When comparing ‘milestones’ of history, few could be compared or possibly even overshadow the powerful and meaningful symbol of the Berlin Wall. Bearing a call of the 19th century when conflicts and wars were perhaps at their high, the wall symbolised a physical and a metaphysical line: of a city, of a country and of the world. Welcome to the tale of when the Berlin Wall was built; enlightening yourself on the events, motives, and aftermath of the division’s creation.
Post-WWII Germany: A Nation Divided
The origins of the Berlin Wall can be traced back to the aftermath of World War II, when Germany was divided into four occupation zones administered by the victorious Allied powers: A list of the ally countries of world war II include; the United States, Great Britain, France and Soviet Union. Whereas the western sectors slowly evolved towards democracy and economical rebuilding, the Soviet dominated east became a desolate state which would later yield the ‘German Democratic Republic ‘GDR’.
The Construction of the Wall
The Berlin Wall was an installation that was constructed by the East Germany government as a means of separating west Berlin as part of East Germany from the rest of West Berlin which was already democratized. The official start of construction was on the night of August 12, 1961 at the order of Walter Ulbricht, the leader of East Germany.
To start with, the wall only comprised of barbed wire barriers, watch towers, and concrete hinders. However, over time it developed into a highly effective and complex structure, with brick and cement walls; electric fencing; anti-vehicle trenches and a CCTV system; watchtowers with high intensity searchlights and machine guns.
Motives Behind the Construction
We can identify certain reasons which led to the construction of the Berlin Wall. Firstly, it was used to stop thousands of East Germans from crossing the border into the much richer and freer West Germany. Since the Cold War, there has already been erosion of human capital due to the Wall that divided East and West Germany.
Moreover, the construction of the wall reminded people again that GDR is a part of the Soviet Union – the socialist country – and try to persuade other socialist countries to be more united and be strong so that no one would interfere with them. The wall also made available an instrument of the East German regime propaganda where they sustained the image of it as a protection against imperialism and fascism by West.
The Impact and Consequences
This essay is going to demonstrate, that the construction of the Berlin Wall has not only had profound impact for the people of East and West Berlin, but also on the world. People were divided by the family and many of the inhabitants of East Berlin were cut from their relatives and jobs they used to have in the West. It also severed the West Berlin from the greater territory of East Germany, which surrounded it.
Human Tragedy and Courag
The construction of this wall symbolized division, but at the same time the wall which divided families ; divided a nation became the epitome of Freedom. People tried to be creative while crossing the wall; many dies while trying to cross the wall by digging under it; while others used every little invention that they could develop including hot air balloons and zip lines among others.
Unfortunately, some of those perished while making these attempts. For 2i9 years the wall was there separating families, friends The wall came down when series of event occurred on November 9,1989 and Germans reunite.
The Fall of the Wall: A Day of Jubilation
That very night in 1989, the spokesperson for the East German government made an error and said that travel to the west has been allowed. Komitese Term : Thousands of East Berliners crossed to the checkpoint, overwhelmed guards and headed to West Berlin. Being a historical event that was destiny making it was a chance of a lifetime to prince who saw the wall coming down with the pressure exerted by the people.
In terms of public relations the fall of the Berlin Wall marks the social victory of the reunification of Germany. It was a joyful occasion which attracted the attention of the world and gave everyone a notion of human strength in the face of force.
The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall might be down but its repercussion or the effects caused by its construction are felt up to now. Except for the historical significance since it is a historical structure, it is symbolic of the evils of divisionism, tyranny, and the value of the free person. The Berlin Wall helps us learn about the victorious stories of the human spirit, as well as cooperation.
Today there is very little left of the wall and what there is has been turned into a monument which people can pay their respects to. The Berlin Wall is symbolic of human victory for freedom and should be seen as a symbol of progress after standard and unity anchored among the people.
In conclusion, the Berlin Wall is construct in 1961 by GDR to limiting the moving of people, product and capital, as well as to establish clear border between east and west Germany. It is ideological warfare and held significance to those living on both sides during the Cold War. But its collapse in 1989 is a landmark in history, as much for it is a symbol of fight of man and his rights for freedom.
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