In 1989, a simple paperwork mistake accidentally brought down the Berlin Wall
A botched press conference on November 9, 1989, turned a minor policy change into a historic revolution when an official accidentally announced that East Germans could cross the border immediately.
The fall of the Berlin Wall began with a massive communication breakdown. East German official Günter Schabowski was handed a note about new, relaxed travel rules but hadn't been briefed on the details. When a reporter asked when the rules took effect, Schabowski hesitated and replied, 'Immediately, without delay.'
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