Introduction

In this blog post, we will read the reaction of the USSR (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) about the building of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. In the early 1960s, West Berlin was divided from East Berlin by a very real physical barrier, the Berlin Wall, which was erected with East German approval, with the approval of the Soviet Union. It fractured families, friends and a city and had massive political, economic and social consequences. So let’s look at how the USSR and its role played in the creation of the Berlin Wall.

1. Immediate public statements

When the Berlin Wall started to go up the USSR publicly confirmed and backed up East Germany. The justification for construction was that it was a necessary response to Western provocation, that it was indeed protecting East German citizens from imperialism and espionage.

2. Reinforcing Cold War tensions

The situation was already tense when the Berlin Wall was built. For the USSR, the wall was a symbol of its authority and control of East Germany, a way of separating the peoples so they couldn’t stray too far east as they walked. By approving the construction, the USSR showed its desire to preserve the unity of the Eastern Bloc and prevent the penetration of Western influence.

3. The wall using propaganda as the justification.

The USSR, andEast Germany, especially, for example, used heavy propaganda to justify the building of the Berlin Wall. It had propagated the story that the wall was to protect the socialist achievements of East Germany, for the stability of the social order, for the socialists ideological propaganda. The propaganda they to use in order to keep the East German populace on board and further drive home the notion that the wall was for their benefit.

4. Diplomatic implications

The Berlin Wall building had diplomatic impacts on USSR. The wall strained relations with the Western powers of which the most vehement opposed was the United States which considered the wall to constitute a violation to human rights and freedom. By Strengthening the wall, it became a highly visible symbol of the divided Cold war world which only exacerbated tensions and also help turn Europe north into a ‘iron curtain’ that wove an ever increasing iron curtain between east and west.

5. Exercise of control over movement between East and West Berlin.

It was through its influence over East Germany, and as head of the USSR, that it caused a key point of control over East to West movement between Berlin. They very tightly controlled borders, strengthened the wall and placed guards to stop unwanted crossings. Under the guidance and assistance of the USSR, the Stasi — East Germany’s secret police — also kept a close eye on citizens and ensured strict border controls.

6. The response of USSR to the attempts to break the wall

The East German attempts to breach the wall drew the support of the USSR. In that same vein, they were allowed to use deadly force to prevent people trying to escape to West Berlin, which led to tragic, cases of people dying when using this freedom.

Conclusion

During the Cold War, the USSR did very much in constructing and keeping the Berlin Wall working. Publicly, they endorsed the wall; used propaganda to make it acceptable; and controlled travel between the divided city. This was a time of deep divide between East and West that the wall represented, and a physical stand between the foreign ideologies was finally brought down after many years.