The East Germany built the Berlin Wall; a literal and metaphorical barrier, that divided East and West Berlin during the cold war from 1961 to 1989. The building of it and everything that ensued was central in the overall affairs of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In this article you will read more about the link between the Berlin Wall and the Cold War.

Origins of the Berlin Wall

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied forces: which include; United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France. The division also reached down to the capital of the country, Berlin where it was also split into four different sectors. Nevertheless, the relation between the Soviets and the west began to deteriorate and in the end all form of interaction and contact between East and West Berlin were cut off.

The Cold War Context

The Cold War was a period of intense political and economic rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States which was waged to a large extent, through surrogate wars and nuclear build up, and more generally through ideological struggle. It began right from the period of the 2nd world war at 1945 and extend to the early 1990s. Communism and democracy were immediately battling for in Germany and the division of Germany as well as construction of the wall represented this fight physically.

Building and Characteristics of the Berlin Wall

The building of the Berlin Wall was started in the year August 13, 1961. It comprised of a very large concrete wall with raised guard towers, an elevated barbed wire fence and a ‘death strip’ between the two. Death strip was a paved space in which anyone trying to evade the guards would likely be seen, and thus shot by border guards. The entire structure then became a blockade to ensure that the East Germans did not access the West.

Escalation of Tensions

Before the construction of the wall, the number of East Germans who had travelled to West Germany via Berlin has always been high. This brain drain posed deep concern to the Soviet Union because it led to loss of skilled man power. To stop this huge drain, the East German government and its Soviet comrades decided to construct a wall.

Relation of the construction of the Berlin Wall to the Cold War

Symbolic Significance

The actual construction of the Berlin Wall made it tangible symbol of political split between the liberal democracy of the West fronted by the united States and communism of the east championed by the soviet Union. Its presence amounted to escalating tensions between two superpowers, and since the Wall’s construction was symbolizing division, it contributed to the overall tone and climate of the Cold War.

Torture and Human Rights Abuse

Huge abuses of human rights came about alongside the construction of the Berlin Wall that not only split families and friends. The government of East Germany put high measures in police surveillance, and those who tried to flee had to pay a high price of getting imprisoned or even killed. Such repression also raised the contrast between the two ideological schools all the more.

East-West Diplomatic Stalemate

Several confrontations that existed between the U S and the soviet union were triggered by the existence of the Berlin Wall. The ongoing tensions were further ‘played out’ by key events such as the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the construction of the Berlin Wall and they illustrated to both sides that the other is very determined how the city of Berlin will look like in the future .

Fall of the Berlin Wall: End of the Cold War

During the latter part of the eighties thus, the cold war that had been realized in the Eastern blocs is a story of fluctuating politics. Marches and rallies occurring in East Germany along with changes in the Soviet’s approach put increasing strain on the East German authorities to permit their subjects to travel freely. Last but not the least, the `Berlin Wall’ was indeed dismantled when the Gateway to the East was thrown open on the 9th November, 1989 and consequently Germany was reunified the next year.

Significance of the Fall

The breakdown of the Berlin Wall was the symbolic sign of exit of the Cold War period. It was a significant presentation of the win of democracy besides liberating East European states from communism rule. It meant a shift of political power in the world and became the first stage of new world politics.

Conclusion

The Berlin Wall centrality in relation to the Cold War is quite profound yet tangibly nuanced. It represented the clash of the two major ideas of the world, the industrialized world, and the eastern nations; it saw so many violations of the human rights; and it provoked diplomatic conflicts. In conclusion, the event of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall has produced a vivid alibi of a revolutionary climacteric ushering in the post-Cold War international politics system.