Analyzing the history of the Berlin Wall requires the passage of time, so to know what happened we need to go back a little bit. Although Adolf Hitler, the infamous Nazi leader, had a big effect on Berlin, and by extension upon Germany as a whole, he was not behind the invention of the Berlin Wall. But Hitler’s actions and the consequences of World War II, all of which had to do with the creation of the wall itself, had something to do with the division of Germany itself.

The Aftermath of World War II

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied forces: Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union. The United States, the USSR, Great Britain and France also split Berlin its capital into four sectors, with each being controlled by one of those Allied countries.

The Rise of the Cold War

Following the war these tensions between the Allied powers and the new Soviet Union started to increase fast, leading to the beginning of the Cold War. Ach, the antipode of these good relations, of this seemingly unable opposing part, between the US and the Soviet Union, was theirs, their differences of an ideological nature, of a political nature, of which are the consequences their conflicts of power. At stake were the future of Germany and Berlin directly.

The Division of Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was established in 1949, matching the democratic and capitalist values of the Allied powers. At the same time, under a Soviet influence, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) became a socialist state in 1949.

The Construction of the Wall

In August 1961, the German Democratic Republic butted up against the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the west and east divide of the two German states. The first purpose of the wall was to stem the flow of East Germans under the cover of darkness to West Germany, with Berlin itself then becoming a major route of escape.

Hitler’s Influence

Hitler did not directly create the Berlin Wall – his actions during World War II would go on to have a major impact on how that Wall, as well as the history it represents, was created and came to exist.

Germany’s Defeat and World War II

Responsibility for devastation and loss of life can be laid down to Hitler’s aggressive polices, invasion of neighboring countries, and the Holocaust. After the war the occupied territories were divided amongst the victorious Allied powers, and, ultimately, helped to the give away of Germany itself and the eventual division of Berlin.

Post-War Occupation Zones

After the war, the Soviets and the West Allies became more hostile to one another because Germany was divided into four occupation zones. The Berlin Wall was built on disagreements over Germany’s future and those disagreements pitted divergent political philosophies against each other, those of the Western powers and the Soviet Union.

The Impact of the Cold War

The division of Germany was in large part the product of the Cold War, wherein the Soviet Union and the United States fought to a position of influence over the world. The Berlin wall was needed because communist East Germany and democratic West Germany became more and more hostile with one another.

The Legacy of the Berlin Wall

Divides by the Berlin Wall stood for 28 years and then fell, finally, in 1989. The building served to enhance the separation betweens families, friends, a nation. It had also exemplified the tenacity and determination of those who fought for freedom and democracy.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall came down in November 9, 1989 due to the huge number of political changes, huge amount of economic struggles and mass protests. This was the end of a Cold War era and came to the end of Germany. Reach the world by using the Berlin Wall symbol of unity and freedom.

Conclusion

Though Adolf Hitler did not physically help build the Berlin Wall, his actions before and during World War II played a major role in both the construction of the Wall, and the division of Berlin. To get a full understanding of the Berlin Wall’s fall and the reunification of Germany you first need to understand what happened in these historical events.

By appreciating what has been, we can remember the time living in separation, and with the time that we all came together.