I was hoping someone would translate. Thanks!

While I agree that borders should be respected (and that is what the East German authorities wanted, and the West did that), the East German government didn't realize that the Wall made a complete mockery out of their economic system. It shows once again that communism cannot work and will never work. But Western governments themselves were NOT against the wall, in fact this demarcation of clear borders put an end to all disputes and the West knew that ultimately this would be a matter of time. And it was indeed a matter of time. The first dent in the power of the USSR, the main "supplier" of communist East came in 1979 when the Soviets attacked a nation that has never been ruled by any force in human history. Not by the Chinese, not by the Mongols, not by the Moguls and not by the British: Afghanistan! And this war ultimately decimated the Soviet empire. This blunder (Brezhnev) would end Soviet influence in Eastern Europe as Hungary opened its border to Austria in early 1989. It pays to study history for any politician in office. Brezhnev clearly failed that course

When you look at the recent election results in Germany it seems like the new snowflake generation has indeed not learned anything from the past

Rather a silly comment. Most of the border guards were just young guys doing their compulsory military service - it wasn't a choice and most would rather not have been there.

you'd probably get bored too if you had to stand and walk in the same area doing nothing for hours

You can be sure of that..it was the monument for german heroes.. Heldengedenkstätte.. SS Gards and exactly the same action. Greetings from Wedding in Berlin ✌️

Not only that. The eastern Volksarmee had very simmilar uniforms to those of Wehrmacht.

Prussian tradition that the DDR allowed to live on in the NVA.

Jeez in US a man has freedoms as long as he has enough money. Secondly, not totalitarian, but authoritarian.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?