The most memorable image of the revolution that swept across Europe two decades ago is the November 1989 opening of the Berlin Wall. East Germany was suddenly an unstable state, no longer a puppet regime of the Soviet Union. Equally dramatic is the story of the months that followed, when the fate of the two Germanys hung in the balance. The fate of East Germany lay in the hands of three men: Mikhail Gorbachev, the reform-minded general secretary of the Soviet Union; George H.W. Bush, president of the United States, and Helmut Kohl, chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the tense months following the fall of the wall they sought out common ground that allowed them to re-make modern Europe after 40 years of hostility. AFTER THE WALL - A WORLD UNITED goes behind the scenes of this unparalleled diplomatic effort to examine how the relationships among world leaders determined the outcome. Interviews with George Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev and Helmut Kohl offer unusual and intimate details about the inner workings of government at the highest levels. Other major players from all sides provide perspectives that are always insightful, and often surprising -- Secretary of State James Baker, National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and his aide Condoleezza Rice.
