Fall of GDR Timeline
Year Month Event
1985 March Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR
1987 September Honecker visits West Germany
November Stasi raid on the Environmental Library in East Berlin
1988 January Demonstration at official march sparks major crackdown on dissent
1989 January Honecker claims that the Berlin Wall will continue to exist in “50 and even in 100 years if the
reasons for it are not overcome”
February The Wall’s last ever victim is fatally shot
May Hungary begins removing fortifications at its border with Austria
Communists and Allies score nearly 99% in local elections later shown to have been rigged.
August Hundreds of East Germans escape to the West through the Austrian border
September New Forum founded – first political movement to be recognised by the Socialist Unity Party of
Germany-led state on 8th November 1989.
Weekly Monday demonstrations for freedom begin in Leipzig
Hungary allows East Germans to cross its border to Austria, opening the way to the West for tens
of thousands
Nearly 6000 East Germans taking refuge in Prague are allowed to leave for the West
October GDR halts visa-free travel to Czechoslovakia to prevent emigration
7th - Gorbachev visits and urges the SED to reform
18th – Honecker is replaced by Egon Krenz as the General Secretary of SED
November 500,000 pro-democracy protestors gather in East Berlin
9th – The Berlin Wall falls
FRG Chancellor Kohl announces his ‘Ten-Point Plan’
SED renounces its claim to leadership
December 3rd-6th – Krenz and the politburo resign; Hans Modrow becomes leader of East Germany
7th - Round Table talks (intended to make decisions surrounding the status of East Germany)
begin
1990 March East Germany’s first democratic election. Won by a centre-right pro-unity government.
July East and West merge economies and East adopts deutschemark as currency.
September WW2 Allies and two German states sign Two-Plus-Four treaty restoring sovereignty to future
united Germany.
October 3rd – Germany is reunited
Fall of USSR Timeline
Year Month Event
1985 March Gorbachev appointed General Secretary
1986 12th 5YP launched
February At 27th Party Congress, Gorbachev attacks Brezhnev era as years of stagnation
April Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Its coverup contradicts the openness policies of Glasnost.
1987 Law on State Enterprises – loosening of state control over wages and prices
October Yeltsin attacks Gorbachev’s reforms at a Plenum (meeting) of the Central Committee
November Boris Yeltsin dismissed as Moscow party chief for criticising slow pace of reforms. This is
following his own letter of resignation.
1988 January Communist Party conference agrees to allow private sector – legalisation of cooperatives
February Yeltsin removed from Politburo
Neena Andreeva’s letter published, leading to conservative backlash against Gorbachev
June 19th Party Conference: principle of multi-candidate elections agreed
October Popular fronts formed in the Baltic republics
Year Month Event
1985 March Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR
1987 September Honecker visits West Germany
November Stasi raid on the Environmental Library in East Berlin
1988 January Demonstration at official march sparks major crackdown on dissent
1989 January Honecker claims that the Berlin Wall will continue to exist in “50 and even in 100 years if the
reasons for it are not overcome”
February The Wall’s last ever victim is fatally shot
May Hungary begins removing fortifications at its border with Austria
Communists and Allies score nearly 99% in local elections later shown to have been rigged.
August Hundreds of East Germans escape to the West through the Austrian border
September New Forum founded – first political movement to be recognised by the Socialist Unity Party of
Germany-led state on 8th November 1989.
Weekly Monday demonstrations for freedom begin in Leipzig
Hungary allows East Germans to cross its border to Austria, opening the way to the West for tens
of thousands
Nearly 6000 East Germans taking refuge in Prague are allowed to leave for the West
October GDR halts visa-free travel to Czechoslovakia to prevent emigration
7th - Gorbachev visits and urges the SED to reform
18th – Honecker is replaced by Egon Krenz as the General Secretary of SED
November 500,000 pro-democracy protestors gather in East Berlin
9th – The Berlin Wall falls
FRG Chancellor Kohl announces his ‘Ten-Point Plan’
SED renounces its claim to leadership
December 3rd-6th – Krenz and the politburo resign; Hans Modrow becomes leader of East Germany
7th - Round Table talks (intended to make decisions surrounding the status of East Germany)
begin
1990 March East Germany’s first democratic election. Won by a centre-right pro-unity government.
July East and West merge economies and East adopts deutschemark as currency.
September WW2 Allies and two German states sign Two-Plus-Four treaty restoring sovereignty to future
united Germany.
October 3rd – Germany is reunited
Fall of USSR Timeline
Year Month Event
1985 March Gorbachev appointed General Secretary
1986 12th 5YP launched
February At 27th Party Congress, Gorbachev attacks Brezhnev era as years of stagnation
April Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Its coverup contradicts the openness policies of Glasnost.
1987 Law on State Enterprises – loosening of state control over wages and prices
October Yeltsin attacks Gorbachev’s reforms at a Plenum (meeting) of the Central Committee
November Boris Yeltsin dismissed as Moscow party chief for criticising slow pace of reforms. This is
following his own letter of resignation.
1988 January Communist Party conference agrees to allow private sector – legalisation of cooperatives
February Yeltsin removed from Politburo
Neena Andreeva’s letter published, leading to conservative backlash against Gorbachev
June 19th Party Conference: principle of multi-candidate elections agreed
October Popular fronts formed in the Baltic republics
