The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized a significant geopolitical shift in Europe and the end of Cold War tensions. It marked the collapse of the Iron Curtain that had divided Eastern and Western Europe since the end of World War II. The event enabled the reunification of Germany and led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union shortly thereafter. This shift paved the way for the expansion of the European Union and NATO into Eastern Europe, promoting democratic governance and market economies in formerly communist nations. The wall's fall also inspired global movements for freedom and reform.