The Berlin Wall was a tangible symbol of the Cold War division between East and West Germany that stood for nearly three decades. Its demolition, on November 9, 1989, marked a significant turning point in world history. The fall of the Berlin Wall was an event that brought joy and excitement to the German people and freedom to those living in the Eastern Bloc.
The Construction of the Berlin Wall
To appreciate the results of Berlin Wall demolition it is first very important to know why and how the wall was constructed at the first instance. Following World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones by the victorious Allied powers: the United States, the Soviet Union, France and the United Kingdom. Berlin was also divided between four sectors that belonged to different powers – an equal share for all four of them.
However the relations between the Soviet Union and the other three power soured and culminated in the Berlin blockade in 1948. The Soviets surrounded West Berlin and sealed all the road and water ways in an effort to make the Western nations leave the city. Consequently, the western powers started the Berlin air lift whereby they flew supplies into West Berlin for one year. They concluded that this event increased tension between East and West.
The Berlin Wall was constructed on the 13th of August in 1961. After that GDR was constructed with the help and permission of the Soviet Union to stop East Germans from migrating to the richer western part. The wall surrounded the entire perimeter of East and west Berlin, effectively separating families, friends and loved once in the process.
At first, the construction incorporated mere barbed wire and improved fencing. Although, over the years, transformed into a complex system of protective barriers, secure towers and officers armed with shots at anyones who tried to try to escape. The Berlin Wall began to represent the flop and the solidity at the Iron Curtain that severed Europe.
Stages which resulted to the fall
Thus although the erection of the Berlin Wall limited the number of escapees from East to West, it did not disappear the freedom of the East Germans. Leading up to the end of East Germany, the populace of the nation was demanding change from the government.
The civil unrest came in the late 1980s across the Eastern Europe; people yearning for political and economic liberty. These movements led to the collapse of communism in other countries including Poland and Hungary.
The GDR authorities planned and scheduled a press conference for November 9, 1989 to propagate a relaxation of the travel regulations. However, because there was confusion and misunderstanding within the government, the spokesperson was left to announce in the hope that the border had been opened immediately. It prompted crowds to gather around the Checkpoint in the Berlin Wall.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Many thousand of East Germans came to the border checks and since the guards did not know how to proceed they opened the border for the people. Initially people tentatively moved through the checkpoints, not being sure if this was not only temporary and if the restrictions would not return the next day.
But soon they became a crowd that could not be stopped and the Berlin Wall fell by popular demand. When people started digging the wall with hammers and picks as well as using bare hands. This event astounded the entire world, and pictures of joyous celebrations showing people taking a stand on the wall spread except for East Germany.
The collapse meant the end of division of East and West Germany’s and it was delight for world as it came after the long cold war period. The subsequent break-up of the Soviet Union shortly afterwards only served the seal this epochal change in the structure of the world power system.
The Aftermath and Reunification of Germany
The breakdown of the Berlin Wall signalled the end of a divided Germany and formed the backdrop of the actual reunification of the German states, which came into effect on the 3 rd of October 1990. The reunification is about the uniting of two German states into one and the new united capital is Berlin.
Restoration of the nation after the years of bifurcation embodied lots of difficulties, for example, an economic divide, social inclusion, and political realignment. However the reunification was a key point in optimistic view for the German people.
Today the scraps of the Berlin Wall can still be seen as a testimony of the calamitous history of the city. The piece of wall that is today painted in freedom-themed graffiti is called the East Side Gallery that symbolizes victory over oppression. It plays the role of identity, strength and the value of memorizing the past.
Conclusion
The fall of the Berlin Wall was an extraordinary event that reshaped the course of history. Its demise represented not only the reunification of Germany but also the end of the Cold War and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.
This momentous event serves as a poignant reminder that freedom, unity, and the determination of the people have the power to overcome even the most imposing barriers. The fall of the Berlin Wall is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the universal yearning for liberty.
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