UNITED STATES HISTORY UNIT TWO: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE COLD WAR
Cold War which began in 1947 up to 1991 this was a political relation tension between two most powerful nations globally; United States and Soviet Union. However, there was no direct warfare between them, but it was a highly charged political period of military rivalry and economic and political rivalry as well as ideological opposing.
The Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built in the course of the Cold War on August 13, 1961. It was a division that physically divided East Berlin under the rule of Soviets and West Berlin that had the Americans, Britons and French occupying it. Both sides also had concrete segments, watchtowers, guardhouses, barbed wire fences and there was no man’s land after the wall.
Motivation of the construction of the Berlin Wall
The construction of the Berlin Wall aimed at solving many problems of the Soviet Union in East Germany. One of the major points was tha the number of East Germans migrating to West Germany through Berlin was enormous. Between 1949 and 1961, more than 2,700,000 people moved from East Germany to that of West Germany which in effect resulted to mass, and especially qualified out flow which had a negative impact on the East German economy. Constructed in order to prevent this migration was the wall.
The Impact on Berliners
This work will show how the construction of this structure known as the Berlin Wall affected the lives of Berliners. Close ones where divided and people could not travel back and forth from one side to the other without a permit. It also resulted into a clear split of the city in terms of physical and ideological manifestation.
The Significance of the Berlin Wall
Apart from the physical structure the Berlin Wall transformed into a symbolic barrier between communism and capitalist worlds. It symbolised the Iron Curtain, about which Winston Churchill once spoke in 1946. It symbolized the division of communism and the period non-Communist world.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
It took almost thirty years for the two walls to come crashing down in Berlin and the first one fell on November 9, 1989. This fall marked the end of the cold war period and brought a massive movement for reunification throughout German citizens. The date of unifying two Germany’s were on October 3, 1990.
The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall bears testations of the evils and challenges that were observed during the Cold War. Today, parts of the Berlin wall exist only as wall memorials and museums; however, the last stretch of the Wall that is painted running from the East Side Gallery is adorned with paintings of freedom, hope and unity of people.
Hybridity as a concept and cautionary notes regarding Lessons Learned and their enduring relevance
Political ideologies for years played a significant role in shaping people lives and that certain countries were prepared to build walls that separated families in order to further their own interests. I think that everyone should remember that human beings will always long for that freedom and people, who are fighting for a better life.
Further Exploration
Even more could be said about the Berlin Wall and the Cold War, but these are the components of history that stand out at the moment. For more information on these topics there are numerous publications, movies and historical sites that explain this part of history in detail.
About the Author
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