Then the year before that, in 1991, there was the first Gulf War. A number of JWs got very excited about this event, also. A certain prize act who gave the public talk at our hall just after the Coalition Forces went on the attack (i.e. Norman Swartzkopf's "Operation Desert Sword") is on record as telling us:
"Brothers, for years The Society has been warning that Armegeddon is 'just around the corner'. We are now past that, and staring down the home straight."
Later that year saw the disintegration of the Soviet Union, plus all the upheaval that followed in its wake. From the platform, we were urged to "keep close watch on world events", for all the indicators were "the strongest they have been since 1975", and that all this was coming directly from " The Society" (The term Governing Body having not yet come into common currency). This was all stated in a talk at that year's District Convention.
As if Berlin Walls, Tianamen Squares, Gulf Wars, Soviet Unions or whatever have anything to do with anything.
(Bloody long "Home Straight" he was talking about, too!)