Oct.10 1989 Jurgen E. on VT News

One of the reasons why I made this life changing decision in 1989 was because I was really afraid about a similar outcome like China or in the worst case a war. Actually I had some thoughts at the time - what I would do if we got into a war situation with the West.
Before I left the GDR the exodus of East Germans through the Hungarian border had started. After I had left for the U.S. the East German government closed the border to Czechoslovakia.
To me it became clear that the GDR will not give in and may use force against the population. That opinion was based on my former experience not realizing how much the Honecker government depended on the USSR.
I wasn't aware of how much had changed because of Gorbachev. It turned out that the East German Government relied completely on the Soviet Union and was not capable to make any decision.