Opening Hungary's Borders Flashcards
When did Hungary open the border?
1989
Why did Hungary opening the border undermine the Berlin wall?
Allowed 30 000 E. Germans to escape by going to Hungary then going to Austria in just 2 weeks
Why did the GDR take long to respond to Hungary opening the border?
They could not close the border on Hungary because it was also a Warsaw Pact country
What did the GDR do in response to Hungary? What did E. Germans do? What did Honecker do in response?
Banned travel to Hungary.
Thousands went to Czechoslovakia and Poland demanding exit visas
Closed the GDR’s borders
What were groups protesting about? Was there any revolution movements?
Christians wanted more rights to worship. Supporters of the FRG green party became vocal on environmental issues
How many people protested at st Michael’s church on Mondays?
70 000
Why didnt security forces open fire on st Michael’s church protests?
Little appetite for violence among the politburo even though Honecker supported anti democracy violence
They were not reliable because they were only interested in using violence as a method of self defence
Why was Honecker dismissed?
The USSR reiterated that they would not intervene which encouraged protestors to protest
Mass protests in Leipzig that authorities could not suppress
How many people marched to call for Krenz’s resignation in Leipzig?
20 000
What did Krenz do to deal with emigration?
Hoped that emigration would decrease with gradual reforms
New immigration law hinted at 30 days of travel per year
Law thrown out by Volkskammer
How many protesters were there in late 1989?
750 000
What did Krenz do to the border with Czechoslovakia?
Opened it causing thousands to emigrate
Czechoslovakia threatens to close the border because it couldnt cope with mass migration
