The Berlin Wall

• Building of the wall

  Tensions increased, more East Germans began to cross the border in fear that Khrushchev would close it

  • On one day in August 1961 - 40,000 East Germans crossed

  East German leader: Walter Ulbricht urged Khrushchev to close the border and on 12 August 1961 a barbed wire fence was built around Berlin and between East and West Berlin.

  • A concrete wall followed this, which was 165 km long, 3.6m high and 1.2m wide.
• Impact in Berlin

  There were many escape attempts when the wall was being built

  • One woman threw a mattress out of a building and attempted to jump (she later died)

  The West Berlin fire service attempted to help people cross safely

  • Tunnel 57 was built underneath the wall, through which 57 Berliners escaped
  • Family and friends were separated from each other
  • Guards were instructed to shoot anyone attempting to escape

  Throughout the whole time the wall was up, approx. 130 people were killed
• Impact on the Soviet Union

  Positive:

  • Stopped refugees leaving
  • Sent message to the West that communism would survive in Berlin

  Negative:

  • Had to abandon plans to unite Germany under Soviet control
  • Wall was a large propaganda fail as it presented the Soviet's as having to 'lock' people into East Germany to make them stay
• Impact on the USA

  Positive:

  • The wall stopped Khrushchev from bullying Kennedy, as he had to accept Western control in the Western part of Berlin
  • West Berlin = emblem of freedom and defiance against communism
  • Kennedy's reputation increased - visited West Berlin in 1963 and carried out 'ich bin ein Berliner' speech

  Negative:

  • The border was closed without discussion
  • Now people in East Berlin weren't able to escape communism
• Impact on Superpower Relations

  Positive:

  Division = less likelihood of a war

  • "A wall is better than a war" - Kennedy

  Reduced tensions as the Soviets were no longer irritated by the West's presence in Berlin, and by refugees leaving to go there.

  Negative:

  • Reminded people of Churchill's iron curtain speech - division
  • Highlighted significantly the differences between the superpowers until 1989.