In 1961 the Berlin Wall, built when the capital city of Berlin was sliced in half, served not only to separate the city but also symbolized the world split by the Cold War into east and west blocs. The construction (and reactions to) its existence depended in large part upon the Soviet Union, as the de facto leader of the Eastern bloc behind the Iron Curtain.

The Soviet Motivation

Politically and strategically inspired, the Soviet Union decided to erect the Berlin Wall. Here are some key aspects of the Soviet motivation:

The East German refugee crisis: Before construction of the wall, East Germany was losing people in droves, the number swelling to thousands who crowded into West Germany through Berlin. They saw this as a threat to their influence in East Germany and wanted to stop the mass exodus.

Preserving communism in Eastern Europe: The wall was a physical barrier to keep people in Russia and the Eastern bloc from fleeing into the West to get exposed to Western ideas and capitalism; the Soviet Union wanted to prevent that.

Show of strength: This helped the Soviet Union to put down its control over east Germany and make it feel to the Western world that it was prepared to do something to ensure its interests.

Immediate Soviet Reaction

Confusion and concern reigned immediately after the Berlin Wall went up overnight, East Berliners as well as West Berliners. Immediately after the wall had been erected, the Soviet Union fully supported the wall, stating it was completely necessary for stability in the region. Some key reactions include:

Soviet press coverage: The Soviets featured the building of the wall as a way of safeguarding East Germany against Western aggression. They came out about how the wall provides a means of peace and stability for the people of the region.

Border reinforcement: Soviet troops helped by reinforcing the border (sending more military in and equipment to the wall to make it stronger). It furthered demonstrated Soviet Union’s commitment to the project.

International response: Most Europeans, at first with one exception, were against the construction of the wall. But the Soviet Union endorsed those actions and accused the West of setting the stage for hostility in Berlin.

Long-Term Impact

Far more than other walls built in Europe at this time, the Berlin Wall set in motion developments in East-West relations and in the overall Soviet image on the international scene. Some noteworthy long-term impacts include:

Heightened tensions: The question is, the wall served to magnify the ideological clash between the East and the West, the two blocs of Europe, and caused a division between Europe and a rising of the Cold War.

Escape attempts and tragedies: Hundreds of East Berliners tried over the years to escape, often to put their lives at risk. These attempts to get across the wall would bring international attention, increase public sympathy for those living under Stalinist control.

Soviet isolation: Just the existence of the Berlin wall underscored the restrictive nature of the Eastern bloc, and made the Soviet Union look like an oppressor, and isolate physically and diplomatically from the Western World.

End of the wall: The 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall was the defining moment of the 20th century; the end of the Soviet suppression in Eastern Europe, and the road to German unification.

Conclusion

Politically, and to reinforce itself in Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall was a Soviet Union reaction. The wall was a means needed to maintain control over East Germany and thereby prevent a spread of Western ideals. First, the wall fulfilled its own self imposed objectives but ultimately backfired, igniting tension, isolation and the eventual wall’s own demise.