United States. After the Berlin Wall was knocked down in 1989 (which was a barrier between West and East Germany), everything began to change for communist east Europe. The USSR (Soviet Union) communist regime collapsed. This was due in part to the U.S. policy of containment (containing communism in a certain country/area), while encouraging democratic reforms to eastern europe. This gave support to the East and hope that they would be free from communist rule, which they were in 1989.
