Did you know? Tiananmen Square is the world's largest public square, sprawling a whopping 440,000 m²! It's a massive stage for any event.

• The Overestimation: Protesters thought they had more power than they did.
• Gorbachev's Visit
  • The Soviet leader's visit might've stopped authorities from acting against the protesters right away.
  • BUT, because they had to change his schedule due to the protests, the hardliners (those super strict people in the government) were angrier and even more against the protesters.
• Unintended Consequences
  • The protests took the spotlight away from what should've been a big deal Sino-Soviet summit. Instead, the world watched Tiananmen Square.

🌍 Real-world example: It's like inviting a VIP to a birthday party, but the party is hijacked by a surprise event nobody expected. That's one memorable party!

• Zhao Ziyang: On 19 May, this leader went to Tiananmen and in tears, told students their concerns would be addressed someday.
• Li Peng: He made a brief appearance, but it seemed he and another leader, Deng Xiaoping, had made up their minds: end the protests by force.

💔 Heartbreaking Moment: Zhao's words to the students, "I came too late, too late. We are too old to see the day when China is strong. But you are young. You should stay alive."