ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Revolutions of 1989

Okay kiddo, let me tell you a story about something really big that happened in 1989 - the Revolutions of 1989.

In the late 1980s, there were many countries in Europe (and some outside Europe too) that were ruled by communist governments. Communism is a type of government where everything is owned and controlled by the government, and there are no private businesses or individuals who can own property.

But people were not happy with their communist governments because they didn't have a say in how things were run, and there were many restrictions on their freedoms. They wanted a change, and they wanted to be able to make their own decisions.

So, in 1989, people in these countries started to protest and demand changes. They wanted free elections where they could choose their leaders, and they wanted to be able to speak their minds and express their opinions without fear of punishment.

This movement started in Poland, where a labor union leader named Lech Walesa led a strike that demanded political and economic reforms. The government eventually gave in to their demands, and free elections were held in Poland.

Other countries like Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany also saw protests and demands for change. The government in Hungary was the first to open its borders to allow people to travel to the west. This was a huge deal because the government had always been very strict about people leaving the country.

In Czechoslovakia, there were massive protests and the government eventually allowed opposition parties to form and participate in elections.

In East Germany, people started to gather at the Berlin Wall, which was the symbol of the division between east and west. The government tried to clamp down on the protests, but eventually, they gave in and opened the wall, allowing people to cross freely between east and west.

These events are collectively known as the Revolutions of 1989 because they led to the fall of communism in many countries. It was a big deal because it showed that people can come together and demand change, and that governments can't ignore the voice of their citizens.

So, that's the story of the Revolutions of 1989 - a time when people came together to demand change, and succeeded in bringing down oppressive communist governments.