Republished June 15, 2020
Originally written as a rhetorical analysis paper in October 2016
Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!:
Rhetorical analysis of President Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate
I turned 18 while Jimmy Carter was President. America was in a serious decline, later to be officially classified as a recession. It was the worst period in American history since The Great Depression. There were double-digit unemployment rates, double-digit interest rates, and double-digit inflation. There was the Iran hostage crisis and other strife in the Middle East which led to an OPEC-driven gasoline shortage. These things resulted in miles-long lines to purchase just five gallons of gas at a time. Things were so bad that the media regularly reported on “The Misery Index” during Carter’s presidency. Thus, I registered and voted for the Republican Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator, as the next president and never looked back. In addition to winning the presidency of the United States by a landslide in 1980, Reagan had also served as Governor of California for two terms. He also won reelection by an even larger landslide in 1984, after having a very successful first term. The Cold War, the political and military state of mind that existed after World War II, was at its height during Reagan’s two terms. Reagan’s build-up of our military forces and military technology led the Soviet Union towards a financial crisis since the financial resources of their communist economy could not keep up with America’s capitalist economy. Reagan regularly stood up to the ever-expanding Soviet Empire, which gave him a lot of credibility as the leader of the Free World.
By gaining the world’s confidence and trust as a political leader, appealing to facts, logic, and especially the emotions of both the East and West German people and the Free World, Reagan delivered one of the greatest speeches of all time.
It is 1987, three years removed from a landslide reelection, Reagan stands at the Brandenburg Gate. Reagan is primarily addressing the people of West Berlin but the speech is also being broadcasted live around the world through all the news networks. The organizers also set up large speakers on pedestals aimed over the Berlin Wall so that the people of East Berlin could also hear the speech. “To those listening in East Berlin, a special word: Although I cannot be with you, I address my remarks to you just as surely as to those standing here before me. For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es Gibt nu rein Berlin [There is only one Berlin]” (Reagan). Reagan established his purpose and duty, declaring that he and America were friends to the oppressed people of East Germany and the rest of the Soviet Union. He tugged at their emotions and further persuaded them with logic, credibility, and powerful rhetoric. By using their language, Reagan made a deeper connection to the people of East and West Germany. This quote uses a sharp, slicing, yet sincere tone. In addition, Reagan, and the world’s agreement with him intimidated Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to cringe and cower to the deepest corners of his office. President Reagan’s use of such rhetoric even persuaded the apathetic and oftentimes ignorant people of East Germany, and the apathetic people of West Germany, America, and the world to believe in and support him.
To further connect with the peoples of East and West Germany, Reagan again uses pathos by saying, “We come to Berlin, we American Presidents, because it's our duty to speak in this place of freedom… more than 500 years older than our own nation… Perhaps the composer, Paul Linke, understood something about American Presidents. You see, like so many Presidents before me, I come here today because wherever I go, whatever I do: “Ich hab Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin” [I still have a suitcase in Berlin.] Again, Reagan uses their language, continuing his efforts to further connect with the peoples of East and West Germany. He even references the title line from an old song, “I still have a suitcase in Berlin” (Ich hab' Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin), one of the most famous songs about Berlin.
President Reagan utilizes pathos and imagery when he says, “In this season of spring in 1945, the people of Berlin emerged from their air-raid shelters to find devastation. Thousands of miles away, the people of the United States reached out to help… Where four decades ago there was rubble, today in West Berlin there is the greatest industrial output of any city in Germany.” Referencing this historical moment following World War II, he alludes that America and the American people are here to help again. It is 40 years later to the month that the Marshall Plan was created and used to rebuild Germany and Reagan is implying that America will help to rebuild Germany again—that is to rebuild the political and physical boundaries that separate East and West Germany.
President Reagan made a very bold declaration aimed at Gorbachev and the Soviet Union. “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev – Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (Reagan). The crowd erupted jubilantly. Reagan uses parallelism to create a rhythmic flow to his speech. This bold statement and the entire speech and movement ultimately led to the collapse of the Berlin wall and the Soviet empire. The communist-controlled East Germany built the wall in 1961 and the wall separated Berlin into East Berlin and West Berlin, with East Berlin and East Germany being communist-controlled and West Berlin and West Germany being controlled by a democratic government.
Reagan’s tone, use of imagery, and metaphors persuade his listeners in Germany and around the world to keep the freedom and unity movement going forward. The speech was highly successful and furthered the movement of a reunited Berlin and Germany.
The speech worked as planned.
Works Cited
Reagan, Ronald. Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate. 12 June 1987. AmericanRhetoric.com. Web. 29 Sept. 2016
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