The division of Europe by means of the Berlin Wall – as a symbol of the Cold War – was brought to an end on November 9, 1989. This paper believes that the fall of the Berlin Wall was made possible by political social and other factors that brought the revolution in East Germany. In this article, we will expose a series of factors that led to destruction of the Berlin Wall and its consequences for the Cold War.

Understanding the Cold War and how it led to Division of Germany

After World War II, Germany was divided into two separate entities: The two states within Germany are the Federal Republic of Germany also referred to as West Germany and the German Democratic republic also referred to as East Germany. This was mainly due a split, based on ideological grounds, between the United States of America and the then Soviet Union, occupying the top positions of the world’s superpowers that emerged after the war.

As the Berlin Wall: The Dividing of Germany/Sub titled: The Construction of the Berlin Wall by Fiona… .

In 1961 during the height of the Cold War the East German government built the Berlin Wall with the help of the Soviet Union because they wanted to stop the refugees from escaping to West Germany. It separated the city of Berlin and represented the cold war struggle of communism against democracy as well as freedom.

The Reasons for the Fall of the Berlin Wall

1. Political Pressure

The eling of the Berlin Wall was made after political liberalization that was accompanied by internal and external pressure.

Internal Pressure: The citizens of East Germany began to rise in resentments against the political autocratic rule of the government. Actions were taken Spotlight on dictatorships and harsh demonstrations for freedom and better management to pave its way through democrats and new gen youths.

External Pressure: The Soviet Union and Western countries wanted East Germany to liberalize politically and economically. Such pressure influenced the government to consider change.

2. Economic Struggles

Nevertheless, East German transformed from economically to the economically less-favored counterpart of West Germany.

Low Living Standards: For example, living conditions in East Germany were worse than those in West Germany, restrictive employment policies and scarcity of goods aggravated unhappiness with the regime.

Economic Reforms: In the 1980s for instance, Erich Honecker, the leader of East Germany attempted to revive the stagnant economy by improving productivity standards or conditions of life. However after these changes weren’t enough to resolve economic problems.

3. Perestroika and Glasnost

By the time the two Politburo members made their historic speech on November 9th the policies of perestroika (meaning economic restructuring) and glasnost (meaning openness) introduced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev had contributed to the opening of the wall.

He encouraged reforms of greater transparency, political liberalization and more economic reform in the East bloc nations. These reforms caused the east Germans to demand for the change hence the political transformation was gaining momentum.

4. Mass protests as well as civil resistance

Rashtirskie and civil disobedience played a significant roll in the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

There were peaceful protests in East Germany in the several months preceding the autumn of the year. In Leipzig, the Monday Demonstrations enrolled thousands of venue with an appeal for political liberalization and Germany’s reunification. These actions received attention from the outside world hence hands the East German authorities pressure in order to meet the demands raised by their own people.

Consequences of Fall of the Berlin Wall

1. Reunification

The breaking down of the Berlin Wall led to the German Question by giving the green light to the reunification process.

In 1990 talks between leaders of East and West Germany led to the unification of Germany with the extinguishing of East Germany. That is why today the Berlin Wall is associated with freedom and the defeat of the Cold War.

2. End of the Cold War

The breaking down of the Berlin Wall demarcated the end of the Cold war that was characterized by hostility between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. It seemed to be a movement towards what could be termed a more integrated and hence globalized society.

The break up of the Soviet union was not long in coming, with several former eastern block countries moving to democracy and free markets.

Conclusion

The event commonly referred to as the demonstration in Berlin was the demolition of the Berlin Wall and symbolized the end of cold war then the reunification of Germany. Political pressures, poor economy, advent of perestroika and mass protests forced the break up of the wall. It pays tribute to the public desire for liberation, transformation, and consolidation during, or at least subsequent to, the 1980s.