In 1989, Hungary began cutting its border fence to create the first hole in the Iron Curtain
The first physical crack in the Iron Curtain appeared not in Berlin, but on the Hungarian-Austrian border, where soldiers began dismantling miles of barbed wire and electric fencing.
In May 1989, Hungarian officials began the symbolic and physical task of cutting down the 150-mile security fence separating them from the West. This signaled the first major breach in the 'Iron Curtain' that had divided Europe since World War II. While the Soviet Union watched cautiously, Hungary's leaders decided the expensive alarm systems were no longer necessary in a changing political climate.
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