The Brandenburg Gate Speech
Speaker’s Relationship with the Audience: The Brandenburg Gate Speech
Ronald Reagan, the former president of the United States from 1981 to 1989, spoke in the Brandenburg Gate. Ronald Reagan gave his famous “Tear Down this Wall” speech in Berlin. Many people in Germany were ready for freedom and others wanted it as well. Many people felt there should be peace within the city. Ronald Reagan wanted to persuade the Soviets and Communists that change and openness was a great thing. Ronald Reagan’s speech was a sort of challenge to Gorbachev, to tear it down as a symbol for increasing freedom. “We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. President Ronal Reagan’ speech tried to persuade German people to believe that the unification of Berlin was possible, he achieved this through the use of one main rhetorical tool: the speaker’s relationship to the audience. This tool used German quotes, the identification of shared ideas, the exaltation of cultural qualities, the distinction of political group, and the classification of groups into a political stream to persuade.
Historical Background: The Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate, was built in 1791. It stands as Berlin’s arch of triumph. From 1961 to 1989 the Berlin Wall blocked the Brandenburg Gate. The wall divided Germany into two zones of ideological contention and political distrust during a time known as the Cold Was. The United States and its allies administrated West Germany; East Germany was under the control of the USSR. West Berlin was administrated by a group of allies, but was closely aligned with West Germany, which had its own government. Easter and Western Germans were denied access through the gate. On the twenty-second of December 1989 after 28 years of division. East and West Berlin were reunified and the gate was reopened. Two years before the Gate was reopened, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan, the former president of the United States from 1981 to 1989, spoke in the Brandenburg Gate. Ronald Reagan gave his famous “Tear Down this Wall” speech in Berlin. Many people in Germany were ready for freedom and others wanted it as well. Many people felt there should be peace within the city. Ronald Reagan wanted to persuade the Soviets and Communists that change and openness was a great thing. Ronald Reagan’s speech was a sort of challenge to Gorbachev, to tear it down as a symbol for increasing freedom. “We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. President Ronal Reagan’ speech tried to persuade German people to believe that the unification of Berlin was possible, he achieved this through the use of one main rhetorical tool: the speaker’s relationship to the audience. This tool used German quotes, the identification of shared ideas, the exaltation of cultural qualities, the distinction of political group, and the classification of groups into a political stream to persuade.
Historical Background: The Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate, was built in 1791. It stands as Berlin’s arch of triumph. From 1961 to 1989 the Berlin Wall blocked the Brandenburg Gate. The wall divided Germany into two zones of ideological contention and political distrust during a time known as the Cold Was. The United States and its allies administrated West Germany; East Germany was under the control of the USSR. West Berlin was administrated by a group of allies, but was closely aligned with West Germany, which had its own government. Easter and Western Germans were denied access through the gate. On the twenty-second of December 1989 after 28 years of division. East and West Berlin were reunified and the gate was reopened. Two years before the Gate was reopened, Ronald Reagan