In reference
The historical turning point was the collapse sign of Berlin Wall in November 9, 1989. During the Cold War there was a wall that split Berlin physically between East Germany and West Germany. This fall brought outpolitical, social and economical changes not only in Germany, but as well as throughout the world.
Background of History
Knowing the historical context of Germany following World War II helps one to see why the Berlin Wall fell apart. Four occupation zones under Allied control—the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France—were separated out of Germany following World War II. Berlin, contained in the Soviet zone, was partitioned into four sectors.
Tensions between the Western nations and the Soviet Union kept growing until the Cold War came about. Whereas the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was established in 1949, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was first established as a Soviet satellite state. The creation of the Berlin Wall finally derives from the ideological differences between these two German republics.
Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was constructed by East Germany’s government to prevent its citizens from fleeing for West Germany. Constructed over August 13, 1961, the Wall became a formidable physical barrier with guard towers, electrified gates, and checkpoints. Families broke apart, and over night many East Germans were cut off from friends and loved ones.
In terms of the Cold War, the Wall represented the split separating Western democracy from Soviet communism. It was a sobering reminder of the ideological differences and power struggle that marinated the world during the Cold War.
Contributors to Berlin Wall Fall Internal Pressures
One of the key factors bringing down the Berlin Wall was growing discontent among East German residents. The restrictions on liberties, rationing of products, and constant monitoring of the communist government bred frustration and anger. People started thus demanding change and organising peaceful protests.
Gathering thousands of people, the peace prayers said in Leipzig proved to be turning point. Along with growing social unrest, these protests seriously tax the East German government to satisfy demands for increased personal freedoms and political reform.
Financial Challenge
East German economy was failing, and living standards between East and West Germany were separating somewhat widely. East Germans had limited access to consumer goods and lacked financial possibility. Their urge for change was even more aroused by seeing the richness and better standard of living in West Germany through television and radio.
East Germany’s economic woes contrasted sharply with the more affluent West Germany, which demoralised the population and drove many to search for a better life all around the Wall.
Gorbachev’s changes
Great part of the breakdown of the Berlin Wall also resulted from the activities of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Aiming to modernise the Soviet Union and support transparency, Gorbachev’s reforms—known as perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost—openness—aimed
Particularly East Germany, Gorbachev’s reforms fundamentally transformed the geopolitical environment. His emphasis on political transparency and reform inadvertently motivated East Germans’ aspirations for more political freedom and democratic changes.
The fall of the Soviet Union
Furthermore contributing to the fall of the Berlin Wall was the declining strength and influence of the Soviet Union. Severe political and financial difficulties the Soviet Union was facing made it more and more difficult to keep control over its satellite nations.
Several Soviet satellite governments, including Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, began advocating democratic changes and separating from Soviet control in the late 1980s. These developments undermined the hold of communist governments in Eastern Europe together with the major changes occurring inside the Soviet Union.
The Fall and Its Reiteration
Following weeks of increasing pressure, East German officials said on November 9, 1989, that anyone could pass across the Wall free-will. East Germans flooded the checkpoints, and overwhelmed by the overwhelming count of people, the border guards finally opened the gates.
Germany entered a new age when the Berlin Wall fell apart. The Cold War came to an end on October 3, 1990, when East and West Germany were reunited, therefore opening the path for a unified Germany.
At last
The fall of the Berlin Wall combined internal and external demands. When the Wall fell, the East German people’s will for transformation met political climate under Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership coupled with economic difficulties. It was a giant step toward Germany’s reunification, as well as victory of freedom over tyranny.
The fall of the Berlin Wall remains a still moving reminder of the strength of men and the way one person can change history.
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