The Berlin Wall was the barriers between East and West Germany during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was the materialization of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States and can be traced back to its democracy in 1989.

Looking at the Cold War – the Background of the Cold War

Cold war was a state of affairs and hostility between two global superpowers, United States of America, and SU immediately after the Second World War and up to early 1990s. Cold War was another reason since communism was ideologically opposed with capitalism; both superpowers was eager to expand their area of influence across the globe.

The Division of Germany

Straight after the Second World War Germany was split into four zones occupied by the USA, USSR, Great Britain and France. Soviet Union under Stalin wanted communism in its zone to control the country but the western allies wanted build a democratic Germany.

The division got worse as the tension increased between east and west countries increased. In 1949 the Federal Republic of Germany inclusive of East Berlin was created for a separate state. Which following the post war history of West Germany , with its capital in Bonn, turned into a democratic state backed up by the allies of America.

This paper shall therefore document and analyze the Construction of the Berlin Wall.

After the split of Germany, East Germans thus in thousands crossed to the West in search of better economic prospects, and political liberty. Due to the minority of the population coming to East Germany, the government with the consent of the Soviet decided to construct a wall that divided east and west Berlin.

The division of the city of Berlin through the erection of a fence dividing East and West started in the year 1961 marking a new era in the struggles of the Cold War. It entailed concrete walls, barb wire, watch towers and a no go zone which completely isolated East Berlin from the rest of the world.

The Impact of the Berlin Wall

Thus, the construction of the Berlin wall affected the life of people residing on both sides of the wall. Couples and children were split and people tasted death in their desperation for a chance to get to the so-called ‘developed’ world. It represented a barrier, persecution and the chunking of Europe.

Development of the Cold War as the Cause of the Collapse of the Berlin Wall

The Cold War was monumental in the crumbling of the Berlin Wall after its erection. The Gw conservative, economic difficulties piled up for the Soviet Union, and the geopolitical pressure from the West was increasing during the second half of the 1980. Also, the brutal regime of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev advocated liberalization and the wish for change.

The United States with President Reagan elected a policy of military build up and ideologically straining the Soviet Union. In his speech over the Brandenburg gate, Reagan directly told Gorbachev; “tear down this wall.”

The Contribution of Protests and Disturbances

Other Causes of the fall of the Berlin wall Projection of the civil unrest within East Germany was one determinant of the Berlin wall collapse. By late 1980s people had grown discontent with the oppressive totalitarian government and started asking for political change and civil liberties of movement.

The simple marches and increasing freedom movements reached their climax in November 1989, when the authorities of East Germany declared the right of a citizen to travel to the West. On November 9th, thousands of East Germans broke through the border checkpoints, the guards who were threatening them with their guns opened the border. This incident as a historical event was the beginning of the gradual demolition of the Berlin Wall.

The Aftermath

The events that led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall have dramatic effects. East and West Germany reunited on the 3rd of October in 1990, and gradually the nation had to be reconstructed. It marked the end of the Cold War and also the start of a new chapter each for both East and West.

Lessons Learned

On this note, the story of the breakdown of the Berlin Wall leaves people in awe of the effectiveness of the people mandate and the freedom they deserve. It demonstrated that there is no system of governance that can oppress a fairly united populace both in its decisions.

Now some of remains of the wall exist as a symbol of the division and of determination to triumph over adversity.

Conclusion

This paper look into the role of Cold War in the construction of Berlin Wall and its coming down. It was a materialization of the political struggle between the soviet union and the united states of America. They had political pressure, retarded economics, protests, and even civil upheaval, which finally culminated in the border being opened and Germany being reunified.

The liberalisation of East Germany is acknowledged as a victory for freedom and democracy; the end of an age of the Cold War.