20 years ago this week, the beginning of the end for the Soviet Bloc

[Anne Neville]

Article. (http://www.newsweek.com/id/195078)

I remember being in eighth grade and hearing about the events in Hungary as they happened. It seemed so surreal, because I had just learned about communism in social studies the year before in seventh grade, and there was absolutely no indication given in our class that Europe wouldn't be divided into communist and capitalist forever.

ETA: In 2006, I went to Prague on vacation. I never thought I would get to go to any place behind the Iron Curtain. They now have a Museum of Communism (http://www.muzeumkomunismu.cz/) near the McDonald's there.

[Palo Verde]

I was working in Poland from 1990-1992 and got to see the fall of communism up close and personal.

It was kinda scary at the time, since it wasn't clear that it would all be peaceful. But it was amazing to witness, and I'll tell my grandchildren all about it.

[jk1245]

I wish I had paid more attention to it. The whole thing coincided with my HS graduation and freshman year of college, so I had other things I was more interested in.

I do remember the wall coming down though. That was something I'll be telling the grandkids about.

[Anne Neville]

It was kinda scary at the time, since it wasn't clear that it would all be peaceful.

That was how I felt when the Soviet Union fell a couple of years later.

[constanze]

It seemed so surreal, because I had just learned about communism in social studies the year before in seventh grade, and there was absolutely no indication given in our class that Europe wouldn't be divided into communist and capitalist forever.

I remember our history teacher telling us, I think in middle grade, before the open borders though, that sooner or later, Soviet communism would be over and just one other period in history of Russia. I felt stunned because everybody else acted as if this ideological divide had never been there before; but for historian, hundred years are nothing, and things are broadly repeating themselves.

[Harmonious Discord]

This is an event I'd be willing to have as a holiday. There are so many stupid made up holidays, but not one for such a world changing event.

[tdn]

I remember our history teacher telling us, I think in middle grade, before the open borders though, that sooner or later, Soviet communism would be over and just one other period in history of Russia.

Funny, when I was in junior high, our history teacher told us that global communism was inevitable. Glad to see he was dead wrong.

(That was in the mid-70s.)

[Anne Neville]

Funny, when I was in junior high, our history teacher told us that global communism was inevitable. Glad to see he was dead wrong.

(That was in the mid-70s.)

I don't remember my seventh grade social studies teacher saying anything either way about the future of communism. But I definitely left the class with the impression that it was here to stay.

[Chimera]

Funny, when I was in junior high, our history teacher told us that global communism was inevitable. Glad to see he was dead wrong.

(That was in the mid-70s.)

Mid 70's? He may well be both now. (Dead and Wrong)

[tdn]

Mid 70's? He may well be both now. (Dead and Wrong)

I'm sure he's no longer with us. If he is, he'd be in his 90s now.

I really liked him. Aside from his lousy prediction, he was a great teacher. Even my sister liked him, and she didn't like anybody.

[Olentzero]

I remember those events well... they're what got me started on the road to my current political beliefs. Funny how history works.