Introduction
The term Berlin Crisis might be used to describe certain time between the middle of the two major post WWII crises, namely between 1961 to 1963. It focused primarily on the territory of city Berlin; practically, the occupied zone which comprises east part of Berlin and the free zone linked with American, British, and French powers called west Berlin. This paper’s main objective is to make a reader understand what the Berlin Crisis was, what led to it, what happened and its impact on the Cold War.
Causes of the Berlin Crisis
The Berlin Crisis had its roots in the aftermath of World War II, when Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied powers. While the Soviets and the Western Allies initially cooperated, ideological differences and competing interests led to rising tensions.
- The ideological divide between communism (Soviet Union) and capitalism (Western Allies).
- The desire of the Soviet Union to maintain control over Eastern Europe.
- The economic disparity between West and East Berlin.
- The migration of East Germans to West Berlin in search of better economic opportunities.
The Events of the Berlin Crisis
In understanding the actual events behind the Berlin Crisis, it is necessary to look for the most important events that occurred reaching their apogee to change history. Understanding these events is essential to grasp the severity and significance of the crisis:
- The Berlin Blockade
In 1948 the Soviet Union tried to capture West Berlin and therefore blockaded the city. They blocked all railway, roadway, and waterways attempting to reduce supplies from reaching West Berlin. In turn, the Western Allies formed what is known as the Berlin Airlift – supplying the blocked city via air transports. This event contributed to the polarization of the eastern and western part of the continent.
- The Construction of the Berlin Wall
Because of tension and migrations and mass of East Germans to West Berlin, Soviets built Berlin Wall in 1961. This barbed wire fence was started in 1961 as a way of ensuring that East Germans did not move to the west side. With the help of the Berlin Wall, Cold War enmity escalated and went beyond all international tensions between the Soviet Union and the western countries.
- Negotiations and Diplomacy
On the other hand during the crisis in Berlin diplomacy and negotiations were still taking place. US President John F. Kennedy, and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev held dialogues to try and reduce tension with a possibility of making a strike. The crisis demonstrated that diplomacy was the only way to solve main issues during the Cold War period.
It is examined that the Berlin crisis implies various circumstances inherent to the relations and confrontation of the powers at that period.
The Berlin Crisis had significant implications for the Cold War era and shaped global politics:
- The division between East and West and the putting of the Iron Curtain.
- Increased tensions between the superpowers; USA and the USSR.
- The message that the West will not yield its interests to the new powers, or that it can withstand pressure from them.
- The influence it offered to freedom movements during the Cold War especially in most of the eastern part of the globe.
Conclusion
As such, the event emerged as an area of interest in history because it brought out the brightest flare and the controversies within the putters for the Cold War. It is therefore necessary that students who wish to understand and find out about the cause, occurrence and consequences of events that characterized the second half of the twentieth century to better study this concept. The crisis confirms the fact that such geopolitical hot-burning issues are still significant for generations defining the vector of the further existence and development of the whole world.