The Cold War was the geopolitical confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States, from the end of World War II to the beginning of the 1990s. Ideological differences, military buildup and a never ending threat of nuclear war characterized it. No doubt one of the major events fell in this era: The fall of Berlin Wall on 9th November 1989. Yet did the Cold War actually end when the Berlin Wall came down? But we should delve into this question, and see what the complexity of the situation is.
Understanding the Cold War
What is called the Cold War was the standoff between the United States on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other. It was an ideological one, capitalism versus communism, democracy versus totalitarianism. For that reason, Europe was split into the two spheres of influence, with the US supporting the West European and the Soviet Union making its own pocket of power over Eastern Europe.
These two power blocs contained their tension in many proxy wars, some with actual intensity: the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Other feature of cold war was arms race, nuclear proliferation and espionage activities. At least tensions remained high, with both sides fearing the actions of each other and the prospect of the two going to war right then and there.
The Berlin Wall: Symbol of Division
In 1961 the city of Berlin was divided by the Berlin Wall, built on East German territory but which ran through the centre of the city and physically separated Berlin into East and West Berlin. The intention is that East Germans will not escape to the West where life is better. The Iron Curtain [separation] between Eastern and Western Europe symbolized in the wall became itself a symbol of the division between the communist and capitalist world.
Almost three decades on, after the superpowers’ heightened tensions collapsed into the Berlin Wall standing as a powerful reminder of the Cold War. Barbed wire, armed soldiers and watchtowers were to be found too at the heavily guarded facility. An appalling number of tragic incidents occurred during the millions of East Germans risking their lives trying to cross the wall in order to reach freedom in the West.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
By 1989, the Berlin Wall would fall, but it wasn’t just chance. Mikhail Gorbachev had brought reforms that were called Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring), meant to ease tension and breath life into the Soviet economy. Forcibly attempting to force change inadvertently lit the fuse for discontent, among those in East Germany included.
Various East German cities saw mass protests of people demanding political reforms, freedom of speech, as well as putting an end to oppressive regime. On 9 November 1989, East Germany t stated that its residents would be able to travel to the West freely. This announcement led to a momentous event: The border guards opened the checkpoints, and the idea took off, with a gaggle of citizens on both sides of the wall joining in. The wall came down, brick by brick, and people started tearing the wall down – they came down brick by brick as an end to an era of division and repression.
Impact of the Fall
The fall of the Berlin Wall matters, but was it the end of the Cold War? While it was a big, symbolic thing, the Cold War didn’t die down just like that. The fall of the Berlin Wall didn’t just mean the end of the Cold War, it represented the triumph of American political might over Soviet might. There was, however, still plenty of pent up tension between the US and Soviet Union.
The Cold War only ended with the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Like the Berlin Wall, other Eastern European countries also began to change too with the fall of the Berlin Wall. One after another, communist regimes fell yielding to demands that they introduce democratic reforms, culminating in unified Germany and the break up of the USSR.
The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was barred from leaving, but did leave a mark. It is the message of devastating effects of ideological conflicts, struggle for freedom. The people coming together to get liberty and democracy was a powerful thing and the fall of the wall symbolized that just that. Like an inspiration to people around the world fighting the fight against oppression and division.
Conclusion
The final end of the Cold War was also, in no small part, the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a moment that was not quite the end of the era, but in his retrospect it was the trigger for the whole chain to disintegrate that would end the Soviet Union and the Cold War. We can never forget the power of United and the want for freedom, for that is why the Berlin Wall fell.