Introduction

The Berlin Wall, a symbol of division between East and West Germany, played a significant role in the Cold War that lasted from 1947 to 1991. This concrete barrier, stretching from 1961 to 1989, not only physically divided the city but also symbolized the ideological differences between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two superpowers leading the opposing sides during the Cold War. In this article, we will explore the relationship between the Berlin Wall and the Cold War, examining its construction, purpose, consequences, and eventual fall.

Construction of the Berlin Wall

Following World War II, Germany was divided into four zones, each controlled by one of the victorious powers: The main powers to be involved in the formation of cold war were United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. Soviet- Western Power relations worsened culminating to division of Berlin which once was the capital of Germany. In 1961 the East German government built the Berlin Wall with the support of the Soviet Union to stop its people’s escape to West Germany. It had concrete half walls, watchtowers, and a complex system of barriers, barriers and barbed wire coils.

Purpose of the Berlin Wall

The principal purpose for the construction of the Berlin Wall was to stem the tide of refugees from East Germany to West Germany. In the first few decades of the cold war there where cases of brain drain and labour drain from east Germany to the west. The construction of the wall was to stop this emigration and keep the required skills in the economy, skilled workers, professionals and intelligentsia in East Germany. Furthermore, the wall also served to separate communism ruled eastern Europe from west that embraced almost all aspects of democracy.

From a more general viewpoint, the Soviet Union used the Berlin Wall as a show of power over Easter European countries. It was also used to prevent the United States and its allies planning to invade or overthrow the East Germany.

One-Hour History Lesson: Consequences of the Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall had several profound consequences:

Human Tragedy: Parents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives cut across last night. Living conditions remained awful and thousands of East Germans faced death while trying to cross the wall.

• Geopolitical Tension: This wall caused hostility between America and the Soviet further straining cold war tension. It became an obvious symbol of the Iron curtain that separated eastern and western Europe.
• Economic Impact: Due to this wall: there were no any economic exchanges, trade, and development, East Germany was cut off from west markets.
• Escape Attempts: There have been many creative and some times very daring attempt at escape over the years. Narrating stories of courage and determination to live journeyed depicted more of what was a dictatorship or ‘Apart- Heathen’ East Germany and how people went to an extent to capture freedom.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

Though, with the coming of a new leader to the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) the cold war started to fade in the late 1980s. The dictatorship of the Eastern Europe region declined, and the people called for change or liberty politically.

These demographic divisions stemmed from policy differences concerning East Germans that were favorable to West Germans; in November 1989, when the pressure both inside and outside the country grew irresistible, the East German authorities permitted citizens to travel West. Many Germans went into the border checkpoints, and the guards there, who were confused and unclear of the new instructions, opened the border. These suddenly unfolding circumstances prompted the characters on both sides of the wall to dance and embrace and start actually dismantling the wall.

Legacy of the Berlin Wall

The demolition of the Berlin Wall was undoubtedly one of the most significant events in the twentieth century as it foretold the end of Cold War which had been dominating the world during the previous four decades. It brought families together, reunited Germany’s eastern and western halves and laid the foundation of the eventual reunification of the whole of Germany. Today a small part of the Wall is left as a symbol of people’s determination and a thirst for freedom.

Conclusion

The symbol of the Berlin Wall is a short but intense cold war between America and Soviet Union and an embodiment of freedom and communism struggle. What was built, who built it, why it was constructed, what happened to it and who caused its destruction, therefore, can be viewed in the extensive framework of the Cold War. Analysis of the connection between the Berlin Wall and the Cold War assists people in gaining a better meaning of this historical epoch.