The real thing in question were the Berlin Wall – a physical structure that split the city of Berlin in contemporary Germany from 1961 through to 1989. Built by the German Democratic Republic or the East Germany it was rather demonstrative of the ideological and political hostility between East and the West – the Soviet dominated Eastern Bloc and the America, Britain and other nations led Western Bloc. Learn about the history of the Berlin Wall including its construction and dismantling, and find out how this divided the Germany’s and affected the rest of the world.

The Historical Background

The Aftermath of World War II

Germany was divided into four districts occupied by the USSR, the United States, Great Britain and France after the victory in the Second World War. Berlin, as the capital city, situated in the Soviet Zone of occupation, was also partitioned into four sectors even though it lay within Soviet area. This paper will explain how these ideological tensions between the former Allies grew to create animosity and provided the basis for the erecting of the Berlin Wall.

This article makes an emphasis on the formation of East and West Germany after World War II.

In 1949 two German states were formed referred to as the Federal Republic of Germany, commonly known as West Germany and the German Democratic Republic commonly known as East Germany. West Germany was a capitalist country belonging to the western bloc while east Germany became a socialist country owned by Soviet Union. Due to different political structures the processes in the two German states increased the gap between them and contributed to the building of the ‘Wall’.

The construction of ‘The Wall’ in Berlin is said to have effectively brought the Cold War into the heart of central Europe with devastating consequences as will be discussed in this paper.

The Aim of the Wall

Generally, the main purpose of constructing the Berlin Wall was to prevent people from crossing border from East Germany to West Germany only as citizens of the Eastern Bloc were flee to gain better pay, political liberty and to get rid of the inhumanity treatment from their government. The government of East Germany saw this as a problem to their socialist regime as it meant they were losing the brains of their nation as well as capital investment.

The Construction Process

On August 12, 1961, border guards of the German Democratic Republic started construction of the barrier at the order of East German government in the middle of the city of Berlin. The facility basic containment included barb-wired fence around it, but they added concrete walls and watchtowers to limit, and in some cases prevent, escapes. The border fortifications stretched roughly around 97 miles or 156 kilometers around West Berlin proper making West Berlin an enclave within East Germany.

Berlin Wall Structure

First, the Berlin Wall had two borders; and the space in between was called the “death strip.” This “death strip” was lined with trenches filled with anti-vehicle obstacles, mine fields that were wired to trip gun emplacements, and patrolled by guards in towers illuminated by searchlights. This was because the wall and was surrounded by deep trenches, and very heavily armed guards; so it was very dangerous for anyone to attempt a cross-over.

The Impact of the Berlin Wall

Losses in Human Lives and Individual Testimonies

The Berlin Wall was constructed in a way that it had a great & unimaginable hurt on families and friends who were split apart. A majority of east Germans got separated from their families and they literally had no way of contacting or getting to the other side. This wall symbolised all the barriers and repression which plagued that nation.

Restriction of Liberty and Spyage

The Berlin Wall greatly reduced the liberty of the actual inhabitants of East Germany as they had become a society watch over by the Stasi that is, secret police. Because escape attempts would be severely punished, self-censorship became rampant, and political repression ensued throughout the country.

The Catalyst for Change: Fall of the Berlin Wall

At the end of the cold war Eastern Europe experienced political and social transformations. The East Germans were beginning to revolt against their government and demanding freedom and when the government was unable to cope anymore it allowed the people of East Germany to be free to go to west Germany. People’s anger eventually got the better part of them especially when on November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall was broken opening the flood gates to the joyous spirit of a reunified Germany and the gradual end of the Cold War.

Conclusion

The raising and the demolition of the Berlin Wall are the vivid examples of a political system’s collision between theories and human rights and freedom. Wall greatly contributed in writing the history of Germany and remained symbolic regard for the virtue of struggling spirit in defiance of tyranny. In recent years, some symbols of the division have managed to survive and are used as a symbol of the necessity in people’s unity, their peaceful collaboration.