Essay about Culture Behind the Curtain

In President Reagan’s speech regarding the Berlin wall entitled “Address at Brandenburg Gate” delivered on June 12th, 1987, Reagan takes the position as the rhetor with the sole purpose of convincing the city of Berlin to unite and get rid of the wall separating the city in two. The wall is described by Reagan multiple times and is described to be both a physical and non-physical wall. Most of the city is separated by the physical wall and those that aren’t are heavily guarded and prevent travel to the other side. The discourse was intended to not only be heard by the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, but by most of Europe and North America. The exigency in Reagan’s

of  the Berlin  Wall  on 13th  August 1961.  This was done in order  to  prevent  the  massive  emigration of East

The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall by Mary Elise Sarotte explains the causes and events leading up the opening of the Berlin Wall. By first describing the state of Eastern Europe, Sarotte leads the reader into descriptive chapters about the people and events that lead up to November 9, 1989. The story of the opening of the Berlin Wall, or the Iron Curtain as some call it, is compelling told by using a profusion of sources and actions that all play a major role in this watershed moment in history.

On November 9, 1989 the Berlin wall came crumbling down. For 28 years the wall did nothing but make everyone's life worse. However, when the wall fell everyone’s lives were about to be impacted for the better. Families were reunited, friends saw each other again, and peace was restored. The fall of the wall marked the winding down of the Cold War, and started a new age where communism would cease to exist. Much of the credit was being given to Ronald Reagan, who had visited the wall just a few years earlier. When Reagan gave his “Tear down this wall” speech, no one could’ve predicted, that it would lead to the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, and the eventual end of the cold war. Although as a result all communist governments in Eastern Europe had come to an end, would be replaced by “democratically elected governments”. With all this, there was a glimpse of peace and a time of rejoicing for all of the world. ("Fall of

Rock ‘n’ roll has played a major role in some known historical developments post World War 2. Music plays a significant part in America 's Cold War culture. Music gave us a sense of new technologies and helped the world to prosper. It also is linked with African Americans living in the South. Music was known for shaping the lives of the people during the 1950s and 1960s. Music was geared towards the youth, race, ethnicity, gender and class. “All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America” by Altschuler, Glenn C, tells us the story of the birth of rock and roll during the concrete years of 1955 to 1965. Altschuler gives us a overview of how rock ‘n’ roll has an historical context. “ For two years the Times printed dozens of

Rock music went through this period right at a time when America had a new generation of people who had time to go to concerts and some money to spend on them. At this same time, mom and dad were making a return to the lives of their kids (p. 70). One could always wonder if Buddy Holly and his band had lived, what evolutions music may have made. Would the Beatles and the Monkeys have made the trip to the United States and had a vacuum of artists to step into? Maybe rock did not influence the era as much as the era created a fertile environment for “Rock ‘n’

Music has been a major part of the American life in the United States since its victory for independence against the British in the later part of the 18th century. As time, has passed in the United States different verities of music appeared and with each new verity came a changed that ushered in a new style of music. The 1940’s to the 1960’s was a time when the genre of music called Rock ‘n’ Roll appeared and along with its appearance came conflicts and arguments. Glen Altschuler in his book, All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’ Roll Changed America, does a tremendous job at providing an analytic and well formatted narrative to discusses all the conflicts and arguments that came with the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll and how this music either supported

In this speech, Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate, President Ronald Reagan used problem-solution organization style to get his main points across. Throughout the speech, Reagan provided some of the issues that the people in East and West Berlin faced and then proffered few simple solutions that could resolve those problems. Demolishing the Berlin Wall was one solution that was proposed by Reagan. The Berlin Wall service as a barrier that divided families and friends, which interrupted; the Berlin Wall also prevents democracy from spreading to East Germany. Reagan used language that was easy to comprehend, he knew who his audiences were whether they oppose him or supposed him. As a formal actor he knows how to grab his audience 's attention. By verbalizing the past, the present and the future Reagan was able to illustrate the condition

This concern is expressed throughout the biography. In a speech delivered in 1958, one of Khrushchev’s main concerns is that of Berlin itself. A significant number of individuals fled East Berlin for protection in West Berlin. Khrushchev recognized this and devised a plan to contain the residents of East Berlin in the sphere of Communism. When discussing a treaty between West Berlin and East Berlin, Khrushchev ultimately decided to postpone the treaty as “plugging up the holes” between the two regions was a higher priority.

Mikhail Gorbachev, in his four years in power to that point, had reduced the burden of oppression on the residents of the Soviet Bloc. Without his reforms, the Wall would not have fallen. Yet Gorbachev’s reforms alone were not enough to open the Wall, for they were in no way intended to end the occupation of divided Berlin.

Gowans, Stephen. "Democracy, East Germany and the Berlin Wall." Global Research. Global Research2, 25 Oct. 2009. Web. 27 Mar.

The meaning and inspiration behind the works of Dmitri Shostakovich has long been a fertile source of debate for scholars, both of music, and of Russian political and cultural history. Dmitri Shostakovich was most active composing during the rise and zenith of the Soviet Union, from 1920 to his death in 1975. During this time, Shostakovich was denounced by the government twice, defamed by various pro-Soviet sources, and frequently criticized for straying too far from the desired pro-Soviet, social realist, artistic mold the Soviet Union desired. Yet the fact remains that despite all these negative setbacks, Shostakovich was wildly popular and successful during his lifetime within the Soviet Union, often acting as an emissary of culture to various

Former Russian President Gorbachov, said in2004. “The Beatles music was simply not pop music. It was showing the youth of Russia a glimpse of another world; a free world. The Beatles were revered by Russian youth and was much more than just music” .He also said,” Before perestroika, it was difficult to stop a culture revolution in youth sparked by the Beatles.”(Perrya) He also went on to say that he also enjoyed some of the Beatles music.

In contrast to the desolate picture life in East Berlin painted, the economy of West Germany, which also included West Berlin, was rebounding and becoming quite strong. West Berlin’s businesses were booming, and their industry products were readily and rapidly bought by its resident who were eager to obtain the products and goods they had so long been deprived of previously, as a result of World War II.10 This new and heightening demand for goods pushed wages up quickly, and many new jobs were created with the development of new housing units and other construction enterprises.11 Movies, plays, and concerts were also available for West Berlin residents to enjoy, and overall life in West Berlin was good. However, life on the West side wasn’t all fun and games. Their city was still divided, and families were still separated. To the children of West Berlin residents, East Berlin was hidden from view and shrouded in mystery, their only knowledge of the other side coming through school or some form of media. It seemed they constantly asked themselves the question, “ Will the lives of East and West Germans forever be so vastly different and separate?”

If the 20th century is indeed the age of experimentation, then Shostakovich is no ideal. Perhaps, if the Soviet government had been more tolerant, his