Berlin Wall

• Reasons why it was built in 1961


  In 1961 Berlin was the focus of USSR to control EE satellites - Hungarian uprising's crushing showed it was hard to fight Communists

  People wanted to leave for political reasons (hate communists) whilst others for economic (standard of living fell - wanted capitalist state)

  Living standards were okay in East but were tempted by Capitalist West Germany due to the freedom, wealth and variety due to US's investment there
• Reasons why it was built in 1961(2)


  Tempting to leave East Germany with its strict communist regime and harsh leader Ulbricht - late 1950s, thousands were leaving for forever

  Leaving were high skilled and qualified individuals - gov couldn't afford it - Khrushchev though the fleeing to capitalism undermined communism

  JFK in 1961 - new and young President - Khrushchev thought to fight over Berlin with him to bully him - insisted US remove troops from city - thought JFK would back down but he refused
• Building of Berlin Wall

  13th August 1961 at 2AM, East German soldiers erected a barbed wire barrier between East and West Germany ending all free movement from East to West - quickly replaced by concrete wall

  All crossing points from East to West were sealed except one - Checkpoint Charlie

  Families were divided

  Berliners were unable to go to work whilst chaos and confusion ensued

  Border guards kept constant look for people trying to pass through and had orders to shoot these people - hundreds were killed over the next 3 decades
• Immediate consequences


  The wall created a major crisis

  Access to East Berlin had been guaranteed to allies since 1945

  Oct 1961 - US diplomats and troops crossed regularly into East Berlin to find out how the Soviets would react - 'the tension escalated very rapidly', 'close to war - Russian vs allies'
• What happened on 27th October 1961


  Soviet tanks pulled up to Checkpoint Charlie and refused to allow any further access to the East

  All day US and Soviet tanks fully armed faced each other in a tense standoff

  After 18 hours, 1 by 1, 5m at a time tanks pulled back - another crisis avoided

  International reaction was relief - Khrushchev ordered Ulbricht to avoid any actions that would increase tension - JFK said 'it's not a very nice solution, but a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war'
• Long term Consequences


  Over the years it became a symbol of division - division of Germany, Europe, Communist East, Democratic West

  Communists presented wall as protective shell around East Berlin

  West presented wall as a prison wall
• How did it raise Cold War tensions?


  Represented physical division between East and West, symbolizing ideological conflict between communism and capitalism

  Created a sense of fear and mistrust between the 2 superpowers and their respective allies

  The wall became a powerful symbol of the divided world and intensified the already existing tensions