One of the most ironic reminders of the Cold War was the Berlin Wall a physical barrier that represented an ideological clash that lasted almost 30 years. It was not erected overnight as an impulsive decision but was the result of years of growing tension, political jostling and a panicked effort by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) to plug a tremendous leakage of its population. The history of the creation of the wall is impossible to imagine without entering into the complicated geopolitical situation in Germany after the second world war and the bitter reality of a divided city. It will be a journey to discover the many-faceted causes of this notorious dividing wall, focusing on people, circumstances, and interests that prompted its creation.
The Division of Germany and Berlin after the War
The post World War II Germany was split into four occupation zones which were governed by the Allied powers, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. This confrontation followed the ideological conflict between the capitalist West and the communist East. Berlin, situated far inside the Soviet zone, was also subdivided into four sectors, which portrayed the influence of the occupying powers. Nevertheless, the partition of Berlin, unlike the rest of Germany, offered peculiar problems and weaknesses, which preconditioned the further confrontation.

East and West Berlin had great differences economically. The West Berlin backed by the Western Allies thrived economically with a vibrant capitalist economy and the access to the Western resources. East Berlin, controlled by the Soviets, on the other hand did not fare well with a centrally planned economy resulting in good shortages and a decrease in the standard of living. Such a sharp contrast contributed to the dissatisfaction of the East Berliners, as many of them wanted to find opportunities and freedom in the West.
The East to West Brain Drain
It was not only the economic difference that was making East Berliners go west. The call of freedom and democracy of the West Berlin was too strong to ignore. The individuals would cross the border at the risk of their lives and more so by using very fancy means of escapes. This permanent “brain leakage” of skilled workers and intellectuals endangered the very existence of the GDR, since it worsened the existing economic problems and allowed the regime to lose its legitimacy

The trickle of refugees was not only an economic issue to the GDR, but a major political concern to the communist government. Each deflector represented the failure of the East German government to take care of its people and a living evidence of the excellence of the Western model. This brain drain hence posed a big challenge to the communist party hold on power.
The Role of the Soviet Union and the Tension That Grew Larger and Larger
The Soviet Union has dramatically influenced events that precipitated the building of the wall. Fearing the defection of its citizens and the possibility of the further destabilization of the situation, the USSR put more and more pressure on the GDR demanding that it should do something. The stream of refugees was considered by Moscow as a direct contestation to its power and endangerment of its communist idea.
Berlin was not the only place where the increasing tension between the East and West was felt. The Cold War was in full swing with its characteristics being an ever-growing arms race, proxy wars and the confrontation of ideas. In the very center of this confrontation Berlin found itself one of the epicenters of this conflict, a miniature of the East-West conflict. The peculiar location of the city turned it into a very symbolic battlefield.
The crisis of 1961 in Berlin and the resolution to construct
By 1961, the flight out of East Berlin was at a crisis pitch. The GDR government, pressed by the Soviet Union, understood that it could no longer afford to passively observe how its population is shrinking. The construction of the wall was not made over night and it was considered as a harsh yet necessary step in order to keep the order and save the communistic regime.
The wall was built very quickly and violently. Barbed wire fences were put up overnight and families and communities were divided. Over the next few months, that wall was reinforced and made into a well-guarded barrier, with watchtowers, guard dogs and a minefield. Such a radical measure emphasized the desperation of the GDR and the desire of the Soviet Union to keep its sphere of influence under control.
The Berlin Wall: divided and oppressed
The walled boundary around Berlin came to serve as a powerful icon of the Cold War, one that came to signify not simply the partitioning of Germany, but the ideological split between the East and the West. It was a very grim reminder of how repressive the communist regime in East Germany was and how restricted the citizens of the country were.
The presence of the wall also represented the overall international political situation. The failure of the Allied powers to agree on a peaceful solution about the status of Berlin and Germany served to underline the extremes that divided them and the dangers of escalation the Cold war represented. The building of the wall cemented the partition of Germany and assisted in the tensions that were constantly growing between the superpowers.

The Berlin wall legacy
In 1989 the falling down of the Berlin wall eventually led to the turning point of the cold war and brought the era of the most dramatic change in Eastern Europe yet. Its destruction became the symbol of the demolition of communist reign in a major part of the world and the victory of democracy and liberty.

The wall ruins remain as a strong reminder of a shady part of history, a monument to the price of segregation and repression. The analysis of how the wall was built presents a priceless understanding of how the Cold War worked, what totalitarian governments are, and how human strength and stubbornness could battle against all odds. It is a warning and a reminder of why freedom is important and why untrammeled power is to be feared.

To sum up, the creation of the Berlin Wall was a multifaceted process that was caused by a set of intertwined factors such as economic differences, political games, and the fundamental contradictions of the Cold War. It was the desperate effort of the GDR to stop the bleeding of its citizens and the support of the Soviet Union which finally resulted in the building of this notorious barrier. Its heritage still influences how we perceive the Cold War and the significance of cooperation between countries and human rights.

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