https://books.google.co.in/books...
One curious anomaly here was that West Berliners, despite being citizens of West Germany, didn& #39;t have the right to vote along with the rest of West Germany — neither Bundesrat not Bundestag; but that& #39;s beside the point here. #v=onepage&q=constitution%20berlin%201950&f=true">https://books.google.co.in/books?id=oWFzvKt8fVoC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=constitution+berlin+1950&source=bl&ots=hyuCIJgkpd&sig=6M92IDToC3d9dPMZ0Z_d5ugtsuc&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y #v=onepage&q=constitution%20berlin%201950&f=true">https://books.google.co.in/books...
23/48
4 months later Stalin responded with Entwurf des Deutschen Volksrates, a document formalizing a Deutsche Demokratische Republik or German Democratic (ironically) Republic; unofficially, East Germany. East Berlin became the capital.
https://www.cvce.eu/content/publication/1999/1/1/33cc8de2-3cff-4102-b524-c1648172a838/publishable_en.pdf">https://www.cvce.eu/content/p...
4 months later Stalin responded with Entwurf des Deutschen Volksrates, a document formalizing a Deutsche Demokratische Republik or German Democratic (ironically) Republic; unofficially, East Germany. East Berlin became the capital.
https://www.cvce.eu/content/publication/1999/1/1/33cc8de2-3cff-4102-b524-c1648172a838/publishable_en.pdf">https://www.cvce.eu/content/p...
24/48
The masquerade of a collaborative allied administration was now officially gone.
Over the years, the 866-mile Innerdeutsche Grenze (Inner German Border) dividing East and West, from Czechoslovakia to the Baltic, became one of the most heavily militarized on the planet.
The masquerade of a collaborative allied administration was now officially gone.
Over the years, the 866-mile Innerdeutsche Grenze (Inner German Border) dividing East and West, from Czechoslovakia to the Baltic, became one of the most heavily militarized on the planet.
25/48
Along the border, you& #39;d find a "restricted zone" littered with watch towers, minefields, armed patrols — all under the myriad watchful eyes of the...Stasi (Staatssicherheitsdienst or State Security Service), the formidable East German equivalent of NKVD.
Along the border, you& #39;d find a "restricted zone" littered with watch towers, minefields, armed patrols — all under the myriad watchful eyes of the...Stasi (Staatssicherheitsdienst or State Security Service), the formidable East German equivalent of NKVD.
26/48
Escaping East was nearly impossible, you could be imprisoned if not shot dead. Unless...
You were in Berlin.
Here, you could simply walk into the West without restrictions. But the East German iron fist against the escapees wasn& #39;t without reason. But why escape?
Escaping East was nearly impossible, you could be imprisoned if not shot dead. Unless...
You were in Berlin.
Here, you could simply walk into the West without restrictions. But the East German iron fist against the escapees wasn& #39;t without reason. But why escape?
27/48
Those years, East Germany was also experiencing sporadic protests against the Soviet oppression and unreasonable labor norms. A proletariat regime experiencing proletariat protests over unfair labor norms? That may sound ironic if you don& #39;t know Communism well enough.
Those years, East Germany was also experiencing sporadic protests against the Soviet oppression and unreasonable labor norms. A proletariat regime experiencing proletariat protests over unfair labor norms? That may sound ironic if you don& #39;t know Communism well enough.
28/48
On June 17, 1953, for instance, demonstrators tore down the red flag from the Brandenburg Gate and the Volkpolizei responded with lethal force. The mass uprising that followed claimed more than 400 lives throughout East Germany. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12115-013-9725-2">https://link.springer.com/article/1...
On June 17, 1953, for instance, demonstrators tore down the red flag from the Brandenburg Gate and the Volkpolizei responded with lethal force. The mass uprising that followed claimed more than 400 lives throughout East Germany. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12115-013-9725-2">https://link.springer.com/article/1...
29/48
This event catalyzed further Republikflucht, i.e. mass exodus from the East. By 1959, an average of more than 2k East Germans were pouring into West each day seeking a Wirtschaftswunder or "economic miracle."
This leakage had to be plugged.
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/1961-08-10a.pdf">https://www.cia.gov/library/r...
This event catalyzed further Republikflucht, i.e. mass exodus from the East. By 1959, an average of more than 2k East Germans were pouring into West each day seeking a Wirtschaftswunder or "economic miracle."
This leakage had to be plugged.
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/1961-08-10a.pdf">https://www.cia.gov/library/r...
30/48
Much of this leakage was happening within Berlin. So the Soviets came up with a crazy plan — An impregnable wall dividing the city.
This was crazy. But even crazier was the plan& #39;s execution. Why? Because nobody wanted to live in the East.
Much of this leakage was happening within Berlin. So the Soviets came up with a crazy plan — An impregnable wall dividing the city.
This was crazy. But even crazier was the plan& #39;s execution. Why? Because nobody wanted to live in the East.
31/48
In order to prevent panic Republikflucht, the project had to be an airtight secret.
Aug 13, 1961 was Stacheldrahtsonntag (the Barbed Wire Sunday). Workers, troopers, armored vehicles, and equipment had been streamed into Berlin over the preceding week; nobody was told why.
In order to prevent panic Republikflucht, the project had to be an airtight secret.
Aug 13, 1961 was Stacheldrahtsonntag (the Barbed Wire Sunday). Workers, troopers, armored vehicles, and equipment had been streamed into Berlin over the preceding week; nobody was told why.
32/48
At the stroke of midnight, commanders throughout East Berlin were ordered to open "top-secret" envelopes they& #39;d been issued earlier. What it said shocked even seniors. They were also asked to wake up their men for an immediate mission at the border between East and West.
At the stroke of midnight, commanders throughout East Berlin were ordered to open "top-secret" envelopes they& #39;d been issued earlier. What it said shocked even seniors. They were also asked to wake up their men for an immediate mission at the border between East and West.
33/48
Within 2 hours, startled soldiers and policemen lined up the sector& #39;s boundary as about 32k workers ripped out the asphalt and cobblestones and unloaded piles of fencing and bales of barbed wire. Soon, West Berlin had been encircled and sealed off.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/berlin.htm">https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/...
Within 2 hours, startled soldiers and policemen lined up the sector& #39;s boundary as about 32k workers ripped out the asphalt and cobblestones and unloaded piles of fencing and bales of barbed wire. Soon, West Berlin had been encircled and sealed off.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/berlin.htm">https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/...
34/48
Thousands who had planned to flee that day began turning up at the Friedrichstraße station, the "hole in the Iron Curtain," but were told they couldn& #39;t travel anymore. Reconciling with this new reality wasn& #39;t easy and many broke down in tears. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/berlin-friedrichstrasse-railway-station">https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/be...
Thousands who had planned to flee that day began turning up at the Friedrichstraße station, the "hole in the Iron Curtain," but were told they couldn& #39;t travel anymore. Reconciling with this new reality wasn& #39;t easy and many broke down in tears. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/berlin-friedrichstrasse-railway-station">https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/be...
35/48
To make things worse, West Berlin received zero support from West Germany. West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer had a personal dislike for Berlin. President Kennedy didn& #39;t even see the barrier as a threat when he was told about it the next day.
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:fz828cr8749/Kennedy,%20Adenauer%20and%20the%20Making%20of%20the%20Berlin%20Wall,%201958-1961-augmented.pdf">https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/drui...
To make things worse, West Berlin received zero support from West Germany. West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer had a personal dislike for Berlin. President Kennedy didn& #39;t even see the barrier as a threat when he was told about it the next day.
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:fz828cr8749/Kennedy,%20Adenauer%20and%20the%20Making%20of%20the%20Berlin%20Wall,%201958-1961-augmented.pdf">https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/drui...
36/48
Eventually, this makeshift barrier was replaced by a 160-yard-wide death strip sandwiched between 2 solid walls. West Berlin was now a 185-square-mile prison. A prison where the prisoners were actually free! A free exclave in a hostile land.
https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-berlin-wall#:~:text=The%2027-mile%20portion%20of,and%20trip-wire%20machine%20guns.">https://www.history.com/news/10-t...
Eventually, this makeshift barrier was replaced by a 160-yard-wide death strip sandwiched between 2 solid walls. West Berlin was now a 185-square-mile prison. A prison where the prisoners were actually free! A free exclave in a hostile land.
https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-berlin-wall#:~:text=The%2027-mile%20portion%20of,and%20trip-wire%20machine%20guns.">https://www.history.com/news/10-t...
37/48
Now, back to the question I asked at the beginning of this thread — How long should a standing ovation last?
We got the answer when the ones clapping are fearing for their lives, when they& #39;re being watched. Now let& #39;s explore another, slightly different circumstance.
Now, back to the question I asked at the beginning of this thread — How long should a standing ovation last?
We got the answer when the ones clapping are fearing for their lives, when they& #39;re being watched. Now let& #39;s explore another, slightly different circumstance.
38/48
Like I said before, President Kennedy didn& #39;t take the wall seriously for a while, nor was he keen on paying a visit. That changed a bit after Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt wrote him a letter dated August 15, 1961 seeking intervention.
https://www.willy-brandt-biografie.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Brief-von-Brandt-an-Kennedy_1961.pdf">https://www.willy-brandt-biografie.de/wp-conten...
Like I said before, President Kennedy didn& #39;t take the wall seriously for a while, nor was he keen on paying a visit. That changed a bit after Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt wrote him a letter dated August 15, 1961 seeking intervention.
https://www.willy-brandt-biografie.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Brief-von-Brandt-an-Kennedy_1961.pdf">https://www.willy-brandt-biografie.de/wp-conten...
39/48
Even then, Kennedy only went as far as sending over Vice President Johnson for talks. He was skeptical of the negative rhetoric about Berlin morale coming from the West German Chancellor. To be frank, the wall did to an extent represent stability for the United States.
Even then, Kennedy only went as far as sending over Vice President Johnson for talks. He was skeptical of the negative rhetoric about Berlin morale coming from the West German Chancellor. To be frank, the wall did to an extent represent stability for the United States.
40/48
For nearly 20 years, the Americans and the Soviets had come dangerously close to a WW3 on multiple occasions over this little exclave. Sure a physical barrier, but the wall was also a diplomatic buffer as it gave Kennedy and Khrushchev some wiggle room along the Curtain.
For nearly 20 years, the Americans and the Soviets had come dangerously close to a WW3 on multiple occasions over this little exclave. Sure a physical barrier, but the wall was also a diplomatic buffer as it gave Kennedy and Khrushchev some wiggle room along the Curtain.
41/48
But eventually, Kennedy relented. Partly convinced by his inner circle, partly for fear of looking like a capitulating Churchill, JFK landed in Berlin on June 15, 1963. And was moved by what he saw.
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-cold-war-in-berlin">https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/abo...
But eventually, Kennedy relented. Partly convinced by his inner circle, partly for fear of looking like a capitulating Churchill, JFK landed in Berlin on June 15, 1963. And was moved by what he saw.
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-cold-war-in-berlin">https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/abo...
42/48
No, it wasn& #39;t the overwhelming welcome he received in West Berlin. That was expected.
Once in Berlin, Kennedy had a wooden podium built on the steps of the Rathaus Schöneberg (city hall) next to the Wall to make a speech from. This cunning optics was a PR masterstroke.
No, it wasn& #39;t the overwhelming welcome he received in West Berlin. That was expected.
Once in Berlin, Kennedy had a wooden podium built on the steps of the Rathaus Schöneberg (city hall) next to the Wall to make a speech from. This cunning optics was a PR masterstroke.
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The choice of spot was to ensure his words comfortably reached the other side of the wall, the Soviet-controlled East Berlin. It& #39;s what he saw from this podium that moved him. The platform was high enough to give him a good view of the Soviet side.
The choice of spot was to ensure his words comfortably reached the other side of the wall, the Soviet-controlled East Berlin. It& #39;s what he saw from this podium that moved him. The platform was high enough to give him a good view of the Soviet side.
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He took a look across the Wall and saw a small group of East Berliners who had gathered to listen to him.
The date was June 26, 1963.
In full view of the Stasi, they saluted the American President on the other side.
He took a look across the Wall and saw a small group of East Berliners who had gathered to listen to him.
The date was June 26, 1963.
In full view of the Stasi, they saluted the American President on the other side.
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It& #39;s at this point, they say, the President referred to his cue cards and began:
"Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was & #39;civis Romanus sum.& #39; Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is & #39;Ich bin ein Berliner.& #39;" https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/jfk-berlin-wall-speech">https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/his...
It& #39;s at this point, they say, the President referred to his cue cards and began:
"Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was & #39;civis Romanus sum.& #39; Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is & #39;Ich bin ein Berliner.& #39;" https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/jfk-berlin-wall-speech">https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/his...
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The last 4 words went on to become the 4 most iconic words in the history of US-Berlin relations.
Ich bin ein Berliner.
I am a Berliner.
Towering over an audience of half a million, JFK repeated the expression one more time toward the end of his electrifying delivery.
The last 4 words went on to become the 4 most iconic words in the history of US-Berlin relations.
Ich bin ein Berliner.
I am a Berliner.
Towering over an audience of half a million, JFK repeated the expression one more time toward the end of his electrifying delivery.
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This speech was followed by an applause.
On either side of the wall.
In full view of the Stasi.
For 1 minute...5 minutes...10 minutes...20 minutes...
30 minutes. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Terror_in_Berlin/ZBpjRGKrayYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=terror+in+berlin+ich+bin+ein+berliner+clap&pg=PA334&printsec=frontcover">https://www.google.co.in/books/edi...
This speech was followed by an applause.
On either side of the wall.
In full view of the Stasi.
For 1 minute...5 minutes...10 minutes...20 minutes...
30 minutes. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Terror_in_Berlin/ZBpjRGKrayYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=terror+in+berlin+ich+bin+ein+berliner+clap&pg=PA334&printsec=frontcover">https://www.google.co.in/books/edi...
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This year marks the 57th anniversary of what& #39;s probably one of the longest standing ovations in the history of humanity.
Takeaway? Do not confuse...
contempt with fear,
fear with reverence, and
reverence with invincibility.
Every despot comes with a shelf-life.
This year marks the 57th anniversary of what& #39;s probably one of the longest standing ovations in the history of humanity.
Takeaway? Do not confuse...
contempt with fear,
fear with reverence, and
reverence with invincibility.
Every despot comes with a shelf-life.
