Perspectives

Historical perspective

Ronald Reagan’s “Tear down this wall” speech was meant to pressure the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall. Two years after, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall came down due to international pressure, to which Reagan’s speech contributed. At the time of the speech, Reagan and his speechwriters were advised against mentioning the Berlin Wall, but the president decided to ignore the advice. Therefore, his speech became historic. At the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a statue of Reagan was unveiled next to the site of the speech, which marks the president’s contribution to the event. 

Textual perspectives

The speech “Ich bin ein Berliner” by John F. Kennedy, which was delivered in 1963, in Berlin. In his speech, Kennedy ...