The fall of the Berlin Wall
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the events that led to the end of Soviet control of Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Key learning points
- Under Gorbachev, the USSR gave its satellite states in Eastern Europe the freedom to choose how they were governed.
- Between 1989 and 1991, the USSR lost control of its Eastern European satellite states.
- In East Germany, there were widespread popular protests demanding democracy and the destruction of the Berlin Wall.
- On the 9th November 1989, the East German government were forced to open the border with West Germany.
- On 9th November 1989, people from East Berlin and West Berlin crossed the border and began to destroy the Berlin Wall.
Keywords
Doctrine - a set of beliefs or principles
Satellite state - a country that is dominated by another country
Reform - a change introduced to improve something, often a system or law
Reunification - bringing things or people back together after they have been separated
Common misconception
Gorbachev's reforms were intended to bring an end to communism and end Soviet control over Eastern Europe.
Gorbachev intended his reforms to strengthen communism both within the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe, however, once reform started in Eastern Europe, Gorbachev was unable to contain it.
Teacher tip
Ask students to create a Cold War timeline that includes the key events between the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 and its fall in November 1989. The events could be positioned on the timeline to show whether they increased or decreased Cold War tensions.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which one of the following did Gorbachev succeed as Soviet leader in 1985?
Q2.In which Eastern European country did Lech Wałęsa lead a trade union called Solidarity?
Q3.Which of these Russian words means 'reconstruction'?
Q4.What does 'glasnost' mean in Russian?
Q5.Discussions between Reagan and Gorbachev focused on nuclear...
Q6.Which of the following was the first summit between Reagan and Gorbachev?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In December 1988, Gorbachev announced that the Soviet Union was rejecting the Brezhnev...
Q2.In which of these Eastern European countries did the end of communist rule not happen peacefully?
Q3.The phrase ‘Die Mauer muss weg!’ (‘The Wall must go!’) became a rallying cry among demonstrators in which Eastern European city?
Q4.In 1989, which Eastern European country decided to remove the border fence between it and Austria, which then meant East Germans began to cross this border into West Europe?
Q5.In the evening of which of these days did guards open the gates in the Berlin Wall, allowing people from East and West to cross freely?
Q6.Put these events in chronological order.
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The fall of the Berlin Wall, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The fall of the Berlin Wall, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Period study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.