"East Germany decided to topple the Berlin Wall in a smoking break."-Telegraph.

That is about what I just wrote! The Soviets, those allied with the Soviets, toppled the empire, THEY deserve the credit more than America or "western leaders" do. But at least the (former) Soviets don't feel that way! East Germany should never have been the Soviets to lose, it was never theirs by right. But they feel they "lost" their Evil Empire and so cannot feel "euphoria" or "triumphal." If American leaders gloated or engaged in triumphalism they should not have. Even over an evil, vanquished enemy, a generous person does not gloat.