The blank wall that secluded a section of Berlin was for more than twenty-eight years (1961 to 1989), an icon of the Cold War. It also had many political, social and economic implications both within Germany its construction as well as its destruction impacted the entire global economy. In this article, the author is going to explain why Berline Wall was significant during the Cold War period.

1. What was the Cold War?

The Cold War may be defined as a state of political and military rivalry between the superpowers of the two world – the USA and the USSR that sored after the second World War in 1945 and lasted until the early nineteen nineties. It included ideological confrontations, beginning with the arms race and proxy wars that put one side against the other with ambition to dominate the world.

2. The Division of Berlin

The allied powers who reoccupied Germany after the second world war saw the country divided among themselves. West Berlin was located in the Soviet sectors of East Germany and was also subdivided into Eastern and Western part. The Soviet Union part of the Eastern Berlin had a communism project while the American, British, and French part in the western Berlin embraced a democracy project.

Of all the divisions in the cold war, this one was most disruptive since it made thousands of East Germans flee to the west in search of better living standards and political freedom.

3. With this paper we bring together the history and events that lead to the construction of the ‘Berlin Wall’ and its consequences.

With the loss of about 2.6 million people to the West between 1949 and 1961, to stop other East Germans from emulating them, the East German government, assisted by the Soviet Union, erected the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961. The initial barrier was a barbed wire but then the wall was a cement wall with watchtowers, defended by anti-tank ditches as well as other built-in security features.

The Berlin Wall was very instrumental in ensuring that East Berlin was completely isolated from West Berlin, by splitting families, friends and neighbors. during the cold war, to endorsed communism and oppose to democracy, it was a real continuation of the Iron Curtain.

4. It is important that the world remember the Berlin Wall and all it represented.

4.1. Political Significance

This while the Berlin Wall caricatured the conflict in the socialist and the western world for the better part of three decades vividly depicting the division point between socialism and democracy. It showed that the soviet and its allies were determined keep people from leaving for the western countries with an intention of seeking political asylum.

4.2. Symbol of Oppression

It will always remain in the minds of many people that Berlin Wall signified restriction of freedom – of people. It represented oppression of freedoms and the political tyranny of the East European countries. Its construction and the shoot-to-kill orders signaling the arrival of the police force were considered a gross violation of human rights.

4.3. Economic Impact

The division of Germany had severe directions on the economy of that country and on the global economy as a whole. West Berlin which was physically surrounded was a prosperous city and symbol of western democracy which attracted skillful workers and investments. On the other end, East Germany languished in an economic standstill and people especially the talented emigrated to the better end of the divided Germany – the west.

5. The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9 1989 for increased pressure from both, insiders and outsiders. Social revolution in East Germany and the breakage up of Soviet Union exerted an unfavorable pressure on the communists which in turn saw to it that the border was opened.

6. The End of the Cold War

This communication breakdown was a crucial moment in the Cold War, one which would be best highlighted by the physical tearing down of a very literal barrier with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He called it the ‘spring victory,’ as it signaled victory for democracy against communism and was the starting point towards the demising of the whole Cold War period. The Germany split by the Berlin Wall was reunited again in 1990 and this eliminated the prolonged deep divide and provided for new international relation situation.

Conclusion

The Berlin Wall: The primary derivative during the Cold War in informing symbolic premise of communism and democracy. It has great political, social and economic impact for the construction and then the collapse of the building on which the Cold War ended. This key structure shows the current generations the value of freedom human rights and the achievement of peace.