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Cold War Europe Map: The Berlin Wall and its Significance

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Cold War Tour Berlin

Introduction

The cold wars were a state of political and military hostility between the USA and the USSR which persisted after the second world war through to early nineties. This period led to the formation of eastern and western Europe as ongoing political formation characterized Europe. Inasmuch as this division, one of the significant signs was the division of Berlin under East and West Berlin by the Berlin Wall. In this blog you will find information about the Cold War in Europe, the construction of the Berlin Wall and its importance.

The Cold War in Europe

After World War II, Europe was divided into two spheres of influence: it was between the democratic western European Countries and the communism eastern European countries headed by the Soviet Union. Thus, this division evoked a number of tensions and conflicts between the two sides that aimed at influencing the population and at gaining precedence. These are the main events of this period: NATO and Warsaw Pact, Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Arms Race.

Beginning of Construction of the Berlin Wall

The actual construction of the Berlin Wall started on 13th of August 1961 and until its fall in November 1989, cocessed the roles of the physical as well as an ideological divide between the East and the West Berlin. It was put up by the East Germany to prevent people from emigrating to West Berlin and to West Germany in particular. It was made of concrete compounds, barbed wire and watch towers. This wall stretched for 155 kilometers and so isolated West Berlin from East Germany.

Plus the wall was well protected so anyone who tried to cross the wall was shot on site. Family members were split, and the structure epitomized the divide between the Western and the Eastern halves of the continent. The construction of the Berlin Wall made Cold War even more severe besides confirming division between Eastern and Western…

It was an significant event that divided the Germany into two parts East and west Berlin.

The Berlin Wall turned to the signification of Iron Curtain in dividing western Europe from the other half of Eastern Europe. It was the global divide between the free world and communism and people’s freedom was limited by it hence the outrage. The wall also depicted the inefficiency of USSR bureaucracy and the want of its citizens to flee to the Free world.

Nevertheless the collapse of the Berlin Wall in the year 1989 acted as the first milestone out of the total three that was to be crossed. It marked the collapse of the cold war and also represented unification of Germany. The wall came down to allow democracy and freedom winning over the so called ‘evil empire’ and the Soviet Union along with communism in Eastern Europe.

Conclusion

The conflict that characterized the relationship between Europe and the rest of the world upto the early nineties was the Cold War. Incident of Berlin Wall was a sad event but it gave a severe lesson to the difference between East and West. Its fall also brought an end of a form of Europe and was followed by rise of a more integrated Europe. Historical period is quite valuable in recognizing the stakes and implications of political competition, and in particular about the necessity of unity and harmony.

 

Cold War Europe Map: The Berlin Wall and its Significance