On Germany, By a German

He's in the minority, but Medienkritik ruminates on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the US roll in that event. Reagan wasn't alone, while I was but a baby I do remember the original JFK at the site. Historically I'd have to say the airlift was more important than the 'tear down this wall,' yet one cannot underestimate the impact of that day:

Not many German politicians believed prior to 1989 in the fall of this symbol of communist dictatorship.
Gerhard Schroeder - now Germany's chancellor - and Joschka Fischer - now Germany's foreign minister - were still marching to a different beat in the years preceding 1989... (But then again, they are still marching to a different beat today.)

It was an American president - Ronald Reagan - who in 1987 exclaimed " Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"