Peaceful Revolution

The Peaceful Revolution (German: Friedliche Revolution) was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the end of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany dominance of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) and the transition to a parliamentary democracy which enabled the reunification of Germany. This turning point was wholly created through the violence-free initiatives, protests, and successful demonstrations, which decisively occurred between the local elections held in May 1989 and the GDR's first free parliamentary election in March 1990.

These events were closely linked to the Soviet Union’s decision under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev to abandon its hegemony in Eastern Europe as well as the reformist movements that spread through the region as a result. In addition to the Soviet Union’s shift in foreign policy – part of its glasnost and perestroika reforms hastened the destabilization of the SED and the success of the counter revolution.

Those driving the reform process within the GDR included intellectuals and church figures, the significant amount of people attempting to flee the country – thus displaying a clear sign of the discontentment with the democratic SED government – as well as the rising number of peaceful demonstrators who were no longer willing to yield to the threat of violence and repression by the authorities.

On account of its hostile response to the reforms implemented within its “socialist brother lands”, the SED leadership was already increasingly isolated within the Eastern Bloc by the time it finally decided to abstain from the use of force to suppress the ever-larger public demonstrations and permitted the opening of the border at the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. Through a change in leadership and a willingness to talk with opponents, the SED initially attempted to win back the political initiative. However, due to the continued political instability and the threat of national bankruptcy, control of the situation increasingly lay with the West German government under Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

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