The Century, America's Time A New World 3 of 3
Summary
TLDRThe video script recounts the harrowing hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985, the geopolitical tensions of the era, and the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union. It highlights the hijacking ordeal, the Reagan administration's controversial negotiations, and the subsequent shift in US-Soviet relations leading to significant disarmament talks. The script also covers the impact of Gorbachev's reforms, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the global movement towards democracy, marking the end of the Cold War and ushering in a new era.
Takeaways
- 🛫 TWA flight 847 was hijacked by two Muslim extremists in 1985, demanding the release of Shiite prisoners held by Israel.
- 👨👩👦 Paula Sukeforth, a mother of six, was among the 153 passengers on the hijacked flight.
- 🔫 The hijackers threatened to kill passengers every five minutes, leading to the death of Navy diver Robert Stethen.
- 🤝 President Ronald Reagan negotiated with terrorists, leading to the release of some prisoners in exchange for the hostages.
- 📉 The summer of 1987 was challenging for Reagan's administration, with the Iran-Contra affair and the stock market crash.
- 🇷🇺 Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in the Soviet Union, leading to significant political changes.
- ☮️ Gorbachev and Reagan engaged in multiple summits, including Geneva and Reykjavik, discussing nuclear disarmament.
- 🤝 Gorbachev's visit to Washington in 1987 and Reagan's visit to Moscow in 1988 symbolized the thawing of Cold War tensions.
- 🗽 The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in China, inspired by Gorbachev's reforms, were violently suppressed, but marked a significant moment in Chinese history.
- 🌍 The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era of freedom and democracy in Eastern Europe.
Q & A
What event is described at the beginning of the transcript?
-The transcript begins with the description of the hijacking of TWA flight 847 on June 14, 1985, by two Muslim extremists.
What were the demands of the hijackers of TWA flight 847?
-The hijackers demanded the release of all Shiite Muslim prisoners held by Israel.
How did President Ronald Reagan respond to the hijacking of TWA flight 847?
-President Reagan abandoned his No-Negotiations policy with terrorists and worked out a deal to free some prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for the TWA hostages.
What impact did the Iran-Contra affair have on President Reagan's administration?
-The Iran-Contra affair led to Congressional hearings that revealed the administration had illegally sold arms to Iran and funneled the profits to the Contras in Nicaragua, causing President Reagan's popularity to plummet.
What significant event took place on October 19, 1987?
-On October 19, 1987, known as Black Tuesday, the stock market went into a free-fall, losing 508 points.
Who came to power in the Soviet Union in 1985 and what policies did he introduce?
-Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union in 1985 and introduced policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring).
What was the outcome of the summit meetings between Reagan and Gorbachev?
-The summit meetings initially failed to result in a comprehensive disarmament agreement due to disagreements over the Strategic Defense Initiative, but they eventually led to a more limited arms reduction treaty.
Describe a notable event during Gorbachev's visit to the United States.
-During Gorbachev's visit to the United States, his motorcade stopped on Connecticut Avenue, and he got out to greet the crowd, an action that was well-received by the American public.
What was the significance of the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989?
-The events in Tiananmen Square in 1989 involved Chinese students and workers demonstrating for democracy, symbolized by the Goddess of Democracy statue, but the demonstrations were brutally crushed by the Chinese government.
What major event in East Germany symbolized the end of the Cold War?
-The breaching of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, symbolized the end of the Cold War and the lifting of the Iron Curtain.
How did the fall of the Berlin Wall affect people around the world?
-The fall of the Berlin Wall was seen as a moment of joy and liberation, symbolizing the end of repression and the triumph of freedom and democracy.
What broader historical perspective do some historians hold regarding the end of the 20th century?
-Many historians believe that the 20th century effectively ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and that the 1990s represent the first decade of a new era.
Outlines
🔴 TWA Flight 847 Hijacking Incident
The script describes the terrifying hijacking of TWA Flight 847 on June 14, 1985, by two Muslim extremists tied to Ayatollah Khomeini. Passengers, including Paula Sukeforth, a mother of six, endured threats and violence, with Navy diver Robert Stethen becoming the first victim. The ordeal ended with Ronald Reagan negotiating the release of some prisoners in Israeli jails to free the hostages.
🔵 Gorbachev's Reforms and U.S.-Soviet Relations
The script highlights Mikhail Gorbachev's introduction of glasnost and perestroika in the Soviet Union, leading to greater openness and economic restructuring. His efforts to reduce defense spending resulted in a series of summit meetings with President Reagan, culminating in significant arms reduction treaties and improving U.S.-Soviet relations, marked by Gorbachev's popular visit to Washington and Reagan's reciprocal visit to Moscow.
🌟 Fall of the Berlin Wall and the End of an Era
The script recounts the historic events of 1989, including the pro-democracy movements in Eastern Europe and the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9. It emphasizes the emotional impact of these events and their significance in ending the Cold War. The narrator reflects on the sacrifices made to combat communism and suggests that the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the end of the 20th century, setting the stage for a new era.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡TWA Flight 847
💡Ayatollah Khomeini
💡Ronald Reagan
💡Glasnost
💡Perestroika
💡Berlin Wall
💡Cold War
💡Iran-Contra Affair
💡Mikhail Gorbachev
💡Tiananmen Square
Highlights
TWA flight 847 was hijacked by two Muslim extremists with ties to Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran.
The hijackers demanded the release of Shiite Muslim prisoners held by Israel.
Paula Sukeforth, a mother of six, was one of the 153 passengers onboard TWA flight 847.
The hijackers threatened to kill a passenger every five minutes if their demands were not met.
The flight was forced to land in Beirut after a terrifying journey from Athens to Algiers.
Navy diver Robert Stethen was the first victim of the hijackers.
Ronald Reagan abandoned his No-Negotiations policy with terrorists to secure the release of the hostages.
The summer of 1987 saw the Reagan administration embroiled in the Iran-Contra affair.
President Reagan's popularity plummeted after the revelation of the illegal arms sales to Iran.
Black Tuesday in October 1987 saw the stock market lose 508 points.
Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost, or openness, in the Soviet Union, allowing for freedom of speech.
The Reykjavik summit in October 1986 saw Reagan and Gorbachev nearly agree to eliminate all nuclear weapons.
Gorbachev's visit to Washington and his charismatic public interactions made him very popular in America.
In 1989, the Berlin Wall was breached, marking the end of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War.
The fall of the Berlin Wall led to a reassessment of the sacrifices made during the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
Transcripts
The Russians and these other countries
but the world remains a dangerous place
On June the fourteenth 1985 ,TWA flight 847 took off from Athens
in Greece on its way to Rome
A few minutes into the flight, I look up and
there are people walking down the aisle, yelling
head down, no talk and
I...
didn't know what was happening really
the flight was hijacked by two Muslim extremists with ties to the Ayatollah
Khomeini in Iran
Their latest demand is that all
Shiite Muslim prisoners being held by Israel be released
and I'm watching this and all of a sudden my brother walked in the door
he came downstairs in he said, mom is on that plane
Paula Sukeforth, the mother of six, was one of the 153 people onboard
most of them Americans
they were going to kill someone every five minutes if their
demands were not met
the hijackers forced the plane on a frightening odyssey from Athens to Algiers
and back to the darkened airport in Beirut where the plane was refused
permission to land
We have pulled a hand grenade and he is ready to blow up the aircraft
if he has to
I repeat, we must land at Beirut
You have no permission to land Beirut - the airport is closed
I expected that we were gonna crash, so this is how it was going to end
when things looked absolutely hopeless
the runway at Beirut was finally cleared but the crisis was far from over
847 they are threatening to kill the passengers, they are threatening to kill the passengers
(shots)
their first victim was Navy diver, Robert Stethen
I just can picture the body coming out the door
and landing on the tarmac
and then
thinking, Oh God! They're actually
killing people
I wrote my name and address and telephone number on my stomach
just in case I'm was found dead somewhere
Unwilling to risk more American lives Ronald Reagan,
abandoned his own No-Negotiations policy with terrorists
and worked out a deal to free some prisoners held in Israeli jails
in exchange for the TWA hostages.
I didn't expect the United States to
negotiate. In hindsight, I'm glad they did!
I never thought I would see her again and there she was
It was wonderful
Summer of 1987 was not a good one for the Reagan administration
Congressional hearings that summer revealed that the administration had
illegally sold arms
to Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran and funnel the profits to the Contras in Nicaragua
For the first time
President Reagan's popularity plummeted and then, on October the nineteenth,
Black Tuesday, the stock market went into free-fall losing 508 points
and moral Empires, too, came tumbling down when several
televangelists were charged with financial crimes or
personal sins ....suddenly it seemed that
not all was well in the United States
In the Soviet Union, on the other hand, there was a whole new sense of optimism
After a succession of old man and old style rule which had left the Soviet Union
in deep stagnation, a vigorous new leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to
power in 1985
Gorbachev soon began to make changes in a country long
ruled by repression and fear-
He instituted, glasnost, or openness, and suddenly
there was freedom of speech
It was discussion, openly, and I was right in the middle -
it was something - absolutely incredible
Alexander's Zhurbin was a composer
who had a studio in Moscow's Pushkin Square
At the time it was a center of political discussion- thousands of people
One said that Gorbachev is terrible,
he is scoundrel, and I said, No, he is a great man- we have to support him
(speaking Russian)
It was times when you know, all the hopes
are open, you know, we just were absolutely
overwhelmed
but Gorbachev's attempt to restructure the Soviet economy
Peristroika, did little to shorten lines for the paltry number of available consumer goods
Soviet hopes for material progress
demanded cutbacks in their defense spending and this led to a series of
summit meetings with President Reagan
the first one was in Geneva in 1985
the next one was at Reykjavik in Iceland.
On a weekend in October 1986, the leaders got down to the serious
business of disarmament.
And they were negotiating frankly
their both sides are gonna give up all
their nuclear weapons - all their nuclear weapons
President Reagan's Director of Communications was
Patrick Buchanan
I just couldn't believe that a decision of this magnitude was being made by
two men on a Sunday afternoon
It's late in the afternoon and they had taken a break, so I got right out there and I wanted
to see exactly how he looked
He looked as tough as any customer I have seen
Gorbachev told Reagan, we're gonna do the deal, but you gotta give up SDI
the Soviets had spent a trillion dollars
building the greatest land-based missile
force on earth and here was Ronald Reagan who was developing a system
it was gonna turn into junk and they believed he could do it
Ronald Reagan slammed down to his hand on table got up and left
No
That was the end of the summit, but not of good relations
between the two leaders
(music)
A year later Mr. Gorbachev came to Washington,
sidestepping the issue of the strategic defense initiative
the leaders assigned a more limited arms reduction treaty
Mister Gorbachev was very popular
in America
Gorbachev's motorcade came around the corner on Connecticut Avenue
and suddenly the motorcade stopped
and then the door opened and Gorbachev got out and began working the crowd
along Connecticut Avenue like an American politician
people around me were rapt- I remember a young woman
looking out through the crowd and smiling on her face and she said
God bless you Mister Gorbachev
I couldn't believe - it was
great he came out to meet us all like that- that was very special and he didn't have
to do it, but he did it - I'm very surprised and pleased
What do you think of Gorbachev - the guy is that PR genius
jumping out of the car like that Who got to shake his hand?
I did, yeah
Six months later, President Reagan went to Moscow
There was a sense that
this long nightmare of with the threat of nuclear holocaust the
the Cold War somehow that that was coming to an end
And we find ourselves standing like this
We meant to change a nation and instead
we changed a world
1989 was a momentous year
first in China, where just at about the time
when Mikhail Gorbachev was paying a visit, Chinese students
occupied their country's most important square
What I'm seeing on television cannot be happening
Chinese students marching into Tiananmen Square
carrying a large plastered goddess of democracy
very similar to the statue of Liberty
In the heart of the largest communist country in the world
the American symbol of freedom towered over demonstrations for democracy
There clearly was a historic significant event
I had a feeling that wasn't gonna last very long
And it did not
on June the fourth the demonstrations were crushed
hundreds of people were killed- but what the students
and workers had attempted would change China
forever
All over Eastern Europe that summer, democracy movements were gathering strength
Poland was gearing up for free elections- it was happening in Hungary and
Czechoslovakia and behind the walls in East Germany there were pro-democracy
demonstrations
people were demanding change
On Nov. the ninth, the East German government finally gave in to the pressure
You wanted to see what's really behind the wall
What have they been hiding over there?
and it's just people on the other side waiting to see loved ones
the Berlin Wall was breached- the iron curtain had been lifted
the hopes for freedom kindled by Gorbachev's reforms in the Soviet Union
prove mightier than walls
We were crying
watching them tear down this thing that had haunted them for so long
and I'm thinking, what joy - you could just feel it coming through the television's from these people
I thought - that's what it's all about
conquering your ghosts
having gone into more to prevent the spread of communism
and now, a decade and a half later, the wall comes down
it causes you to stop - it caused me to stop and think
wow - this sacrifice that people made
58,000 in Vietnam - I don't know the statistics from Korea
I think they made a contribution
it would be too heartbreaking to think they didn't
Many historians actually believe that the 20th century ending with the fall of
the Berlin Wall
and that the nineties represent the first decade have a new era
why don't you judge for yourself when we take a look at the century's
last decade - that's the next episode
of the Century- American Time - Thank you for joining us, I'm Peter Jennings
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