Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s

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At midnight on October 3, 1990, fireworks exploded outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.

Over a million people danced and celebrated the rebirth of a country as the German flag

was raised and the country's new anthem played triumphantly.

East and West Germany were officially reunited after 45 years of Cold War separation.

It was the dramatic climax of a dizzying year of change that began when border crossings

along the Berlin Wall were flung open, finally allowing friends and family who'd been divided

by the concrete barrier to reunite.

The nightmare of their forced separation was finally over.

I'm Kathy Kanzora, and this is History of the 90s.

On this episode, we're looking back at the year that led to the reunification of Germany and the first signs of thawing in the Cold War.

Before we dive in, let's start off with a quick history lesson.

After the Second World War, Germany was divided.

The Allied powers occupied the West and the Soviets, the East.

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.

Berlin, which was located in the Soviet zone, was also divided.

Over the next 20 years, as East Germany became more and more

oppressive, a mass exodus of citizens left the country. Between 1949 and 1961, about 2.6

million East Germans headed west to start a new life. Many of them were skilled workers, intellectuals, and

professionals. The Soviets responded by shutting down the border. On August 13, 1961, as

Berliner slept, an army of construction workers erected concrete posts and barbed wire.

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