The Berlin Wall is an iconic symbol of the Cold War era, which divided the city of Berlin into East and West for almost three decades. Its construction and eventual fall were directly influenced by the political tensions and ideological conflicts of the Cold War. In this article, we will explore the key events and factors that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Background of the Cold War
The Cold War is best described as a relatively long and bitter contest between the superpowers in the US and the USSR after the end of the Second World War in 1945 and was long and animated until the early 1990s. It was marked by ideological clashes, political confrontation, and arm race.
In the aftermath of World War II, Germany was divided into four zones of occupation: the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. As with the rest of Germany, the Soviet zone also saw division between East and West with the city of Berlin. But soon tension rose between the Soviet Union and the west allies again which ended up in a Berlin Blockade in 1948.
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To put an end to the exodus, the communist regime under the auspices of the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall on 13th of August, 1961. They were a 96 mile (155 kilometer) fortification of concrete, barbed wire, and watchtowers surrounding West Berlin.
Their construction caused great changes within Berliner’s routines by dividing families, friends, and communities. The wall was well built, which had a barbed wire strip alongside the Wall, and any person trying to escape to the western side was shot at.
The Role of the Cold War
The construction as well as the collapse of the Berlin Wall owed itself to the Cold War. Here are some key factors that contributed to the wall’s fall:
- Delving Closer into the Political and Ideological Dividing Line
The cold war was a result of confrontation between communism supported by the Soviet Union and capitalism supported by the United States. The division of Europe brought about by the Cold War became represented by a wall whose construction made East and West Berlin literal parallel universes.
- Economic Inequality
It was evident in the economic difference between East and West Germany making a lot of East Germans to flee to West Germany. West Germany offered the premium quality of life and more chances to people encased by the capitalist system.
- Mass Protests and Pressure
However, during the WWs the East Germans experienced a phenomenon of increasing numbers of mass protests against their own government during the 1980s. Both glasnost and perestroika of Gorbachev for the Soviet Union also exert pressure on the East German authorities to liberalize their policies.
As the protests grew in size and intensity, the East German government faced a dilemma: to carry on oppressing its own people or start political liberalisation. At last on the 9th of November in 1989 the East German government proclaimed that people could cross freely at the border crossing points effectively signalling the pulling down of the Berlin Wall.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The social event that produced a dramatic shift on the world map is the fall of the Berlin Wall on the night of November 9, 1989. The fall brought about no predetermined plan on the part of the individuals of east or West Germany, although people immediately commenced to feast and even destroy odd parts of the wall physically. It acted as the reunification of Germany and the halt of cold war fears.
It was not solely a political decision but a long-time social and economic struggle, global instabilities anfield for minorities.
Conclusion
As the continuation of the cold war and the above mentioned specificity of East European political transformation the Berlin wall collapsed. The gains obtained by the head of clinging shimmered, and the lifting of the wall symbolized the success of freedom and democracy rather than oppression and section. Of course, this can go back to history, more so the understanding of the Cold War to unravel the importance of this event.
Today, there is no more a division between East and West Berlin physically; nonetheless, even the presence of the Berlin Wall is historical and exemplary of the courage and of the consequences of the two political systems.