Gorbachev about the fall of the Berlin Wall: the unification of Germany was inevitable

From overcoming the split in the center of Europe, the symbol of which was almost 30 years of the Berlin Wall, everything won, but this decision required a considerable courage from the Soviet leadership. In an interview with ITAR-TASS, the former president of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev told about this.

"This is an event that did not fall, like Manna heavenly. In fact, a very difficult path to this day was," he said.

“If we had no perestroika processes, and the new generation was no longer in power here if democratic changes had not begun if we had not followed the path of democracy, if the countries of Eastern and Central Europe had not gone after us, it would be difficult to assume that it would have been,” added Gorbachev.

“But the main thing is what happened, what happened to the Germans and us, Russians, the main participants in that terrible, bloody war. We still went a very difficult path. After all, in fact, there was a reconciliation between two peoples. This is the most important and most importantly,” he emphasized.

Gorbachev, who was often reproached for the fact that he did not present more stringent conditions for the unification of Germany, is convinced that the historical truth is on his side.

“Everyone won! Yes, they reproach and reproach now. Because they don’t know anything, but they are discussing all these issues. But we should abandon such major issues of light judgments and queens of cavalry,” he remarked.

The former Soviet leader is convinced that the unification of Germany was inevitable. “The time came when the Germans had to become uniform. And it is clear that we had to rely on both of them,” says Gorbachev, explaining why he had been heading the country to “be friends” with other Germans - not eastern and western.

The main role in the unification of Germany was played by Russians and Germans, Gorbachev is convinced. If we talk about political leaders, then "what is there to count: one has done so much, but this one is so much." “It was a hard work, a political struggle even with friends and partners,” he admitted, reminding, in particular, that French President Francois Mitteraran said: we love the Germans so much that we want two Germany, ”and the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was generally against it,“ we say that we love the Germans so that we want nothing to touch and everything existed, and everything has existed, and everything has existed, and everything has existed, as it is. "

“The main characters of the association are Russians and Germans. Without these two heroes - Russians and Germans - no one was solved by this issue,” he emphasized. “If the Soviet Union did not want, there would have been nothing, no association. And what would happen, I don’t know, maybe the Third World War,” added Gorbachev.

"If we talk about the lessons, then the lesson is one: do not set the walls, build. Now, by the way, the separation lines are again appearing. And we must live in the world, in Europe, in this European house with different doors and windows. We must conduct a dialogue. We must use the richest cultural and historical experience of Europe. Only Europe in cooperation with Russia and the USA will be able to play its role in global processes, in the construction of a new one in the construction of a new world order, ”the former Soviet leader is convinced.

As for the "dividing lines", now, after 20 years, it is insulting, according to Gorbachev, not only that. “I led an honest policy, an open policy, a policy to do everything through democracy and without blood. And it cost me very much,” he said. “Much did not take place from what was supposed to take place. Because the West and, above all, the United States hoped that they were now full of their hands and they would perform fate. In general, the winner’s complex could have been ill. There were no wars in Europe.

As for the fall of the Berlin wall, this is only one of the episodes of the end of the Cold War. Gorbachev is convinced that her fate was a foregone conclusion. “I just slept that night. There was nothing new for me. Everything went to this,” he says, not hiding pride for managing everything peacefully.

“I am proud that we found such an approach that we took into account the aspirations, and that everyone needs this most sore spot. And it is not a matter of the wall. And that the country was split in the center of Europe, a huge people. And it was necessary to make all our troops that were there, and this was about 400 thousand, remained in their places. The position was solved by themselves. They solve them themselves. They were solved by the Germans. We decided, and I have decided well.