This division came into force in August 1961 after the East German regime built the Berlin Wall, a critical event in German history and the Cold War as well. This physical barrier existed between East Berlin and West Berlin making it difficult of individuals goods and information to move between the two areas. It is crucial to know the causes of the construction of the Berlin Wall in order to background this event.

The Rise of the Berlin Wall

After the end of the Second World War, the Germany was divided into four zones which were controlled with the United States, Great Britain, France and Soviet Union. Berlin the capital of the former was also divided on the Soviet occupied side of the zone, the eastern side.

In the1961 the world witnessed the height of power struggle between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies during the cold war. As a result of economic difficulties and sharp reduction in its population because of emigration from East to West Germany, the East German government supported by USSR began active steps to stop emigration.

The last set of objectives relates to the reasons that caused the construction of the facilities:

1. Brain Drain

East Germany has been losing many of its talent and intellect and that was one of the main reasons for building the Berlin Wall. Most of the qualified worker and youth who are the building blocks of any nation were emigrating in search of greener pastures in the foreign nations that they refer to as the West. This mass emigration was being viewed as a threat to East Germany’s economy and, in equal measure, political hegemony.

2. Ideological Differences

For the construction of the Wall, ideological differences between east and west also contributed to the same. The referred ‘West’ symbolized democracy and capitalism in striking difference to the socialist system of the ‘East’. The building of the Wall represented the separation between such ideologies and the East Berlin government resolved to safeguard its socialist system.

The main characteristics of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was not just a simple barrier; it had several key features that made it an imposing structure:

Concrete Walls: The Wall was made from two long concrete walls and in between was the “death strip.”

Watchtowers: More than 300 watchtowers were constructed from Peking to the sea whence the ‘wall’ was visible: they had a double purpose, expressing an intention to prevent those within the prescribed pale approaching the wall or making their escape.

Guard Dogs: Savage dogs were guarding the around area, so, the attackers would not have any chance of escaping.

Barbed Wire: At the top of the Wall was barbed wire which meant that no one could easily take himself on the top of the Wall.

Impact of the Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall had far-reaching consequences:

1. Isolation

East Berlin was cut off from the rest of the world and people cannot travel much or call or write to friends and families in other parts of the world. People were forced to be separated from their families and friends, there were no connection between different cultures, in particular between the East and the West.

2. Checkpoint Charlie

Inevitably, The Wall emerged as the most symbolic icon of the Cold War and the checkpoint known as Charlie, where the western and the eastern sector met the world of the checked and the unworthy, the civil and the enemy.

3. Escape Attempts

Nevertheless, many East Germans tried to get over or under the wall no matter the danger they faced. These escapes were part of the history of the Cold War and some actually created histories within them, success and failure crushed.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall was for 28 years and it came down with so much a surprise on the 8th of November in 1989. The East side of the Wall was eventually destroyed in 1989 ending the Cold War and unifying the East and West Germany. Many residents on both ends of the border rejoiced as they traversed what was once a highly militarized border area.

Conclusion

The building of the Berlin Wall was initiated by the East Germany government out of fears of mass immigration but also population control. At the time of the Cold War it symbolized the ideological split of the East and the West. Germany took a historic blow in 1989 that paved way to the reunification of Germany. Knowing the reasons for building this facility, we can admire the result, which this work created for the society of Germany and the whole world.