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Was the Berlin Wall the End of the Cold War?

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Cold War Tour Berlin

The children of the Cold War epoch scarcely would have guessed that one of the most recognizable structures of the twentieth century would be the Berlin Wall. Built in 1961, the wall circumvented the eastern side of Berlin which was dominated by the Soviet Union from the western side of Berlin which was influenced by the democracy of western world. Its fall in 1989 sparked a series of events that led to the reunification of Germany and raised the question: Was Berlin Wall the final of the cold: a historical question?

The Origins of the Cold War

To appreciate the importance of the Berlin Wall, one has to start with the background having roots in the Cold War. Following WWII, the divided world into two opposite camps, composed of the Soviet Uni d and the major Western democracy(es) particularly the United States leading to what is referred to as the Cold War. This conflict was politically and economically and militarily based where none directly fought the other over power but over world dominance.

This article talks about how the construction of the Berlin Wall took place.

For the next four years after the war, Germany found itself divided into four zones occupied by the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, and France. This division also applied to Berlin because each allied force divided it into four sectors. In the 1980s, political imbalance between the socialist Soviet Union and the capitalist west intensified thus increasing the rate at which East Germans moved to more economically developed West Germany through the open border in Berlin.

In response, the Soviet Union, concerned by the loss of the intelligentsia and impact of the western democracy, demanded the building of the Berlin Wall. Within a day barbed wire fences were replaced by concrete walls with soldiers and machine guns. People were divided into families, and nobody could easily cross the border without permission.

Impact of the Berlin Wall

This study demonstrates how the building of the Berlin Wall significantly impacted theті sides of the divide. Politically it was a cause of worsening relations between the Soviet Union and the western powers as it enriched the split of ideologies. But, it also defined a physical barrier that led to outcomes detrimental to the needs of many students in the long run.

For the east Germans the wall became more than a symbol; it was a glaring illustration of the limited freedom they enjoyed. Former East Germans lacked the economic or political freedoms that those in the West were granted – they were a locked class of citizens. Those who tried to flee across the wall were either put into jail or were killed on sight.

Loss of Human Lives and Intention of Other Countries

Construction of the Berlin Wall has caused the unfortunate demise of many humans. Family values were destroyed and people were in a very bad situation. The tales of the individuals who tried to escape the East through the wall and the general outrage of various countries put a great deal of pressure on the Soviet Union and East German regimes.

Symbol of Freedom

However the cruel reality was on the ground the Berlin Wall became a symbol of the struggle and future. It symbolised the fight for liberty and desire for the two German states to be one again in Middle Easterners’ hearts. The wall also brought awareness from the outside world and protests and demand for the wall’s demolition also increased every year.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

In particular, on the night of November 9, it was unexpectedly stated that the access of GDR [East German] citizens to the Federal Republic of Germany had been freed. Crowds of people gathered in front of the wall and started to pressure the other side of the wall. The guards could not manage the high flow of people and agreed to open the border and let people through. It was this event that sounded the death knell for the Berlin Wall.

The collapse of the Berlin wall set the motion for actions that resulted in the German reunification. From here, it became an incentive for protests and revolutions throughout most of Eastern Europe, and would eventually contribute to the overthrow of several communist governments. The breakup of the Soviet Union itself intensified and, thus, paved for the way to the completion of the Cold War.

Conclusion

The role of dividing the Germany and bring about the end of cold war cannot be discussed without the mention of the Berlin Wall. Even if it wasn’t the sole rationale for the end of Cold War, the wall definitely was a well-known sign of the division and of the desire for liberty from people. The breaking down of the Berlin Wall symbolizes a new epoch, the reunification of Germany, the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Was the Berlin Wall the End of the Cold War?