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When Does the Berlin Wall Go Up?

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Cold War Tour Berlin

The Berlin wall which marked the cold war and division of Germany was built on August 13 1961. This thorough partition divided East and West Berlin for about three decades before coming down on November, 9,1989. This blog post will briefly discuss the historical background of the exact place it was built, the cause, effects, and demise of this great structure.

1. Historical Context

The division of Germany after World War II left Berlin, the capital city, divided into four zones controlled by the victorious Allied powers: these were the United States, the Soviet Union, France and the United Kingdom. While East Germany stood under the stewardship of the Soviet Union, west Germany was affiliated to the democratic world.

Relations between East and West intensively worsened when people started moving from East Germany to the West since they wanted better economic life and freedom. This led to East German authorities, with the blessing of the Soviet Union, come up with drastic measures to put an end to the incessant flow of people crossing over to the west.

2. Construction of the Wall

The Berlin Wall started being constructed on 13th August 1961, at night, and in secret. Constructed from concrete blocks, barbed wire and surrounded by armed personnel the Wall sought to divide East and West Berlin. And it ran for about 96 miles around West Berlin, making it impossible for anyone to flee to the West. Coats were put up; barbed wire, watchtowers, minefields were put in place to discourage anyone with a plan of escaping; all these to remind the divided world.

The Wall was built to ensure the East Germans do not escape to the west wishing to enjoy the quality life, freedom that was enjoyed by the West Germans and the West German Democrats. People lost their families, employment and homes in one day; Berlin symbolically represented the battle between communism and fascists.

3. Reasons Behind Construction

The construction of the Berlin Wall can be attributed to several reasons:

  • Political reasons: The East Germans wanted to tighten control on their people and parry any tricks that would embarrass it or reduce its hordes of defectors. The Soviet Union welcomed this move in order to retain control over East Germany.
  • Social reasons: The economic problems of the GDR led to a drain of people from East Germany and a loss of educated workers. When building the Wall, the East Germans wanted to reduce this action to adjust their economy and remain more stable.
  • Geopolitical reasons: The wall depicted a message of control of the east on the speech and the division of the Western democracies from the communist eastern bloc. It caused a lot of tension between America and the Soviet Union, both powerful countries during that period.

4. Non grata: The implications of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall had profound consequences both nationally and internationally:

  • Human impact: People were181 arrested in groups, something that mainly caused distress due to separation of families and friends. It gives one a shudder to know that rather than be taken through the process, several individuals are losing their lives in the process of trying to escape the death trap.
  • Political impact: Reinforcing the split between east and west Germany the Wall was a potent Icon of the Cold War. It intensified some, especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the weapon buildup between the US and the Soviet Union.
  • Economic impact: West Berlin and West Germans saw their economic ‘bubble’ grow larger and their pocket lined, while on the other hand East Berlin and East Germans saw theirs shrink and their fingers tightly gripping holdings empty. The Wall depicted two rather different worlds.

5. The Fall of the Berlin Wall

As the decade unfolded, calls for reform rose throughout Eastern Europe throughout the decade. Despite economic growth, people are dissatisfied with the quality of their political lives; the inspiration derived from watching neighboring countries prompted East Germans to seek political change.

On November 9, 1989 when there was confusion on a new travel policy in East Germany thousands of east Berliners stormed to the wall demanding to be allowed to cross into the west. Stressed by the conditions the border guards began to yield to pressures and opened the checkpoints for people to pass through.

Of great importance, the fact that the Berlin Wall fell triggered new changes within history. This brought the end of the Cold War and saw the actual reunification of East and West Germany which took place on the 3 rd of October 1990.

Conclusion

The division created by the Berlin Wall during the Cold War provided in many ways a physical reminder of that division. The construction symbolized the battle between two ideologies, and it affected the world. The collapse of the Wall later on, became a symbol of change and German reunification. However, as it is with any unsettled political issues the building may no longer be standing but the principles of freedom and human rights behind it are still being taught.

When Does the Berlin Wall Go Up?