Another famous divider and thus dividing the city of Berlin during the Cold War is a magnificent Berlin Wall. Another key issue Which is central for the analysis of the given wall’s history is the definition of the date when the wall was constructed. In this article several aspects of the construction timeline will be discussed: the process of construction, the reasons that enshrouded its foundation and the process of collapse.

1. Exploring Cold War Development Through the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall construction started at night of August 12 of 1961. Said authorities belonging to the GDR decided to build the wall to prevent further exodus to West Berlin. Originally, the wall was represented only by barbed wire and segments of concrete structure, and then the construction evolved into the given complex of border.

1.1 The Phases of Construction

The building of the Berlin Wall can be divided into three distinct phases:

Phase 1: August 12-25, 1961 – This phase was characterised by the building of a fence of barbed wire around West Berlin and the creating of temporary barriers.

Phase 2: Second phase began on 25th August 1961 and ended on 9th July 1962; the construction required German teams to remove single layers of the barriers and instead place a more permanent concrete structure.

Phase 3: From 1962 to 1989 – Some improvements were carried out many with aim of increasing the height of the wall or improving the barrier against crossers.

1.2 The Berlin Wall Revolution

The Berlin Wall changed overtime from just being a bar to being a wall structure. It consisted of several components, including:

Concrete Wall: The wall itself – erected with large sections of concrete – was 3.6 meters (12 feet) tall and 1.2 meters (4 feet) wide.

Death Strip: B: A large space on the eastern side of the wall when the area was cleared to avoid attempts at escaping. It contained different kinds of threats, including trenches and barriers.

Watchtowers: Towers equipped with guards and automated gun fire which are observing the border with keen interest.

2. The Causes of the Construction of the Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall was driven by several political and social factors, including:

The Brain Drain: The GDR was experiencing shortages of skilled manpower that was moving to the better-end equipped FRG. This “brain drain” was what the wall was supposed to stop.

Soviet Influence: This is why the Soviet Union needed to stop western phenomenon from creeping into East Germany. In this contest, the partitioned wall was erected to cordon off the two Germanys to that they do not mix with each other.

Political Stabilization: The government of GDR aimed at consolidating power within the territory of East Germany by constraining people’s action and discouraging rebellions.

3. The Fall of the Berlin Wall

It has taken almost thirty years of this division to come down when the Berlin Wall was demolished on November 9, 1989. The fall was a result of significant political and societal changes, including:

Peaceful Protests: Public demonstration in East Germany along with the political pressure from within led to the crisis which later led to the demolition of the wall.

Change in Leadership: The GDR new leadership that came into government starting with leading politician Egon Krenz tended to adopt policies that encouraged reunification.

International Pressure: The western world especially has been urging for the attendance of Germany for several years. This external pressure also contributed a lot to the bringing down of the wall.

Conclusion

The Berlin Wall physically separated two worlds for almost three decades at an ideological scale dividing East from West. The construction phase in 1961 and the fall in 1989 were, without doubt, important points in the history of the world. The time of creation, the roles of this phenomenon and the circumstances which led to its collapse are considered to give the vision of different aspects of the Cold War period.

Despite the fact that there are not many parts of the physical barrier left in Berlin today, the legacy of the Wall continues to be inherited as the lesson about the consequences of building walls in the perceiving societies.