It proved that the major events in world history have a date that will never be forgotten. It was the day when the barrier between two different worlds, the East and the West Germany in particular, the so-called the Berlin Wall. This event arbitrarily gathered a city, and it also marked the termination of the cold war and the beginning of freedom and fellowship.
It’s key is to numerically quantify the Construction of the Berlin Wall When the history of the German Democratic Republic is discussed – and the roles and contributions of all other participants in the where and when of its construction –, then it is acknowledged that Germany had indeed been unified prior to the summer of 1961 although not as the Federal Republic of Germany envisaged by Konrad Adenauer, Walter Hallstein and other leading representatives of the CDU
Begin in order to give an insight of the importance of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, it is prudent to look at the establishment of the same. After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones: American, British, French and Soviet. Berlin itself was also divided in to four districts despite being hence in Soviets dominated east Germany.
The relations between the Soviet Union and the other allies deteriorated thereby leading to further differences in the partnership between east and west Germany. Because the number of East Germans migrating to West was rising daily the Soviet-supported East German Government had to act.
The Berlin Wall was constructed starting from August, 13 1961. It was a boundary, some 96 miles in length, surrounded with checkpoints where East Berlin met West Berlin. This wall consolidated the political barrier between East Germany, which was under communism influence, and West Germany which was under a democracy.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
For almost three decades, the Berlin Wall divided the world into spectrum of East and West making it a major landmark. Yet, changes in political climate were already beginning, and more massive fissures in the structure of the communism were seen. The Soviet Union was experiencing political as well as economical fluctuations at that time.
In the late 1980s the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev, of the USSR namely Glasnost or openness, and Perestroika or restructuring meant that freedom of speech was acceptable. These reforms led to series of transformations in Eastern European countries especially in as people called for more pollical and individual freedom.
Being in the middle of East and West confrontation, Berlin could not be an exception to the changing tides happening in the continent. Large protest demonstrations prevailed in East Germany demanding the government to allow Political freedom and rejecting the current rubric polices.
The next day on November 9, 1989 on the circumstances of that day a government spokesman by error informed that people could move across borders unhampered. This unfortunate and incorrect message caused a rush of people to the checkpoints. The end was not long in coming: the overburdened border guards, not knowing how to act, opened the checkpoints.
The Aftermath of the Fall
The event symbolized the breakdown of the Berlin Wall was a critical turning point in German and the world history. It marked end of cold war and the Germany unification after the division in two parts since World War II that occurred on October 3, 1990.
After reunification, Germany faced many problems of both – political and economical nature. East German economy stagnated during communism rule and therefore various factors made integration of the two regions a daunting challenge. Of course, Germany managed to cope with these drawbacks and today Berlin is an unied capital of strong and developing country.
The tearing down of the Berlin Wall was also a victory of democracy over tyranny, liberty over enmity. It represented what the people wanted and the desire of the people to be one. The break of Berlin Wall symbolically became an example for those countries which feel suppression under the authoritarian government and were eager to initiate similar actions for the political transformation.
Conclusion
The German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic had existed side by side for decades and the Wall split families, friends and even cities in two, but finally came the collapse of the Wall itself. Its relevance is not just a wall created to split Berlin; they were the symbol of people’s desire for liberty and normal life and for reunification of Germany. At the present time, what are the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall and how are they used as a lesson for Germany and the culture of the division and unification.
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