Execution Essay: The Fall Of The Berlin Wall

For thirty years, an iron curtain lay across Germany. This iron curtain was called the Berlin Wall, and it represented the divide between East and West Germany. It also represented the loss of East Germany’s freedom and democracy. The Berlin Wall separated families and friends. This resulted in children growing up without a father and wives losing all communication with their husbands. The Berlin Wall poorly affected many people and businesses, and caused an ugly dent in Germany’s history.

wire and fences (Fall of the Berlin Wall). Life for the Eastern and Western Germans was

THESIS: From research and historical analysts, we can conclude that in many cases the people of Germany have been effected socially and economically by the building and construction of the Berlin Wall.

When the wall was torn down, eastern businesses suffered, families separated, yet this would bring pride to Eastern Germans in the near future. This was all due to the switch from a command economy to a market economy in Eastern

Following the fall of the Third Reich at the end of WWII Germany was split between east and west into two different countries. In the east the German Democratic Republic was under communist rule and was supported by the Soviet Union. The Federal German Republic was a democracy that was part of NATO. As part of the division of Germany following WWII, Berlin, the capital of Germany was divided evenly between the two nations. However, the entire city of Berlin was deep inside of the GDR, so the Western half of the city was democratic but it was surrounded by communist territory. This made West Berlin a place where many East Germans would try to escape to. As a result of this the German Democratic Republic built a wall surrounding West Berlin to stop its own people from escaping to freedom.

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 after the end of World War II, the communist government of East Germany began building a wall on (August 13, 1961), that would divide the city of Berlin into East Berlin and West Berlin. The purpose was to keep fascists from entering East Germany, but mostly to keep West German citizens, primarily people of valuable professions such as doctors, teachers and engineers, from Changing side to the West. People of Berlin Called the wall Schandmaur, which actually means " The wall of shame". Over the years of the wall being constructed it took at least 3x times to rebuild it, but each time bigger than the last one.

This was a leading climatic event in towards the end of the 1980’s marking the end of communist regimes around the world, making it evident to even average citizens that change was coming. The Berlin Wall stood as a symbol for the two opposing sides of the Soviet Union and the United States. In 1949, Germany split into two different nations. Germany was a central hub for Cold War politics, with the West side allying with democratic states and the East side allying with the Soviet Union. The end of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Soviet Union’s status as a reigning power in Eastern Europe, with the Soviet Union falling not long

In 1989, one event occupied the spotlight around the world. The Berlin Wall, which for twenty-eight years had separated families and friends came down as thousands of people began crossing Bornholmer Bridge in northern Berlin. NBC’s Tom Brokaw could be seen on television throughout the United States saying, “A historic moment tonight. The Berlin Wall can no longer contain the East German people. Thousands pouring across at the Bronholmer bridge” (Dodds, 2014). This single event changed many things in Europe and around the world. The fall of the Berlin Wall that night, which was the ultimate symbol of the Cold War, was a major turning point in the collapse of communism leading to the unification of East and West Germany and was influenced by political leaders from both the Soviet Union and the United States. The fall of the wall affected the Communist world and eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union allowing countries under their control to become independent and free.

Linda Dossantos 11/20/2014 GLS102: Comparative Politics and Government Opinion Paper #2 The U.S. Civil Rights Movements and the East German Struggle for Freedom The Berlin Wall was a physical division that separated West Berlin and East Berlin in Germany from 1961 to 1989 during the Cold War. The wall was a symbolic boundary that divided Democracy and Communism physically.

The Berlin Wall had a major impact on humanity’s views on how society should be ruled. Berlin is the capital of Germany. After the ending of WWII, Berlin was split up into East Berlin, and West Berlin. East Berlin was communist, suffered from the repressions of the Communist Party. West Berlin had a better lifestyle, and had financial aid from the United States. From the years between nineteen forty-nine to nineteen sixty-one, approximately 2.5 million people from East Berlin escaped to West Berlin. This toll included skilled workers, professionals, and intellectuals. Because of the loss of these people, the economy in East Berlin was threatened. On August twelve-thirteen, nineteen sixty-one, the Berlin was built in order to stop the people of East Berlin from fleeing. The Berlin wall was a major point during the Cold War, and many opposed it. It gave another reason to detest communism.

People broke down the wall and Berlin was no longer a divided city; West and East Germany was a big country again

With its fall tumbled down the idea of a divided Europe. When it had stood, the Berlin Wall had kept East Berliners from moving from the communist zone of the city to capitalist West Berlin. To those who watched events from the west, the Berlin Wall symbolized the restrictions of those living under a communist government. After World War Two, the Soviet Union imposed communist governments in many Eastern European countries. In addition, to keep western capitalism out of these places, the Soviets built a barrier between communist eastern countries and capitalist western ones. This barrier, which was ideological as well as physical, was termed the “iron curtain” by the west. The barrier between West and East Berlin was known as the “Berlin Wall”. Behind the “iron curtain” lay countries where the communist state ran the economies. Germany represented the divisiveness of an “iron curtain” as it was one country split into two states – a communist one and a capitalist one. This is one of the countries most crippled by World War Two found itself at the center of a stand-off between capitalist and communist forces after the war ended. In addition, the capital city of Berlin was divided down the middle, with half the citizens owing allegiance to capitalism and the other half to a communist regime. In 1961, East German communist forces erected the Berlin Wall to stop capitalist thoughts from spreading into the communist state. The Wall officially

A wall. A structure standing 11 feet and 8 inches tall ran through a country torn between two Government systems. A wall separating families, loved ones, neighbors,and friends. A wall is all it took to destroy a country. During the aftermath of World War II Germany was split into two separate parts and not only was the country separated but so was Berlin. Berlin Germany was separated into East and West Berlin. East being the cruel communistic state and West Berlin being a Democratic state. Otherwise known as “the loophole”, West Berlin was an escape from communism. Many people decided that communism wasn’t for them and starting pouring over into West Berlin. This angered the Soviet Union because Communism allowed everything to be controlled by the Government, this in return meant every citizen had to share the wealth upon themselves. Most fled to West Berlin because in a Democratic society you have the opportunity to grow and make your own money. The Soviet Union had, had enough, on August 13th 1961 the border between East and West Berlin has been permanently closed. The next day on August 14th 1961, the Brandenburg gate was closed. From here on, Berlin turned into horrific situation.

On November 9,1989 the German rulers finally allowed the Wall to be taken down. The Berlin Wall was according to Rosenberg “a physical division between West Berlin and East Germany in order to keep East Germans from fleeing to the West” (Rosenberg). History always seems to repeat itself because even in modern times the usage of a wall to keep people from moving in large number is still viable. Nonetheless, like the Berlin wall and the Great Wall of China before that, walls are just that walls and unfortunately they are not enough to keep individuals from getting to the other side.

As we all know, the Berlin Wall was put up to separate East and West Berlin, Germany. On November 9, 1989, the Head of East Germany announced that citizens could cross the border whenever they pleased. Some walked freely passed the border, but some brought hammers and picks and began to tear the wall down! This event has become one of the most powerful symbols of the end of the Cold