The Cold War was a period of intense geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, lasting from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. One of the most significant events during this period was the construction of the Berlin Wall, which had a profound impact on the Cold War. In this article, we will explore the various ways in which the Berlin Wall affected this global conflict.
1. Heightened Tension
The split of Germany in 1945 and corresponding formation of the eastern bloc it represented when the Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961. The wall in essence erected a divide between the highly developed capitalist West Berlin and the equally underdeveloped communism dominated East Berlin. This act made the division and mistrust between two world superpowers to a new Sale which escalated the cold war.
Example:
Supposing a city that was cosmopolitan and combined had been separated by a concrete and barbed-wire wall. Members of families were divided, and individuals were locked in on their side, this action worsened the tension between the eastern and the western side.
- Symbol of Oppression
The symbol of the division between East and West Germany, the Berlin Wall spoke of communism. The construction of the wall was the indication of the restricted freedom by the Soviet Union on its own people. It symbolized the Iron Curtain, which physically split Europe; everyone witnessed how the totalitarian regime would seize control over the population.
Tip:
If you ever get a chance I would recommend you check out the Berlin Wall Memorial and Museum. Essentially, and self- evidently, it provides an insightful and very dark view of life on both sides of the wall.
- Escalation of Arms Race
With increased construction of the Berlin Wall, the Cold War arms race reached its highest level between the United States of America, and the Soviet Union. The inhabitants of the United States saw the building of the wall as dangerous to their hegemony in Europe so they raised the defense budget and continued to support West Berlin.
That forced the Soviet Union to match it and other similar measures that increased the rate of development of weapons around the world dangerously. Both sides accumulated large quantities of nuclear weapons and poured a lot of resources into their defence industries, thus increasing the likelihood of an Armageddon.
Statistic:
At the height of the cold war there were 60 thousand nuclear warheads in the world today and this is if you combine them and they can produce a damage comparable to millions of Hiroshima bombs.
- Cold War Proxy Battles
The later construction of the Berlin Wall helped to sustain the division in Germany and Europe and bring more proxy wars in the cold war. Potsdam left West Berlin isolated from the rest of West Germany, turning it into a battleground between the superpowers and a potential POW for coming into conflict.
Cold war proxies including Vietnam war and the Korean war were between the United States and the Soviet Union or their allies, and involved wars for each side to sell its agenda and or gain a strategic edge on the other side.
Tip:
Study other famous proxy wars that took place during the cold war era in order to better understand the effect of the BERLIN WALL.
- Fall of the Berlin Wall
Up until 1989, the division of Germany was shown by the concrete Berlin Wall, which heralded the beginning of the post Cold War world. With the destroyed wall people of Europe witnessed a definite transition towards a united Europe and improved relations between east and west.
This also marked the reunification of Germany in 1990; the breakup of the Soviet Union, and then bringing the curtain down on the old Cold War in its various forms.
Example:
November the 9th is a special day to commemorate the event known as fall of the Berlin Wall where people symbolically encourage togetherness as a means of defeating the wall of division.
Therefore, the result of this dissertation is that the Berlin Wall was instrumental in determining the course of the Cold War. It increased tension, represented oppression, stimulated the augmentation of power, instigated peripheral conflicts and at long last, brought down the wall and the Cold War. It is important to describe and explain the importance of the Berlin Wall in order to analyse this period more effectively.