To make it short, the Cold War was the war after world war 2 where America tought up against the Sovietunion, who also made these kinds of military disputes. The division of Berlin, hometown of Germany, into East Berlin and West Berlin, was one of the most important events there.
The Division of Berlin
After World War II, Berlin was occupied by the Allied forces, of which the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France were part. Berlin, where the capital of Germany resided, lay deep in the Soviet occupied territory.
In 1949, a socialist state under Soviet influence called the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was instituted. This bred pro East, pro West and ultimately Berlin was split apart.
East Berlin and West Berlin formation
In 1949 East Berlin became the capital of East Germany, and West Berlin remained a Western Allied zone.
West Berlin served as a continuation of the political and economic relationship between West Germany and the Western Bloc, while East Berlin became an East German centre. It symbolised the wider Cold War line between the two sides of Berlin.
The Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall was erected in East Berlin by the Soviet backed East German government in 1961, separating the East and West Babelns. It was built to discourage Easters from fleeing to the West.
The story of the Berlin Wall affected life for Berliners. The wall separated families and many attempts to escape across the wall cost people their lives.
Life in East and West Berlin
East Berlin
Expressing their personal freedoms in East Berlin was limited to those under communist rule. The Socialist Unity Party ran the economy, also the media, and education system in accordance with the socialist ideals.
Life was closely monitored by the government and citizens faced censorship, tight control of their travel and work lives. And East Berlin had free healthcare and education.
West Berlin
In contrast, West Berlin aligned with the Western Bloc and had capitalist system. The standard of living was higher, freedom of speech was allowed, there were access to Western culture.
In the middle of the communist East, West Berlin was a beacon of democracy and capitalism. Intellectuals, artists, and the youth looking for alternative ideas and opportunities thronged it.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Until 1989 there was the division of Berlin, and a series of events result in the fall of the Berlin Wall. Political changes followed East Germany protests in demand of freedom and democracy.
On November 9, 1989, East German government casually announced that its citizens could cross the border. Crowds gathered — thousands, ripping the wall down with hammers and chisels.
The start of the end of the Cold War happened with the falling of the Berlin Wall. The collapse of the Soviet Union, and reunification of Germany, it was an emblem.
Conclusion
During the Cold War, divisions between East and West became a physical reality in the form of Berlin. The Berlin Wall was built and an event seen as a trade mark symbol of the ideological conflict of life in East versus West Berlin.
The fall of the Berlin Wall meant Germany was to be united, the end of the Cold War era. Today, Berlin is unifying and bustling city, a testament to its past of brutal history.