The concrete symbol of the Cold War ended when the famous Berlin Wall came down. This division had separated the city of Berlin for almost thirty years and was the embodiment of the Cold War struggle between the West – and the East. Although this piece of writing will cover only a part of Cold War history, the reader will come to understand the background of construction of the Berlin Wall, for what purpose it was designed and the events that led to it’s ultimate dismantlement.
Understanding the Cold War
The Cold War was a period of rivalry between two superpowers – the United States and Soviet Union and their respective Allies from the end of World War Two. These two superpowers were very much in a strained rivalry and the ideologies of the two further split Europe into the Western and Eastern power.
The United States and the Soviet Union were involved in an arms race and were both attempting to secure control over other nations. An excellent example of this division is the split of Germany into the Federal Republic of Germany; popularly known as West Germany and the German Democratic Republic; also referred to as East Germany. Berlin became synonymous with these forces since it lay deep within East Germany.
: The Berlin Wall: Its Construction and Its Purpose
The laying of the Berlin Wall started on August, 13, 1961 as a response from East Germany in order to prevent citizens from fleeing to West Germany. By this time, about 2.7 million East Germans had emigrated to the West – which was viewed as a severe brain drain problem as well as for economic policy implications for the East German leadership.
The Berlin Wall was a constructed barrier that was made with a concrete wall, watch towers and a barrier zone. It extended for 155 kilometres 96 miles and outlined the city in a way that it virtually sealed off West Berlin from East Germany. The Wall was also an emblem of oppression and separation of two families and friends. Some families never would see each other again and were unable to travel back and forth or write letters because of the wall.
The principal function of the construction was to guard East Germany and make people stay among themselves without running to the west side. It acted as a security administration organization with armed guards and had developed numerous surveillance systems.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall can be attributed to a combination of factors, including political changes, popular protests, and geopolitical shifts:
1. Political Changes:
In the late 1980s the new leadership arrived in the Soviet Union with Mikhail Gorbachev, who introduced the policy of glasnost – openness, and perestroika – restructuring. They sought to achieve higher political liberalization, actual economical liberalization, and improved relations with the west. The shift in this approach somewhat impacted the political environment in Eastern Europe and preconditioned events that followed.
2. Popular Protests:
In march, April and October of 1989, several mass demonstrations for political change occurred in some of the East European nations. East Germany was not immune to this and hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Berlin demanding change and mobility. These protests began and intensified, and forced the East German government to respond.
3. Geopolitical Shifts:
Global politics contributed to the collapse of the Berlin Wall in a way as well. The Soviet government seemingly understood the new politics and political developments , and seeing it that the people will not let go their demonstrations, Moscow ‘ruled out the request to respond to the protesters movements with military force as was the case with earlier revolutions. This approbation in turn encouraged government and population of the East Germany to look forward to greater change.
In the historic date of 09 November 1989 Thinking to demoralized the East German government announced that its people can cross border without restrictions. The shocked border guards let East Berliners pass through the wall; thousands of people gathered at the wall during the day. People started shredding the wall with pickaxes and chisels, as a gesture of the change symbolizing the reunion of families and friends.
People and their Consequences: The Berlin Wall and Its Consequences
That was the fall of the Berlin Wall In fact, there are quite a number of ramifications of the event. This became a significant point in history and paved the way to the reunification of Germany in the year 1990. The fall of the Berlin Wall also represented the fall of the Soviet Union as well as the victory of democracy against communism.
The segments of the Berlin Wall are used now as a symbol of freedom, consequences of the division and reunification of people.
Conclusion
The break up of the Berlin Wall can best be described as one of the largest moments in history that marked the beginning of the end to the Cold war and reunification of a divided city. The building of that ugly structure was brought about by political realignments, nationalist movements, and political Affordance. Today the Berlin Wall is an intimidation, a symbol of the division and this issue affects everyone at the present time all over the world.