Ronald Reagan's Speech At The Brandenburg Gate

427 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Rhetorical analysis essays of ronald reagans speech

On June 12, 1987, Ronald Reagan became the second of four American Presidents to deliver a speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Just like Thoreau asked for in his essay, Civil Disobedience, Reagan stood in front of a surplus of people and expressed his opinion. “...it’s our duty to speak in this place of freedom,” (AmericanRhetoric.com). Reagan was very well known for being the most exceptional speaking American Presidents. With Berlin split into two pieces after the Cold War, Reagan saw an opportunity to use his flair to not only unify Berlin, but also strengthen the world as a whole. Just like Thoreau and Sojourner Truth, Reagan expressed his audacious opinion to achieve his main objective: To destroy the Berlin Wall. Although his goal of destroying the Berlin Wall was much more specific than Civil Rights or Civic Duty, he strived to achieve it the same way. Instead of just writing a letter to General Secretary Gorbachev, he delivered a compelling speech in front of tens of thousands of people. “Yet, I do not come here in lament. For I find in Berlin a message of hope,” (AmericanRhetoric.com). Reagan is reminding the people of Berlin that all is well and conditions will continue to get better even though it may not seem that way. He …show more content…

The Berlin Wall represented a dissociation between East and West Berlin. That separation was not able to be fixed in a day or two, or by one small letter to the General Secretary. It required an extensive amount of effort by a large group of people. That is why Reagan gave the speech; To get all of the Berliners to join the movement to get Gorbachev to open the gateway of freedom and take down the Berlin Wall. With that being said, all it takes is one person, in this case Reagan, to express their opinion to start a movement and achieve a greater

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Patrick Henry's Speech To The Virginia Convention

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    The differences between the Berlin Wall speech and the speech to the virginia convention, are the time periods, the view of hope, and the point of views. The speech to the Virginia Convention was written by Patrick Henry in 1775. Patrick Henry was only a public speaker who was against the british government. The Berlin Wall speech was written by Ronald Reagan in 1987. He was

    Read More

  • Ethos Pathos In Ronald Reagan's Brandenburg Gate Speech

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (Reagan 361) This line, while so simple, is probably the most famous from the whole speech and arguably one of Ronald Reagan 's most famous and recognizable lines ever. It sends a glaringly strong message that the United States and entire free world wants to bring Germany together not just for its own personal interests but because it genuinely cares about the state of the country. This short concise statement also shows that the president means business and that he is willing to do anything in his power to help the German people should Gorbachev accept his offer. He goes on to state that the United States is striving for peace and although it can not permit the spreading of communism, it does seek for all the people to see an increase in the standard of living and assure both sides security by demilitarizing and disarming both sides wherever

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan: Challenger Speech

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    On January 28, 1986, a day that was supposed to be filled with excitement and exploration, suddenly turned into a day filled with tragedy and sadness. The space shuttle Challenger was supposed to carry a seven member crew into orbit with one unique member along for this particular mission. Christa McAuliffe was supposed to be the first teacher to go into space as a member of the Teacher in Space Project. Due to this occasion, the media coverage and the number of viewers of this mission was extensive, particularly in schools across the nation. The Challenger lifted off shortly after 11:30 A.M., but tragically only seventy three seconds after takeoff it exploded sending debris and the seven crew members back to earth and into the Atlantic Ocean. All seven crew members aboard were killed in the crash as America helplessly watched. A faulty O-ring in the right solid rocket booster was said to have been the cause of the crash. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was in office at the time of this tragic event. President Reagan was scheduled to deliver his State of the Union Address that same evening. His intentions were to mention the Challenger and the significance of that particular mission during his speech. This would not be the case following the events of that day.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ronald Reagan was one of the most liked Presidents. When being elected for his second term, he won by a landslide—winning all the states minus Minnesota and Washington D.C. Reagan addresses the people of the United States of America. He wants the American people to reflect on his presidency, and as all presidents do in their farewell addresses, he wants to say goodbye to the nation that he's led for the past eight years. Ronald Reagan uses repetition, parallel structure, and allusion to reflect on his presidency and to say farewell to the American people.

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan Beliefs

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...speech to the world where he was quoted as saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The speech was given at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin (“Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall: President Ronald Reagan”). This speech signified the beginning of the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Reagan’s foreign policy tactics are another reason why he was a great president.

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ronald Reagan is known as the "Great Communicator" by many. In 1992, as he delivered a speech at the Republican Convention, one would not doubt his excellence in public speaking. He demonstrated superiority of speech and was easy to critique because of the situation, the content of his speech, his credibility, and his delivery.

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan's Space Shuttle Challenger

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reagan’s speech on the night of January 28, 1986 dramatically “took the first step toward uniting the country in its grief (Ritter, 4)”. Ronald Reagan reached out to the schoolchildren of America and all other citizens of the United States to counsel them in time of tragedy. He gave hope to the nation through emotional and spiritual reference. He was effective in conveying his message but the way his thoughts were organized was in part ineffective. His speech is very unorganized, and he could have ordered his thoughts better. More importantly than disorganization though, Ronald Reagan reached out to a nation that needed him as there president. He gave the people of the United States hope and Reassurance, a task that the President has been expected to do since the beginning of our country.

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan’s A Time For Choosing Speech

    1773 Words  | 4 Pages

    Millions of viewers tuned into the National Broadcasting Company television network for a special broadcast on the 27th of October. Viewers were anticipating Ronald Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing” speech. Reagan was acknowledged for his acting in motion pictures and television episodes since 1937, and was now being seen in an unfamiliar role. Reagan emerged in support of the Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. Barry Morris Goldwater was a businessman and five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for president in the 1964 election. “A Time for Choosing” was effective, because he gave personal examples to capture the audiences’ attention, and gave humor to a tough subject.

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan, a True Hero

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    A couple of the heroic values that Reagan possessed were strength and courage. Most people would agree that it took an agglomeration of strength and courage during the cold war era to make his ever famous, “Tear Down This Wall Speech” in Berlin. Ramesh Jaura explains how many people believe this speech made a positive effect toward ending the cold war:

    Read More

  • Ronald Reagan's Speech

    1363 Words  | 3 Pages

    The audience he was trying to directly get to was the people he understood were listening to it in the East. He also states, “I address my remarks to you just as surely as to those standing here before me.” To follow up with his statement of intended audience, Reagan says a powerful statement. A statement that is intended to the entirety of the audience. “For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin.” The final sentence meaning “There is only one Berlin.” This is yet another instance in this rhetorical masterpiece that Reagan clearly states his objective of the speech, to unify

    Read More

  • Significance Of The Berlin Wall

    2168 Words  | 5 Pages

    In conclusion Berlin Wall was an important milestone in the growth of the Cold War. It was the expansion that represented the thinking of a determined Communist system. Western Capitalism, which was more powerful, eventually defeated the system. The massive wall that did so much harm to a country was finally destroyed, and the people of Germany could now live the way they all wanted to live. They could live the life of freedom. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall East Germany has went through a lot of changes, and it still is not easy for all of the people in East Germany. But no matter how hard it is for the people of East Germany now, it is better than being alone and separated from their families, friends and rest of Europe.

    Read More

  • Social Effects of the Berlin Wall

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though times were tough for many years for some Germans, things are improving slowly. While the wall was erect, many Germans had high hopes of change and continue to strive towards equality nationwide. In June of 1963 when John F. Kennedy visited Berlin, he gave a very impacting speech to the people of Berlin, "There are some who say that Communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin" (Sidey). Although the wall no longer physically stands, it still today divides Germany and Berlin into two separate states today.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Ronald Reagan's There Is Only One Berlin

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev -- Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (AmericanRhetoric.com, 3). Reagan was taking on a big speculation by saying this line during his speech. This sentence could have caused a major turmoil with the Soviets. “And I invite Mr. Gorbachev: Let us work to bring the Eastern and Western parts of the city closer together, so that all of the inhabitants of all Berlin can enjoy the benefits that come with life in one of the great cities of the World.” (AmericanRhetoric.com, 5). As a result of the Soviets ruling Germany, Berlin was split into two cities. Families were forced to be separated and many were angered since the wall was put up. Reagan gave the people of Berlin buoyancy that there city one day will no longer be separated by a wall. “You Berliners have built a great city. You’ve done so in spite of threats -- the Soviet attempts to impose the East-mark, the blockade. Today the city thrives in spite of the challenges implicit in the very presence of this wall.” (AmericanRhetoric.com, 5). No matter what challenges were brought upon the people of Berlin, they stuck together and pushed through them. They haven’t let one problem defy them as a city. They still put forth maximum effort to stay strong and to survive with what they

    Read More

  • Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain

    338 Words  | 1 Pages

    "An Iron Curtain has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all of the capitals of the ancient states of central and eastern Europe . . . all these famous cities and populations around lie in the Soviet sphere and all are subject . . . to a very high and increasing measure of control from Moscow." With this section of Winston Churchill's famous speech in 1946 at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, he coined the term "Iron Curtain." Most people believe that Winston Churchill was referring directly to the Berlin Wall, but he was actually talking about the general closing off of Soviet satellite countries in Eastern Europe. Even though the wall itself was not built until 1961, the Berlin Wall was the enduring symbol

    Read More

  • The Berlin Wall: An Important Turning Point In History

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    A few days after the fence appeared, August 17, 1961, the United States issued a note to the USSR reacting to the Berlin Wall. Within this note the US declared, “…that the measures which the East German authorities have taken are illegal” and “The United States Government solemnly protests against the measures referred to above, for which it holds the Soviet Government responsible. The United States Government expects the Soviet Government to put an end to these illegal measures.”[9] This note showed that the United States’ complete opposition of the USSR’s wall, which contributed to the power struggle between the sides in the Cold

    Read More

More about Ronald Reagan's Speech At The Brandenburg Gate

Open Document