For twenty-eight years, until 1989, the sense of separation was given physical form by the Berlin Wall. In the course of the cold war, the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany as it was known erracted one in form of the Iron Curtain. It had ultimately served as a barrier to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany but it also created an absolute division between the political systems, economy and outlook of the two parts.
However, how did the western world, so wrapped up in civil rights and freedom, feel about such oppressive system that confined freedom of its citizens? Let us look at the different perspectives and reaction in more detail.
The Background of the Cold War
Soviet Union and its allies in the eastern Europe in the west regarded the construction of the barbed wire barricade in Berlin was a sign. The actual tape was perceived as the metaphor for the ideological cleavage between the East and the West while stressing the differences in political orientations and structures.
For the US and all its allies in Western Europe the wall was a defensive strategy employed by the Soviet Union to ensure that east Germans intellectuals, skill workers and dissidents do not flock to the western which was more open and richer. Real intentions were placed under doubt and perceived as tyranny when deriving the Soviet Union as an authoritarian government.
Western Countries’ Reaction
Western nations had a range of responses to the Berlin Wall:
Shock and fury: Most people were surprised when the wall was built in 1961 owing to what it generated among them being shock and anger. President of the US, John F. Kennedy and other western leaders strongly condemned the wall as a human right violation.
During the Cold War, Berlin Wall became a symbol of the bipolar world with Soviet communism against Western democracy. It focused on the political and warfare systems that expressed the cold war period.
Support for West Berlin: The west supported West Berlin, which was located farther inside the eastern part of Germany. For instance, the US, responded to the Soviet blockade by staging something called the Berlin Airlift and later gave the assurance that it would never abandon the incapacitated city of West Berlin.
Constant Monitoring: Because the Soviet Union and East Germany intended to use it as a tool to crackdown on anyone who sought to flee to West Germany, west intelligence agencies had keen interested in tracking the Berlin Wall. The surveillance generated crucial new information on political and military affairs throughout the Eastern Bloc.
The cultures affected by the education and subsequent impact of the propaganda which in result the.
The West was significantly impacted by the Berlin Wall’s propaganda and culture. Here are a few crucial elements:
Media Coverage: Construction of the wall together with its regular maintenance was a subject of discussions all across the globe. Due to the reaction of numerous news outlets, the world saw East Germany as a strict state and learned the truth about life in a divided city.
Escape Attempts: Much as stories of attempted great escapes emerged, the Wall triggered excitement and awe in the West. Many of these stories were told by the Western media as the acts of defiance and liberation from communism.
Freedom Symbols: The Wall was one of the severe signs of the injustice which the people under communism regime had to face. The election itself became a highlight for the western politicians, thinkers, and activists, who wanted to put an emphasis on freedom and democracy matters.
Artistic Expression: Thanks to beautiful drawings and painting, people from different countries drew on the Berlin Wall their point of view. Besides helping to articulate the desiring for the wall’s eradication, this kind of art made the wall to gain more cultural significance.
The Berlin Wall’s collapse
A major turning point in history, the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, was celebrated widely. This event was viewed by the West as a victory of democracy and freedom over communism. It represented the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany.
It is crucial to remember, nevertheless, that opinions and responses differed amongst people and nations. Although there was a general feeling of happiness and hope in the West, other people were worried about the difficulties that would arise from reunification.
To sum up
During the Cold War, the Berlin Wall served as both a tangible barrier and a potent symbol of the division between the East and the West. It acted as a continual reminder to Westerners of the oppression endured by people living under communist control. The wall’s reputation as a Cold War icon was strengthened by the Western nations’ shock, indignation, and sympathy for West Berlin.
The wall’s significance in Western minds was further cemented by media coverage, escape attempts, artistic expression, and the wall’s final collapse. Germany was reunited with the fall of the Berlin Wall, which was regarded as a turning point in the fight for freedom and democracy.
Even though the Berlin Wall is no longer in existence, its influence on the world and the lessons it imparted about unity and division are still relevant today.
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