The Berlin Wall, built by East Germany in 1961, was a physical barrier that divided the city of Berlin into two separate parts: East BERLIN; part of the Soviet bloc and West BERLIN, governed by the Allies-USA UK, and France. This wall was not only physical construction but likewise a physical representation of a divided world during the cold war. In order to assess the Soviet Union’s take on the wall it’s necessary to look at what they have done and/or said with and without the wall in mind.
The Soviet Union’s Reasoning Behind the Berlin Wall
The construction of the Berlin Wall was primarily driven by two factors: to keep east Germans from escaping to the west, and to extend the Soviet control over East Germany.
There had, since the end of the Second World War, been a huge traffic of emigrants from East Germany to West Germany. This ushered the country to a brain drain and loss of a lot of business for the East Germany. What the Soviet Union saw in this was a likely emergence of a problem regarding the existence as well as the stability of the GDR.
Soviet Union intending to demarcate the emigration of East Germans to West through physical barrier built the Berlin Wall. It also nailed its aim again to prevent citizens from trying to flee via its tightly sealed borders. On the wall was placed watch towers, razor wire and guards; this continued to hinder east Berliners from escaping.
As we know, in August 1961 the construction of the Berlin Wall began; hence, we can state certain consequences of its creation for the Soviet Union, namely, the strengthening of the authority of socialist states, the enhancement of ideological criticism toward the West, and the authoritativeness of a great tradition, as well as the development of peace, cooperation and culture between the socialist countries and the Third World.
The Impact of the Berlin Wall on the Soviet Union
The wall was symbolic to the Iron Curtain, as term coined by Winston Churchill that referred to the division of Europe as east and west separating communism from democracy. Therefore it was interpreted as an attempt to tighten control over the other countries in Eastern block by the Soviet Union.
The world especially western countries saw the wall as an act of violation of human rights of the Palestinian people. People criticized the soviet union for inhibiting people’s rights to personal freedom or right to free movement that separated families and societies. This negative perception acted as a vai to their image in the international market place.
Soviet Union’s Public Stance on the Berlin Wall
In public terms, Soviet Union could justify the building of the Wall as a matter of defense for East Germany against west aggression. He said that the West was subversive to East Germany and was endangering its socialist structure.
In official declarations the Soviet Union and the GDR also claimed that the wall was needed thus protecting East Berlin from espionage and infiltrations of the western intelligence. They also depicted themselves as custodians of their socialist systems and using the wall as a security essential to stabilise the region.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union’s Response
necessarily, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 could be counted as one of the cutting-edge events of world history. When Septembermass in East Germany got out of hand, the Soviet Union became under pressure to open the gates between East and West Berlin.
Finally, the Soviet Union chose not to do this and to let the wall be opened soon. In making this decision three factors came into play, such as political relations in the international system, the economic crisis in the Soviet Union, and most importantly the pursuit of a diplomatic measure.
1989 the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification made new power alignments possible, and with them the end of the USSR in 1991.
Conclusion
The Soviet Union’s view of the Berlin Wall was one of concern with managing the East Germany situation and make sure people do not flee. Thus, the construction of the wall achieved its two goals ,though it was detrimental to the Soviets image in the eyes of the world. Finally, to sever the unity the collapse of the Wall was the end saying and it has been followed by such dramatic consequences as the disintegration of the USSR.
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