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How Did East Berlin Become Communist?

by | Mar 7, 2024 | World War Tour Berlin

 

East Berlin took on communist rule as capital city after World War II ended. Learning about German history helps us understand Cold War politics and why Germany split into east and west. Our examination looks into what made communism take root in East Berlin.

The Division of Germany

After World War II defeat the United States United Kingdom USSR and France each took control of a distinct occupation zone in Germany. Like Berlin the Soviet zone of Germany was broken into four sections for administration.

The Soviet Union wanted total control of Eastern Europe and built East Germany into their enforcement strategy. Following World War II the Soviet Union wanted East Germany to function as a communist protection zone separating their territory from other European countries.

During 1948 the Soviet Union literally blockaded West Berlin which became a global lifeline known as the Airlift.

To demonstrate military dominance the Soviet Union started blocking all Western supply routes to Berlin in 1948. The Soviet Union tried to end West Berlin contact with global supply chains to make the Western Allies give up the entire city.

To circumvent the economic blockade of West Berlin the West launched its Berlin Airlift to send needed resources from the outside. During eleven months US UK and French planes delivered essential supplies to West Berlin as their unwavering support to its people.

The Creation of East Germany

Year after year the growing tension between the Western Allies and Soviet Union became more noticeable. In 1949 the Allies finally decided to split Germany into independent states. Following World War II the Soviets established East Germany also known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR) with East Berlin at its center.

The creation of East Germany started a major transformation for the whole area. Under Soviet authority East Germany became a communist country and enforced communist systems across the nation.

The Wall: Division and Isolation

The Soviet-approved East German government built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to stop people from leaving the nation for West Germany. East Berlin became the clearest communist part of Berlin through the construction of a physical division.

The wall functioned as a strong symbol representing the major difference in beliefs between East and West that people called the Iron Curtain. Regular exchanges between Berlin’s east and west parts stopped running and residents stayed cut off for decades.

The Stasi and Repression

When SED leaders and Soviet forces controlled East Berlin they created an extreme system that monitored its citizens. Through its work the Stasi helped keep communism strong by watching East Berlin citizens and halting their dissent.

Under the Stasi surveillance system every person in East Germany was watched which built intense anxiety and distrust among residents throughout the entire society. Both the people who opposed the regime and they suffered government repression through imprisonment and forced restrictions on sharing their opinions.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The political system started changing rapidly in 1989. East Berlin demonstrators pushed for fair elections and speech rights plus an end to totalitarian rule.

On November 9, 1989 East German authorities disclosed without warning that their people would finally be able to cross into West Germany. A huge number of people traveled to the Berlin Wall when it was opened because they wanted to see Germany unify.

Conclusion

East Berlin became a communist state through both geopolitical actions military standoffs and communist versus western society divides. The separation of Germany and Berlin pushed important events forward which created the German Democratic Republic and required the building of the Berlin Wall.

Despite its barrier role East Berlin residents remained determined to pursue their desire to live freely through democracy. When the wall fell Germany finally joined together as a nation and removed communist control from East Berlin.

How Did East Berlin Become Communist?