Introduction

It is has to do with the breakdown of the Berlin wall which was the climax of the cold war. It is important for anyone trying to understand the world politics of the time to have some clue of what this event was, and why it happened.

The Cold War: A Brief Background

The cold war was a time of rivalry between the two superpowers; USSR and USA that lasted from late 1940s to early 1990s. It was characterized by a rivalry between two ideological blocs: The Group of the capitalist world spear headed by the United States of America and the Group of the communism spear headed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The Division of Germany

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allies: USA, USSR, France and the United Kingdom. Here, Berlin which was in the Soviet zone was also split into four sectors. This division resulted in poor relations, or in other words; strained relations between the Allies.

The events of the construction of the Berlin Wall

Contrary to world opinion the East German administration with the backing of Soviet Union built a barrier around East Berlin in the year 1961. Stated publicly they were to shield Eastern Europe from the imperialism of the West and protect East German socialism. However, the real goal was to give the government a reason to prevent the immigration of East Germans to a far better life in West.

The Wall: Physical Details

Dubbed the Bernie Wall, it was about 12 feet tall and ran for 96 miles. This included concrete floors, barbed wired barriers, watchtowers and an uncovered zone within which was commonly referred to as the ‘Death Strip’. The wall was well defended and the guards were explicitly ordered to fire at anyone that tried to escape.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

collapse of Berlin Wall was a momentous event in history; ending the Cold War and united Germany’s reunification. It was the result of various factors:

• Changing Soviet Policies: When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the USSR the ideologies of openness and regeneration called glasnost and perestroika was introduced. Which resulted in a liberal environment and a desire for change.
• Internal Protests: With the decline of the economy and tightening of restrictions on freedom political dissatisfaction rose among the people of East Germany. Political and economical reforms movements demanding for change intensified.
• Mass Migration: More than a thousand east Germans fled to foreign embassies or engaged in very risky border crossing. As desire for freedom or perceived oppression increased the pressure for change increased as well.

The Historic Moment: November 9th, 1989

The arrival of significant changes to the East Germany occurred on November 9th 1989 when the authorities lifted a barrier to crossing borders. People gathered by the thousand to cling to the wall defending them, singing, carousal, banging the concrete structure. This is actual the main turning point as it signified the demolition of the famous Berlin Wall.

The result and reunification

The collapse of the berlin Wall led to the reunification of the two German nation. Germany reunification was on October 3rd 1990 when the GDR more commonly known as East Germany disappeared.

Impact on the Cold War

The collapse of the Berlin wall can also be considered to symbolize a victory for the western side while on the same note considered to symbolize a major set back for the soviet Union. It under pressure the Soviet sphere of influence and caused the disintegration of USSR in 1991. This led to the alteration of the geopolitics in which the world was shaped into the USA super power.

Conclusion

The next topic evokes the symbolic symbol of the Berlin Wall and the victory of freedom over the regime, the end of the division. Knowledge of the events that led up to this moment, or what this moment represented in the grander scheme of things is important for an understanding of the Cold War period. They can help us then establish how to put in practice what can be instrumental in promoting world order and cooperation.