Ronald Reagan's Persuasive Speech

One of the main attributes of Ronald Reagan while in office is his constant striving for peace. He was elected at a time of war when a peacemaker was needed most. This war, called the Cold War, was between a few nations but America’s main adversary was the Soviets. Action needed to be taken but there was debate on what type. President Reagan knew a head on military clash with the Soviet Union would be catastrophic and far from worth it. So Reagan recognizing the friction between east and west Germany, decided to take a more political approach. He gave his famous “tear down this wall” speech just one hundred yards from the Berlin Wall (www.history.com). It was his call to the Soviet Union president, Mikhail S. Govbachev, to destroy this wall for the unification of East and West Berlin. Near

America had participated in its fair share of wars in the twentieth century. Germany as a whole had been in a political and economic drought ever since the last world war and Reagan was offering a hand of help through his speech when saying, “I understand the fear of war and the pain of division that afflict this continent – and I pledge to you my country’s efforts to help overcome these burdens.” Reagan had also held two summits with Secretary Gorbachev and wanted more. Reagan had been doing his part and clarified to the Secretary that his contribution and willingness to make changes was a necessity to future progression: “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!” Tough love and bluntness often times are required to make actual change. Not long after the arms control treaty was approved. This was the first Soviet treaty approval from America in fifteen years. Unification was the prioritized and main goal of the speech and Reagan accomplished