At the roads end, the wall. These are the people who move along the road. Some walk. Some ride. Some are well shod. Some are barefoot. Some are so young they must be carried. Or so old. Of the hundreds of millions who take this road, some do willingly. Others hope that the road leads to bread for the hungry, peace for the weary and land for the landless. Some protest openly, doesnt matter. Some were born on the road. Many will die along the way. A have van naw, cuba, january, 1959, this road leads to this wall. Red china, september, 1960, this road, this wall. Berlin, december, 1961, this road this wall. In the beginning the road exists in the mind of a 19th century philosophy and scholar, carl marx, who maintains only through a certain system can the farmer avoid starvation. Our ends can only be maintained by an overthrow of all existing social conditions. Thus, the road begins. Many who walked the road know its origins well. Many do not. Some things must be known about the road by those who do not travel it. This is a oneway street. The sign posts along the way do not describe the true destinations. Nearly everyone who sets foot on this road goes all the way to the end. There are few exits, only difficult dangerous escapes. This man is a resident of east berlin. His right to free passage into west berlin is guaranteed by international agreement. On august 13th, 1961, this right has been set aside. To cross into west berlin, he swims into the canal that divides the zones. Reaching the western bank he takes his few steps into freedom and promptly shot down by a rival guard on the communist side. To know why he was shot down across an artificial border by a man who bore him no personal malice, we must look at the road. We must go back along it many miles and many years. Back from berlin 1961, to havana, 1959, to budapest 1956, koyokan, 1940, 1921. St. Petersburg, russia, january 22nd, 1905. Under the czar, nicolas the iind they are ruled by a government of absolute power. They are not here to protest against the autocracy but appeal. Under the leadership of a priest, they have come to present a petition to dissolve. We the working men and inhabittants of st. Petersburg come here to stek defense. We have become beggars. One quarter of a Million People are here and they not ask that the petition be received, instead, said the czar, nicolas the ii, my us a autocracy will remain unchanged. We no longer have a czar, fight for freedom. The bearded man, party name, ahlin non. Long live the revolutionary. The czar will never be a success as a ruthless autocrat. He doesnt even look the part. And hes busy. Busy with elaborate ceremonials that no longer interest the people, busy with his family, including his son, a hemophiliac, nears death when ever he cuts himself and kept alive by the powers of a holy man. He says so himself. It may be hell on the rest, it is pure hell, 10 times over for the russians. For them, no glamour, no airplanes, divisions without artillery. Companies without rifles, rifles without bullets. The russian casualties exceed the total casualties of the germans. They defeat the organization and lonely death. At home, starvation and poverty exceeding even previous russian experiences. Finally, in march 1917, a demonstration in st. Petersburg starts over a simple demand for a higher breadratio ration, get of control. They act in customary fashion and turns his troops on the demonstrators. Something goes wrong. The army joins the people. With incredible swiftness the czar regime falls. A young lawyer administers justice in the provisional government in which many parties are represented. The revolution belongs to the people. I propose to defend it from any attack, whether from the left or the right. They arrest the czar and his family and announce free elections are to be held. Political prisoners are freed and some food is distributed. But in a country without experience in selfgovernment, dissident elements of all shades struggle to convince still hungry people their particular road leads to salvation. The war is unpopular. When it becomes clear they need to continue it, he returns in a railroad car and exiled by the czars government to switzerland and arriving a month later from canada. Summer of 1719, he becomes head of the provisional government and proclaims russia a government. Freedom of speech and press. Equal rights for women. Lennon on the republic. A democratic republic more free under war conditions than any other country in the world. But in november, as leaders of a huge farmer worker army union called the soviet called for the destruction of the republic. They imagine serious political questions are decided by voting. As a matter of fact, they are decided by class war. It is quick and bloody. They seized the railway stations, telegraph lines and government offices and declare themselves in business. This is the russian version of the great invent of that wall. The summer palace. Notice the all russian boy opening the a gate under fire. The interesting thing about this is that it never happened. An actual fact that cadets defended the palace when pointed out it was in easy range of a rebel cruiser. Still, it makes a nice picture. The real violence comes later. September 19th, the election that was called for held and to their amazement it was lost, 31. Meeting under the guns of the red army, refuses for a time to turn over the power to the soviet, but finally leaves the building in disorder. The following day, a few thousand citizens gather outside the building to protest against the dismissal of the assembly they have elected and promptly shot down by rival fire by the red army. Voting by class war. Citizens of the soviet union still vote but not since 1917 has more than one name per office appeared on the ballot. The Assembly Never reconvenes. Power passes to the soviet which lennion controls and where lennions power is absent. This is the dictatorship of a power won and maintained by violence, power that is unrestricted by any law. Keep this well in mind. Rennion makes peace with the germans and now a genuine civil war breaks out. Before it ends the white russians rebel against the reds. Allied troops fight to keep russia in the war, czar rises up. The czar and his family are executed. And the first of many soviet secret Police Groups becomes active. Arrest without charge, imprisonment or exile without trial. Disappearance without explanation all become routine. But lennion complains. There is still too little ruthlessness, not because we lack determination but because we do not know how to capture enough properties. Marauders, capitalists. However many they capture they miss one. August 30th, 1918, a young lady takes a shot at lennion. Her motives unknown, mark manship defective. He is only slightly wounded. That night, 500 antileninists are killed suspected of a connection. Because they understood freedom and bread could be theirs only when peace was attained, they have fought and won a bloody civil war. March 7th, 1921, they mill in the streets, asking for freedom and bread. Finally at 6 45 in the evening, trusky, commander of the red army, who ordered the slaughter, gives the only explanation. It was necessary. They are now firmly in power. The shaker is abolished. In its place is the gp police. To check on it is rob king, the Inspection Group and the party name is stalin. He disputes trusski position as second in command and heir parent. And he had the support of the soviet and internationale and commonwealth, he could make you a judge or send you to siberia. Now with the civil war won, lenin eases the demands for belt tightening and public sacrifice. Out of economic necessity, he institutes the new economic policy, emphasis is placed on production of consumer goods, but the state maintains control of heavy industry. Even private enterprise is permitted within limits. And two new words american aid enter the russian vocabulary. By march, 1922, the American Relief administration under Herbert Hoover is feeding ten million russians. But in march, 1923, lenin suffers a stroke. The following january, he is dead. Stalin and zinoviev force him into exile. Then stalin turns on his associates and ends the new economic policy. In its places come three successive five year plans are designed to emphasize constructive capacity. Especially heavy industry and power output. 1928 to 1941, russian industrial capacity rises nearly 300 . Hydroelectric output is up nearly 800 . Agricultural production, however lags and Housing Starts actually are less than population increase. If youre an average russian, this means more work, not enough to eat and less and less living space per family. If you dont work hard enough or if you complain, there are plenty of trains to siberia where many hydroelectric dams are being built. On the other hand, if you work hard, all you have to do is break the production record for your machine and get a medal and a small wage increase. Thats better than a trip to the reindeer country. These are also the years of the great executions. In honor of stalins executioner. How many people are permanently removed from circulation no one knows. In some provinces, as much as 4 of the population vanishes. Zinoviev, who helped stalin seize pow other are quickly disposed of. To have been a friend of either one of them is now a crime. For this and related activities, well over half of the top communist leadership and thousands of lesser officials vanish. As do most of the army officers. A very few of the victims are given trials. Some of the trials are remarkable. For example, several defendants are convicted of conspiring with trussky in 1936 in the Hotel Bristol in copenhagen. In actual fact, in 1936, the hotel was no longer in business. Next case, in 1938, yurchev himself is purged together with many purged judges, labor camp operators and the like. Coyocan, near mexico city, august, 1940. A young man comes calling on an attractive secretary, and paying her little heed, plunges the mountain climbers ax into an old mans skull, and leon trotsky is dead. In the west, another dictatorship arose. Complete with infallible leader, secret police, and cattle cars that carry men and women to the grave, or worse. This is the time of the popular front, all who made cause against the fascists are welcome. But even as the pickets march, the popular front is changing. On august 23, 1939, molotov for the russians and von ribbontrop for the germans undertake to divide the world between them. On september 1, eight days after the nazi soviet pact is signed german troops crossed the polish frontier and the world learns the meaning of a german word blitzkrieg. On september 17, the red army crosses poland frontier. On october 5, poland has disappeared. German and russians shake hands. The scum of the earth, i believe. The bloody assassins of the workers, i presume . Germany gets more from the pact than help with the dismemberment of poland. Russian ice breakers clear the way for german surface cruisers, germans are also given a naval base at murmansk and vast amounts of war material. French communists sabotage the electrical system on french fighter planes. But with the fall of france, hitler decides the pact has served its purpose and ends it by invading the territory of his recent partner, russia. The turning point of the german invasion of russia comes at volgograd which was then called stalingrad. When the war ends, russia acquires as the spoils of war eastern poland, subcarpathian, east prussia, northern sakhalin and portions of finland. Latvia, lithuania and estonia are incorporated as soviet republics and much of their native population is deported. There are russian zones of occupation pending final peace treaties in germany, austria and north korea. And the russians have the right to maintain garrisons in poland, hungary, romania and bulgaria. How did we get from here to there . To the present situation . With an iron curtain dividing europe and communist outposts throughout much of the world. What is the secret of communisms postwar expansion . What methods do they use . The answer is they use them all. Occupying troops remain until political domination is achieved in poland, romania and hungary. Zones of occupation become zones of continuing influence and control in east germany and north korea. Along with the political and psychological efforts, economic aid and trade agreements help spread the soviet influence in africa and the middle east. Force is avoided wherever possible. But when it is needed it is used. The expulsion from the mainland of the chinese nationa exercise complete with artillery, tanks, infantry, amphibious operations, casualties, and refugees. Subversion is, of course, an important technique of communist conquest. Czechoslovakia in 1948 is an established democracy in eastern europe. Suddenly a rash of strikes. Conservative elements resign from the cabinet. Communist deputies pound their desks as the street demonstrations reach riot proportions. Police brutality in putting down the riots as charged and the communists take over the police. On february 25, informed that the alternative is civil war and aware of unmistakable threats of invasion from the soviet union if he does not capitulate, the president accepts a communist cabinet. But the son of the countrys greatest hero will not go along and remains in the foreign office. Two weeks later, his dead body is discovered. Whether he was murdered or killed himself is not known to this day. Three months later a constitution, soviet style, is adopted by parliament. Bennish refuses to sign it and is forced from office. Before the year is over. Czechoslovakia like its heroes ben nish and marjoric, is dead. And eastern europe, in the words of winston churchill, an iron curtain has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of central and eastern europe. Behind the iron curtain it is easy to express contentment with your lot and difficult and dangerous not to. But human freedom dies hard. Uprising strikes in east germany and 1953 and in poland in 1956 are put down with local police, augmented by russian soldiers. In poland, concessions are made so that poland today, although indisputably communist, permits a degree of freedom unheard of in the other iron curtain countries. Poles are permitted to criticize government decisions if they do so discreetly. An occasional political joke allowed, but loud laughter is not recommended. You might disturb your neighbor and he might be the law. Budapest, october, 1956, these demonstrators are not anticommunists. In fact, many of them, hungarian students particularly, are communists who feel that as hungarians they have the inalienable right to determine how hungarian communism is to be administered. On october 24, local party bosses decide enough is enough and in the interest of law and order their law, their order direct police to fire into the crowds. But the crowd does not melt away. Even when russian garrison troops join the police. Faced by an overwhelming mob, the russians make a strategic withdrawal, leaving the Hungarian Police to be slaughtered by their own countryman. In november, a hungarian communist speaking as Prime Minister declares hungary neutral as between russia and the west. The russians hesitate, hungarians celebrate. But hesitation and celebration end soon. An entire russian army invades hungary and crushes the revolt, under a flag of truce, they discuss surrender terms. June 17, 1958, his execution is announced. No flowers, please. For many cubans, the years before 1958 were hard. As in many other countries, the cuban peasants rarely owned the land they worked so hard to till. For the urban masses, life in city slums was also depressing. Filth and disease flourished. Yet most of these poor cubans, the proletariat of marx, suffered their lot almost as if they were unaware that there was another way to live. When fidel castro was ready to come out of the sierra maestre, ire his support is based not on the poor but the middleclass. Ironically, its the knowledgeable who form the advance guard of the revolution but when the pied piper seeks to broaden his support and sounds support for bread and peace, the poor are there to listen. Many believe, few doubt. The revolution is a success. Castros brother raul is already a selfproclaimed communist. His close associate, c che guevara, participated in the unsuccessful revolution in guatemala but in the revolution, few cubans, even in the middleclass, believe that fidel castro will turn communist. At first he promises free elections. He acknowledges many of the rights of citizens and the government, but the elections never take place and the government quickly becomes an instrument of coercion. The takeover is a success. Berlin, 1961, our road has almost reached the present. Why have the russians built this wall . Why are all people denied the right guaranteed them under the International Agreements to pass freely from zone to zone within berlin . The communist explanation is simplicity itself. According to them, west berlin was a base for intrigue and imperialist assaults on east berlin and east germany where a man has a chance to enjoy the finer things in life. But things were going the other way, east to west, and so has every other casualty at the wall. No one can be sure of the real reason, but prior to the erection of the wall, almost anyone who could get into east germany could reach west berlin if his feet held out. And many did. Once in west berlin, you are outside the iron curtain. The free passage of people between east and west berlin was the only physical gap in the iron curtain. So the russians sealed it. The wall is a solid fact. And the wall remains. It stands in berlin today. It stands and will stand wherever the road of world communism leads. Some day, according to its builders it will surround not merely the world but the moon, the stars, outer space, the universe. Their objective is clear and so is ours. They intend to put the world on their road. We intend that the world shall be free, each man and each country to choose the road that suits him best. To achieve our objective, we need, above all, to understand. Each new threat must be met, force with force as in korea, threaten military action with military aid as in greece and turkey. Exploitation of economic weakness with economic aid and cooperation of the sort that has helped keep western europe independent. The choice is not red or dead, the choice lies between wisdom and ignorance. Bravery and cowardice. Freedom and slavery. Cspans washington journal live everyday with policy issues that impact you. American University Law professor angela j. Davis talks about race and criminal Justice Reform and talking with Washington Examiner journalist. 7 00 a. M. Eastern wednesday morning, join the discussion. Cspans cities tour takes you to springfield, missouri, on january 6th and 7th, while in springfield working with media con to explore the literary history. On saturday, january 6th, noon eastern, on book tv, author talking about the kansas and missouri border on the struggle of slavery. In 1858, john brown comes back to the territory and he begins a series of raids into western missouri during which his men will liberate enslaved people from missouri and help them escape to freedom. In the course of this they will kill a number of slave holders. The legend or notoriety of john brown understand the struggle that really is the beginning of the civil war. Sunday, january 7th, 2 00 p. M. On American History tv, we visit the nra sporting museum. The door roosevelt was the most shootingest president and the first thing he did when he left office was organize and gone on a large hunting safari to africa. This hunting rifle was prepared specifically for roosevelt. It has this president ial seal engraved on the breach and of course roosevelt was famous for the Bull Moose Party and there is a bull moose engraved on the side plate of this gun. Watch cspan cities tour of springfield, missouri, january 6th and 7th on cspans book tv and American History tv on cspan3, working with our cable affiliates as we explore america. Cspan, where history unfolds daily. In 1979, cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Television Cable companies brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. Next, a u. S. Army film that tells the story of refugees fleeing soviet occupied east germany through berlin to west germany when an estimated 20,000 germans were crossing the border each months. From 1945 to this film was made about 9 million had been granted refuge status in west germany