The implication of constructing the Berlin Wall is a historical event relating to Germany as well as East and West division all through the cold war between the Soviet Union and the Western countries. In order to understand how the Berlin Wall emerged and evolved, it is necessary to turn to the factors that paved to the wall’s construction and actions of the Soviet Union.
The Background: The Cold War and Germany’s Division
As a result of Germany’s loss in the Second World War the allies which include USA, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France partitioned the country into four zones of occupation. Its purpose was to promote the reconstruction process and to guarantee that the post-war Germany will be a country with no military forces.
However, political and ideological differences emerged between the Soviet Union and the other Allies soon enough. While the Western Allies were more focused on rebuilding Germany’s economy and fostering democracy in the country the Soviet Union wanted to impose its socialist system on Germany and dominate the Eastern European countries.
They opened up the new division between two different German states – the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as the West Germany and the German Democratic Republic or East Germany. Berlin which was a city located well within the sphere of the Soviet influence was also split into East and West Berlin.
The Decision to Build the Berlin Wall
Following the intensification of Cold War conflicts, the East Germans started emigrating to the West Germany affiliated with political freedom and better standards of living. This mass migrations seem to have brought a lot of dangers to the socialist system which was created in east Germany by the Soviet Union.
Due to the rising rate, the Soviet Union and East Germany chose to build a physical barrier in order to curb the number of defectors. In front of camouflaging itself as something noble, was the objective of guarding east Germany against what it called ‘fascist elements’ in the West to stop them from destabilizing the socialist government and ideals.
Mechanisms and Construction
The night of August 12 th was chosen to initiate the construction of the Berlin Wall and they did so secretly. Thus, overnight the two parts of Berlin were split by barbed wire fences. This first obstacle was later complemented by a more massive and ostentatious barrier.
The wall itself was about 155 kilometers (96 miles) long and encircled West Berlin from east to south. It consisted of multiple elements:
- The most critical component of the Berlin Wall was concrete walls that had a standard height of 3.6 meters and a width of 0.7 meters.
- A number of sentry towers were built along the wall to ensure theпаEscape: The wall had many towers for the purpose of monitoring anyone trying to flee.
- Anti-Vehicle Trenches: Normally, there were anti-vehicle trenches around the wall and thus movement into the barrier was put as a challenge for any form of vehicle.
- Barbed Wire: To complete the outlook of the yard and discourage many prisoners from fleeing, the wall was enclosed with barbed wire.
- The territory between the inner and outer barrier was known as the death strip, in which there were installations like tripwires, alarms, dogs, etc.
- This remained the position for many years as the building proceedures and more additions were made to strengthen the border. The final mechanism of the wall became very sophisticated such that there was no way of getting close or escaping from the wall.
Consequences and the Fall of the Wall
The Berlin Wall had been constructed as an actual and metaphorical divide between East and West Berlin for almost three decades. Thus, communities were separated and numerous people died trying to get between these two zones.
However, the state of affairs in the course of centuries has changed gradually. By the turbulences in the political backgrounds and social upheavals in Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall came crumbling down on November 9, 1989, consequent to the heavy protests demanding major changes in the east German policy and more importantly the right to travel to the west.
The demolition of the Berlin Wall was eventful in history since it signified division of Germany for several decades before the two Germany reunited in 1990.
Legacy and Lessons Learned
The construction and subsequent fall of the Berlin Wall serve as a powerful reminder of the consequences of political division. Such a wall constructed to thwart freedom and circulation proved to the audience the dictatorship’s excesses that they were willing to employ to secure power and quell opposition.
Today, only few pieces of the Berlin Wall can be seen as a testimony to the world and the tragedy which happened in the past and which showed people the fact that nobody should be divided.
Table of Contents