The Genesis of the Cold War
The construction of the Berlin Wall, which stood as a symbol of the Cold War division for almost three decades, was not a singular decision made by a single person. To understand why and how the Berlin Wall came into existence, it is essential to delve into the political backdrop of the Cold War.
The Key Players
That decision was made by multiple groups, yet two masters affected the construction of the Berlin Wall most significantly. They were for example the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and the East German leader Walter Ulbricht.
Nikita Khrushchev, the First Secretary of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party wanted the wall to put a stop on the flight of people from East German to West German en masses. This constant migration posed a big challenge to the SED controlled government and its ability to manipulate the ideological ownership of East Germany.
Nikita Khrushchev
Speaking about mass emigration of qualified specialists, intelligentsia, and young generation of skilled workers, technicians, scientists and other promising intelligentsia attracted by better standards of life and opportunities in capitalist states, Walter Ulbricht, head of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and the Soviet zone of Germany also shared Khrushchev’s apprehensions.
Walter Ulbricht
Rising Tensions and the Decision
The event that was to lead to the erection of the wall was the Vienna Summit that was held in June 1961. At the time, Khrushchev advocated on how he will bar the East Germans from emigrating to the western part. Fueled by this support, Ulbricht felt the need to build an actual barrier amid feeling the existential threat from the East.
A Sudden and Drastic Move
The decision to build the Berlin Wall was not a decision that was made just one day. In fact, it was done at a relatively fast pace. Finally, on the night of August 12/13, 1961 the construction was begun, by East German troops with the support of Soviet officers. Its initial purpose was to prohibit people’s unauthorised crossing of Sector ‘B’ dividing East and West Berlin.
The Wall Takes Shape
The first was erected in 1952 in the form of barbed wire and in 1961 it became a system that is estimated to be about 155 km. This comprised of concrete walls, watch towers, trenches meant to derail any rolling stock and the death strip. The construction was also done As to prevent any escape attempts, only almost any try to escape to the West was impossible.
The International Reaction
The occurrence as well as the construction of the new Berlin Wall shocked the world and all its population. The leaders and populace of the West criticised the actions of East German and Soviet authorities as violating human rights which served as an evidence of communism’s shortcomings.
Escaping the Wall
During several years of its existence, many east germans tried to flee across or around the berlin wall. Some attempted to build tunnels, while others tended to climb or jump over the barriers, while others resorted to flying hot air balloons and zipline. While some were able to escape others were either killed or imprisoned.
Conclusion
The decision to build the Berlin Wall was a coordinated effort between Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and East German leader Walter Ulbricht. The primary motivation behind this decision was the loss of skilled labor and a growing ideological threat to the East German regime. The construction of the wall was a drastic and dramatic measure that ultimately became a stark symbol of the Cold War. Its impact on the lives of Germans and the geopolitical landscape cannot be underestimated.
Table of Contents
