The Wall, which was built in Berlin in 1961 separates East from west Germany during the World War II. Although the wall was familiar and vilified, many listeners ask themselves whether the West acted provocatively to dismantle the structure. This paper aims at analyzing the problems of the West’s reaction to the Berlin Wall effectively and the reasons why this reaction took place.
The Cold War and Superpower Relations
They said that Cold War was a time of global rivalry between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. After the Second World War Germany was partitioned into four zones; the American zone the British zone the French zone and the Soviet zone. The western democracies built up this tension with the Soviet Union ideologically which led to the creation of Iron Curtain and the thus building of the Berlin Wall.
Indeed, at the time both the United States as well as the Soviet Union had amassed stock piles of Nuclear weapons hence the envisaged situation known as Armys’une Pays or “Mutually Assured Destruction”. Provoking an intensification of the cold war in Berlin might have led to an outbreak of war between the superpowers in the world leading to a nuclear catastrophe.
1. Geostrategic Considerations
The placement of Berlin Wall had several considerations from the strategic point of view. In geographical terms West Berlin was a ghetto in East Germany only several hundred kilometers from the Soviet Union’s capital – Moscow. The potential cost of militarily confronting the Soviet Union directly on their own front porch were high.
Moreover, West Berlin became the sign of the capitalist triumph and East German people came there trying to free themselves from the oppressions of the socialist regime. The western countries did not want to end up provoking Beijing to creativity or even martial law in order to check how the resistance against the wall was faring.
2. Preservation of Long-Term Objectives
That the existence of the wall was a symbol of the split is beyond doubt but western leaders had long term agendas to protect. The USA and its allies wanted to preserve the freedom of West Germany; they did not want to directly effect a regime change, but rather to wait for the changes from within to take place in the Eastern Bloc.
Militarily over powering the Soviet Union to bring down the wall could have tipped the scales on these goals. Power and political pressure, together with economic aid, were considered as more effective and sustainable solution to put pressure on changes as well as to promote the goal of German reunification.
The Role of Diplomacy and Engagement
Despite this, instead of a military format Western countries used diplomatic approach and conducted negotiations with the Soviet Union and East Germany over the years. This strategy was meant to keep things going in order to encourage peaceful settlements.
1. Ostpolitik and Détente
West Germany in the early 1970 was formalizing a foreign policy also known as Ostpolitik which sought to make dealings with East Germany as well as rest of the eastern Europe neighborhood. It contributed to opening of relations between the two countries and enabled them to start talks on the political level.
At the same time, the policy of détente, which covered the time of relative easing of confrontation between the USA and the USSR, provided for negotiations on a number of matters, including arms control, human rights, that affected the state of affairs in Berlin indirectly.
2. Economic Interdependence
Other western countries also used economic interdependence as a tool which can bring change. Engaging Eastern Europe in economic relations, especially in trade and economic cooperation, the West expected real political liberalization and reforms at some moment.
For example, through GATT, the ‘western powers encouraged the East Germany to come over by offering them the freedom of trade. This economic interaction stimulated the economy of the Eastern Bloc countries and may have, with time facilitated political change.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall and Lessons Learned
This paper focuses on major incidents that contributed to the breakdown of the wall in November 1989. These are, mass protests, shift in Soviet regime, and internal pressure that led to the opening of the wall on 9th of November. Germany’s reunification came shortly after.
It is important to enhance the role of human rights and freedom but at the same time concentrate and pay attention to the geopolitical factors and maintenance of the future aims. The West failed to actively participate in dismantling the wall, however they contributed to the major planning of events that led to the fall of the wall.
It is important to understand that all decisions made during the Cold War had many layers, with long term effects. The examination of the reaction to the construction of the Berlin Wall can also enlighten the reader on what was experienced and the balance of power between the two world superpowers.
Consequently, the West did not use force, especially armed force to bring down the Berlin Wall because of geostrategic concerns, prolonged goals, and during transit, policies of diplomacy and engagement. The failure of the Berlin Wall was shown that people’s actions, diplomacy, diplomacy, cooperation can become truly effective levers to influence change and unite around common goals.
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