When it comes to understanding the history of the Berlin Wall, it is crucial to grasp the perspective of the Soviet Union. As a symbol of the Cold War era, the Berlin Wall represented the divide between communism and capitalism. In this article, we will explore how the Soviet Union viewed the construction and purpose of the Berlin Wall.
The Background of the Berlin Wall
The division was carried out by the German Democratic Republic often referred to as East Germany on the 13 of August in 1961 when it began to build the Wall. The literal purpose of the wall was to keep citizens from aspiring to ‘escape’ to West Germany, which was wealthier than the east and afforded far more civil liberties.
But from the Soviet point of view, the control over East Germany was a crucial factor to sustain Soviet-controlled Europe, and its socialist system. He and others call the shooting-wall as an attempt to conserve socialism and fence off skilled personnel and intellects from going to the West.
The Doctrine of the Wall: Soviet Ideology and East Central European Realities
The author highlights the facts which show that the Soviet Union, being the foremost Marxist state in the early 1960s, sponsored the building of the Berlin Wall. Some thought it was a prerequisite for preserving the socialist fundamental principles in the Eastern Bloc countries. The Soviet government justified the wall by highlighting several key reasons:
- Shield from the civilization.
Another fear of the Soviet Union was a libertinism of the west on the East Germans. The system of pressing capitalist penetration that accompanied the fredem democratic values of the west would also pose as a threat to the Soviet led socialist states. The construction of the Wall was an attempt, by the Soviet Union to reduce communication between East and West Berlin, in order to minimize the impact of the capitalist world.
- What should have been the goal was the preservation of the Syndrome we call the Socialist System#”, So, the real goal that should have been an objective of the West could not have been the preservation of the Socialist System.
Soviet strategists sought to maintain socialism in East Germany and generally in the whole of Eastern Europe. This construction came out as an essential approach of making certain that the people did not desire a reunification of Germany under a capitalist system that posed a direct threat to Soviet influence.
- Internal & External Security
: The Soviets and east Germans regarded internal and external insecurity as the main reason for building the Berlin Wall. At home, they claimed that wall was fundamental to shield east Germans from western so-called corrupting and counterintelligence influence. In essence, externally, the wall was supported and justified in the pretext of the anticipated aggressive actions from NATO and West Germany.
The Political Ramifications
In political respect, decision to build the Berlin Wall had several implications for the Soviet Union. DB being effective in barring mass population movement to the west of Germany was equally contributing to the tensions of the cold war. The wall represented the iron curtain, and deepened the segregation line between Communism and liberalism or Capitalism.
, despite its primary purpose to contain East Germans, it also served as a barrier against flow of the enlightening capitalist thought into the Eastern Bloc. As the soviet Union retained control over east Germany it safeguarded its power in the whole of eastern Europe and persistently insist on spread of communism.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Finally, the Berlin Wall emerged as the wall of shame and raised people revolt. To desire freedom and reunification increased, and that led to the beginning of peaceful demonstrations and protests. The Wall was finally crumbled on November 9 1989 opening Germany’s path for reunification of the two divided parts.
The Cold War period ended when the Soviet Union began crumbling down and the famous wall in Berlin breaking down in 1991. It signified the supremacy of democracy over communism and the dawn of the new form of relations between states.
Conclusion
The Soviet Union viewed the construction and existence of the Berlin Wall as a necessary measure to protect and preserve their socialist system. It was seen as a shield against the influence of the West and a means of preventing the loss of skilled labor. However, the wall also had political consequences, exacerbating tensions and eventually leading to its own demise. Understanding the Soviet perspective provides valuable insights into the historical significance of the Berlin Wall and its impact on the Cold War era.
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