It is a symbol of oppression, of division, which stands in Berlin. This was a concrete barrier erected by German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1961, to separate out East Berlin from West Berlin, which fell in 1989. Why did the Berlin Wall come to be? How did the Cold War shape that? Here we will analyse the historical backdrop, inspiration, and effect of the Berlin Wall throughout the Cold War years.
The Context of the Cold War
The circumstances of the Cold War and the creation of the Berlin Wall have to be understood to know why the Berlin Wall was built. Cold War is the major geopolitics struggle ensuing after the World War II between United States and its respective allies (Western bloc) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies (Eastern bloc).
Displayed between these two superpowers, Germany was divided after Germany’s defeat in WWII into Germany which had been divided among Allied powers. The capital city, Berlin, was partitioned into four zones, under US, Soviet Union, British and French governments.
Reasons for the Construction
The construction of the Berlin Wall stemmed from several political, social, and economic factors:
Preventing East Germans from fleeing: Hallmarks of East German immigration to West Germany were one of the two primary motivations for building the wall. By the early 1960s, about 2.5 million East Germans had fled on to West Germany, depriving the GDR of its skilled workforce and professionals.
Protecting the Soviet influence: The Eastern Bloc feared the Soviet Union, the dominant bloc force, would present itself as showing the superiority of its socialist system. The perceived success of West Germany with its capitalist model, weakened the Soviet narrative and undermined their control over East Germany.
Preventing espionage and subversion: There was heightened tension, and it was period of intelligence activities. Western spies and subversive elements that could undermine the Soviet backed regime were one of the fears the DRG had about infiltration. That wall was a physical barrier which made it hard for espionage and even sabotage.
Berlin Wall Construction and Features
On August 13, 1961, however, the Berlin Wall actually began to be built. Initially, barbed wire fences separated East and West Berlin, but these were soon replaced by a more formidable structure:
- Concrete wall: Raining concrete, about 3.6 meters (11.8 feet) high. West Berlin was enclosed in a 155 kilometer (96 mile) long belt.
- Guard towers: Around the wall there were strategically placed watchtowers manned by armed East German guards. The towers allowed guards to monitor and prevent attempts to escape.
- Death strip: The “death strip” was the area between the inner and outer walls of the Berlin Wall. Designed to be a hostile environment that discouraged attempts at escape, barbed wire, guard dogs, hidden alarms and anti vehicle trenches were used.
- Checkpoint Charlie: In the heart of Berlin, the most famous of all was the crossing point between the East and the West that was Checkpoint Charlie.
The Impact and Aftermath
The construction of the Berlin Wall had far-reaching implications
- Social division and hardship: The wall separated families, friends and communities. For everyone starting on the ‘wrong’ side of the wall, returning home meant heavy obstacles.
- Symbol of the Cold War: However, the Berlin Wall symbolized the ideological and physical separation between East and West and the distinction between capitalism and communism.
- Pinnacle of the Cold War: That only increased the already tense Cold War atmosphere with the construction of the Berlin Wall. It made the division it embodied physical.
- Peaceful revolution: As the Eastern bloc weakened, and protests in East Germany became wide spread, travel and emigration restrictions began to fall. On November 9, 1989 East Germans jubilantly broke that wall, signalling the end of the Cold War.
In short, the Berlin Wall came into being during the Cold War, to stop East Germans from fleeing, keep down Soviet influence, and stymie spying. It served to partition East Berlin and West Berlin, and by analogy to separate the Eastern Bloc from the Western Bloc. The Berlin Wall fell which signalled the end of the Cold War and a turning point in global affairs.