The Berlin Wall Essay examples - 925 Words

The Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall, built in August of 1961, was s physical symbol of the political and emotional divisions of Germany. The Wall was built because of a long lasting suspicion among the Soviet Union on one side and Western Europe and the United States on the other. Once World War II was over, these Allies no longer had a common purpose to hold them together. Their differences became less hidden and more irreconcilable. The Western Allies quickly realized they couldnt kick a dog when its already down, and that Germany was in desperate need of help. Therefore, the Allies aim was to rebuild Germanys economy. The Soviet Union disagreed with this plan immensely, and instead they became busy with setting up Communist†¦show more content†¦Families were separated, for the Wall had run through parks, public areas, and even buildings. The Wall did not hold them back from freedom. According to reports, official figures show that more than 400 people died trying to flee. Human-rights activi sts say that the true figure could be closer to 800. Many of these escape attempts were dramatic. People leapt form windows, tunneled and crept through sewers, rammed through the gates in steel-plated trucks, crawled through mud, and swam the icy waters of the citys rivers and canals. Even though the Wall created international crises, divided families, and spawned villains and gangsters, it also produced its heroes. Brave men and women who lived in the shadow of the Wall found ways to elude Communism. Escape soon became harder. The barbed wire was replaced with concrete slabs. Waterways were blocked by underground fences. Windows along the borders had bricks instead of glass. Getting across became increasingly difficult, and it required ingenuity as well as determination. In the first year alone, 14 attempts were made to breach the wall through driving into it.Show MoreRelatedThe Berlin Wall Of Berlin1488 Words   |  6 Pagesof the Berlin wall brought Germany closer together as on e country. The east side of Berlin was communist, whereas the west side was socialist/democratic. The Berlin wall was often referred to as a symbol of the cold war and the inner conflict of Germany. It showed the different ideologies of the USA and USSR and their systems of government. Officially known as the â€Å"Anti-Fascist-Protective Wall† by the east, and the â€Å"Wall of Shame† by the West, it physically divided the city of Berlin from AugustRead MoreBerlin : The Berlin Wall2048 Words   |  9 PagesMatthew Chang November 16, 2014 Berlin Paper: The Berlin Wall Overview After the conclusion of World War II, Germany was split into four sections, each occupied by the respective nations of France, Britain, America, and the Soviet Union. The Western nations of France, Britain, and the United States joined together and formed West Germany, while the communist U.S.S.R. maintained its own grip on East Germany. The capital of Germany, Berlin, was likewise divided into four sections occupied by theRead MoreThe Berlin Wall667 Words   |  3 PagesThe Berlin Wall was constructed on August 13, 1961. The reason for this was to separate West and East Germany. People in East Germany received the short end of the stick because â€Å"to live in East Germany behind the Berlin Wall meant to live in fear and distrust† (Wagner). The Stasi (state security service) monitored citizens for fear of rebellion. Many students and college graduates tried to cross over but only a few were successful. Those who were not were fined, prosecuted, or even murdered. TheRead MoreBerlin Wall6826 Words   |  28 PagesGermany Berlin was divided by a barrier that was patrolled day and night by armed soldiers and guard dogs. On August 13, 1961 shortly after midnight police and soldiers in the Communist controlled Berlin moved quickly to set up barriers. Berliners woke to find their city divided into east and west sectors. A communist nation led by the Soviet Union was in control of East Berlin. While West Berlin was controlled by a democratic nation led by the United States (Epler, 1992). The Berlin Wall knownRead MoreThe Berlin Wall And The End Of The Wall1337 Words   |  6 PagesThe Berlin Wall was a fortification established in 1961 in order to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. The wall separated people from their work, home, and family, and the results were devastating. The events that surrounded the destruction of the wall proved that men seek freedom by nature. Many parallels can be drawn from the fall of the wall in 1989 to the end of the embargo that the United States had on Cuba for roughly half a century. Germany was split four ways (see picture to the left)Read MoreThe City Of Berlin And The Creation Of The Berlin Wall1447 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstand the effects on the city of Berlin with the creation of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall has played an extremely important role in the life of millions of people. This 155km Wall has defined the fate of German people that have been separated by the Wall for a very long time. On 12th and 13th of August 1961, leaders Walter Ulbrict and Nikita Khrushchev built a wall around Berlin to prevent East Berlin citizens from leaving. At first the incarnation of the wall was just a barbed wire fence untilRead MoreThe Fall of the Berlin Wall757 Words   |  3 Pages The Fall of the Berlin The Berlin wall is a very significant point within history. It began quickly after World War II; Berlin was separated and conquered into four different zones. Each part was owned by Great Britian, France, the United States, or the Soviet Union. Eventually three of these zones (owned by the United States, Great Britain, and France) combined to become West Germany. The Soviet Union hastily followed after these three zones but instead became East Germany. The difference betweenRead MoreThe Fall of the Berlin Wall1382 Words   |  6 PagesGermany (Holzner, World Book, 264). Although this solution seemed pragmatic at the time, a vicious philosophical war between the capitalistic West Germany and the communistic East Germany led to one of the most important events in history: The Berlin Wall. Communism is a method of societal and political order that was a key force in world politics for most of the 20th century. In theory, it would generate a classless culture of wealth and free will. As a movement, communalism desired to conquerRead MoreBerlin Wall in Germany1562 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract This assignment is submitted as partial requirement of Global Trade. This report depicts the sequences of Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall, erected November 13, 1961, served to separate communist East Germany from Western influences. Intended to protect East Germans, the wall actually was erected to prevent them from leaving the country. The Wall finally came down August 13, 1989, reuniting families and symbolizing the end of the cold war was near. The initial plans for Allied occupationRead MoreThe Fall Of The Berlin Wall Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pages The Fall of the Berlin Wall Berlin Marcelin Chattahoochee Technical College The Berlin Wall is a historical symbol of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall is a symbol of the end of the Cold War. And also, the Berlin Wall played a great role in the life of millions of people and defined the fate of German people, which put them apart by the Wall for a long period of time. Sixteen years