Geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States is called the Cold War. The period lasted from the end of World War II in 1945, and into the early 1990s. During the Cold War, Berlin as the capital of Germany was one stage at which they happened. In the latter half of 1918, Berlin was very much a busy and eventful place, and in this article we’ll take a look at some of the major events that happened there.
1. The Division of Berlin
Following World War II, Berlin, like Germany, was divided into four zones controlled by the Allies: of the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France. The resultant struggle became the Cold War struggle of the East and the West writ small in the city. This latter led to the building of the Berlin Wall.
2. The Berlin Airlift
In 1948 the Soviet Union attempted to grab the city by cutting off all surface access when they blockaded West Berlin. That is why the Western Allies launched the Berlin Airlift to counter this. By air, they did for almost a year supply West Berlin with food, fuel and other necessities. During the Berlin Airlift, the West proved it would stand determined to protect the freedom of the people of the city.
3. Berlin Wall construction
In 1961, the Soviet Union built its Berlin Wall because tensions had reached a boiling point between East and West. Afterward, this concrete barrier had physically separated families, friends. During the Cold War, it became the most potent symbol of East West division.
4. Checkpoint Charlie
However, during Cold War, the most famous border crossing point between East and West Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie. Instead it had become a symbol of the uneasy balance between the United States and the Soviet Union. Here was a collection of many dramatic moments such as, exchanges of spies, and attempts at escape from East to West.
5. The Berlin Crisis of 1961
The most marked tension between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies was resolved when the Berlin Crisis of 1961 began. At Checkpoint Charlie Soviet and American tanks faced off, making the crisis peak. However, war was averted, but the event pushed already intense Cold War tensions further.
6. The Fall of the Berlin Wall
It was November 9, 1989, nearly three decades since the Berlin Wall first went up, that it finally came down. This was the end of the Cold War division of Germany and the reunification of East and West, which had far reaching repercussions world wide.
7. The Reunification of Germany
On October 3, 1990 East and West Germany reunited to form a Single country. Berlin was the capital of a united Germany. It was the end of the Cold War era. The reunification of the Germany showed how democracy and freedom defeated communism.
Conclusion
The most important events in the life of the Cold War era took place in Berlin. The city had been at the centre of this global conflict from its division, construction of the Berlin Wall, to the fall of the wall and the reunification of Germany. The events of Berlin during the Cold War aren’t as foreign as we might think, they teach us a lot about the time period and how it affected the world around us.