Introduction
The end of the Cold War marked a significant turning point in modern history, leading to changes in global politics, shifting power dynamics, and the reunification of a divided nation. A pivotal event during this era was the fall of the Berlin Wall. In this article, we will explore the historical context, the construction and dismantling of the iconic barrier, and the impact it had on the world.
Background
As such, in order to unravel the story behind the fall of the Berlin Wall it is necessary to appreciate the international political setting of the Cold War. The Cold War was the state of political rivalry between two major superpowers of the world: The United States and Soviet Union from 1947 to 1991. Germany, a country divided into East and West after World war II reflected this division.
The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic also known as East Germany. Originally, it was to protect East Germans from escaping to West Berlin which was governed by Democratic states. Couples and children were divided and those who attempted to flee were detained and punished severely.
Building the Berlin Wall
The erection of the Berlin Wall started on the night of August the 12th, 1961. Essentials were located at the border and overnight, barbed wire and fences were put up before concrete walls and heavily guarded checkpoints were placed. This wall extended to more than 155 km encircling west Berlin from east Berlin.
The construction of the wall also made numerous cases of emotional separation become common. Relatives were separated, and people were allowed to move to where they wanted without visiting their friends next door. These people felt that the wall was standing between communism and democracy, and that the wall had become the very Iron Curtain itself.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The event when the Berlin wall split apart on November 9, 1989 was a great sensation and people’s freedom was finally open. The cause for this event was build-up pressure on the East Germany government stemming from uprising citizens’ rebellions, economic unrest and the desire of citizens to enjoy free life.
Large scale demonstrations were taking place every week throughout East Germany during 1989. On 9th of November there was an announcement which led to the confusion and misuse of the information to mean something different, this made thousands of citizens to gather at the wall. Failing to control the flow of people, the border guards finally gave way and the East and West Germans started kissing each other.
Impact and Reunification
The mainstreaming of border crossing in West Germany due to the destruction of the Berlin Wall paved the way for the phenomenon discussed above. From here could actually mark the start of the Cold War’s decline and led to the German unification of East and West. On 3rd of October 1990 after the votes the two countries merged and the new name for reunified Germany was the Federal Republic of Germany.
The event was also released as a symbol of hope and freedom for other movements as well as revolutions in Eastern Europe. It was regarded as a triumph of democracy, human rights and was a certain sign of the fates of the communist states.
Conclusion
The bringing down of the wall was momentous, marking the end of the Age of Wall as a distinctive division. This is felt to this very day, it is a gentle but sharp wake up call as to the importance of coming together and the victory of freedom over tyranny. As the so-called world’s biggest symbol of division – the Berlin Wall came crumbling and from this historic moment we understand that despite all odds change is always possible.