As a result of the Cold War between East Germany and West Germany, separating the two countries on August 13, 1961, the barbed wire fence built by East Germany across the border of Berlin city overnight became the "Berlin Wall" and was created as a huge wall.
The people of Germany, who were divided not for the needs of the Germans but for the needs of the world powers, are suffering a great injustice due to this. Germany, which has been divided like this for 28 years, broke the wall again and became a country with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After the destruction of the Berlin Wall by East and West Germans on November 9, 1989, the two countries united to form a single state on October 3, 1990.
Today's article brings about the reasons that influenced the creation of the Berlin Wall, the events that took place during the time when Germany was divided by the wall, and the facts that led to the demolition of the wall. If you know more details about this, write it down in a comment.
Germany occupied by the Allies after World War II
Stalin, Truman and Churchill at the Postdam Conference (Deutsche Welle)
The four allied countries that ended the Second World War victoriously came together and divided the occupied Germany into four parts and began to control them based on the conditions agreed at the "Posdam Conference". Thus, Germany is divided into four parts by the Soviet Union, united with the western countries of England, the United States of America, and France.
The Four Separate Parts (The German Way & More)
The three Western countries hoped to create a Germany they would lead, while the Soviets hoped to gain control of Germany. Due to the Cold War between these two parties, in 1949, the three regions controlled by Western countries were united into the "Federal Republic of Germany" or West Germany, and the part controlled by the Soviet Union was called "the German Democratic Republic". East Germany is also divided. It should be mentioned here that both groups are working to control the city of Berlin, which belonged entirely to East Germany. That is separating the city into east and west.
Socialist East and Capitalist West
A View of East Germany (Pinterest)
Soviet-ruled East Germany had a socialist economic pattern, while West Germany operated a capitalist economy. In a very short period of time, a big difference is shown in the two countries. West Germany's economy grew rapidly, and East Germans began to gravitate to West Germany in large numbers. The great economic growth in West Germany at the time was called the "Magic Economy".
Western countries accepted West Germany and the Soviet Union does not seem to have made any effort to develop East Germany.
Also, the Soviet Union does not allow East Germany to receive economic aid from Western countries. And even applying the economic policies of the Soviet Union to East German territory is not suitable in any way. Because of this, between 1949 and 1961, more than 25 lakh East Germans fled to West Germany as extremely poor people through the border of the city of Berlin. From the year 1949, the population of West Germany gradually decreased and around 1960, due to the departure of important professionals, an acute crisis situation was created in East Germany.
The fence across Berlin was built overnight as a solution to the crisis
Building the Berlin Wall (Mashable)
The East German leader Walter Ulbrecht decides that the only course of action to prevent the brain drain and labor drain in East Germany, which is becoming anarchic, is to create a wall across the border separating East and West through the city of Berlin.
A barbed wire fence was first created across Berlin. On the morning of August 13, 1961, the residents of East and West Berlin woke up to see the huge barbed wire fence that had been built across the city within 24 hours.
At this time, the Germans who had gone from east to west or from west to east were stranded and unable to return to their homes, and East Germany had strengthened security by using police checkpoints at various places along the fence. The average height of the later concrete wall is about 3 meters.
However, West Germany did not approve the separation of the border, and although they expected the support of the Western countries to remove it, the wall was built without violating the border, so the Western countries are not able to take action for it.
Unstoppable escapes from the wall
A woman trying to escape (Honda-Tech)
The East German government decides that the wall was built to prevent Western spies from coming to their country and that no West German can enter East Germany through it and no East German is forbidden to go to the West.
But East Germany is even conducting protests against this in Berlin. They do not make the West a forbidden country for the citizens of the East. Escaping the wall to the west was completely forbidden, and eastern security officers did not think twice about shooting escapees. In the 28 years the Berlin Wall was in place, the official number of escapees killed by gunfire was 133. It is said that more than 5000 people have successfully escaped.
Escaping is further done by jumping west from the windows of high-rise buildings on the border, using hot cloth balls, and by digging basements under the wall to the west. The film called Night Crossing is based on an incident in 1979 in which a balloon escaped.
Further escapes are limited by placing landmines around the wall, installing automatic guns and installing a 0.4m round concrete tube on top of the wall to prevent jumping over it.
The fall of the wall and the birth of a united Germany
Breaking the Wall (OpenBuildings)
28 years after the construction of the Berlin Wall, as the Soviet Union gradually collapses, protests begin to spread throughout East Germany. On October 7, 1989, it met this crisis and celebrated its 40th National Day. With that, the Soviets even transfer the right to make decisions to East Germany.
On November 9, 1989, the East German leader gave his permission to tear down the wall. With that news, the East Germans, who are cheering, break down the wall with mortars. The West Germans also support it. About three kilometers of this historic wall, which was built for 155 kilometers (96 miles) for future generations to see, will be left as a monument and all other parts will be removed later.
The part of the wall that is now kept as a souvenir (Time Tunnel)
After the wall was torn down on November 9, the two countries united to form a single state from October 3, 1990. This is how the Berlin Wall, which was built on the needs and wants of the Western countries and the Soviet Union, was demolished by the people.
Cover image – OpenBuildings
Sources – Wikipedia, wsws.org, www.coldwar.org, www.executedtoday.com
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