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The 1980's
 Berlin Wall Is Falling Down

Berlin Wall Is Falling Down
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.32

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    non-Communist, communism, recuperate, poland, economic, resign, leadership, swarmed, ending, hearing, armed, presented, better, entire, structure, economy
     content words:    London Bridge Is Falling Down, Berlin Wall, World War II, Communist Party, Eastern European, After Germany, War II, Great Britain, United States, West Berlin

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Berlin Wall Is Falling Down
By Jane Runyon 		  
1     Did you ever sing "London Bridge Is Falling Down" as a child? This is a song about a structure in London that was getting old and falling apart. The people of Germany were singing a different song in 1989. They were seeing history first hand as the Berlin Wall began falling down. What was the Berlin Wall? Why was it there?
 
2     After World War II, the Communist Party of the USSR started its campaign to take over Europe. The Communist system appealed to many people who were poor and had no hope of bettering their lives. Communism proposed that a country of very rich people and very poor people could not survive. They wanted everyone in the system to be controlled by the government. The government would own the factories and the apartment buildings. The government would decide what salaries would be paid. The government made sure that no one became rich from independent business dealings.
 
3     Many Eastern European countries fell under Communist control in the late 1940's and 1950's. The capital city of Germany, Berlin, presented a unique situation. After Germany was defeated in World War II, Berlin was divided into four sections. Russia, France, Great Britain, and the United States were each given responsibility for one of the sections. It was their job to help the citizens of Berlin to recuperate from the damages of war and become productive again. It was also a good way for these countries to keep an eye on the Germans to make sure they wouldn't start another war.

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