The Cold War represented ongoing worldwide rivalry between Soviet Russia and American forces. Berlin took on special importance as the main symbol of geopolitical division since it served as Germany’s national capital. The city of Berlin lived in Soviet-controlled East Germany yet it split into two sectors East Berlin and West Berlin. The way Berlin divided itself made a special situation continue throughout all Cold War years.

The Division of Berlin

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied powers: During the Cold War various places the United States occupied with the Soviet Union alongside Great Britain and France. Berlin received separation into four areas because it fell under Soviet control. The Soviet part turned into East Berlin and all remaining sections combined to create West Berlin.

Under Soviet direction East Berlin operated independently from its connection to West Berlin which came under joint U.S. British and French administration. The two sides were fully divided from each other through the Berlin Wall which marked the geographic line between communist East and democratic West.

The Berlin Wall

Officials built the Berlin Wall in 1961 as a border defense to stop East German citizens from trying to reach Western countries. Soldiers patrolled an extensive wall system made of obstructive barriers and protective fences towered with guard installations. After its construction the wall stopped all direct transit between West Berlin and East Germany plus its neighbors.

For thirty years the Soviet-controlled wall blocked any movement between East and West Germany. From this period it represented Cold War tensions and the geographic rift in Europe.

Life in East and West Berlin

Living conditions in East and West Berlin during the Cold War were starkly different:

East Berlin:

• People lived under communist leadership yet they had few rights to make choices in politics.
• The communist system ran operations through government control of production and trading decisions.
• Authorities maintained tight border restrictions plus tight limits on travel to capitalist areas.
• They had minimal contact with Western cultural sources

West Berlin:

• The system of representative democracy exists alongside political rights for its citizens
• Business sectors and trade work under a free market system.
• Residents could move to and from Western border areas without limits
• People in this region could easily experience Western products from television to movies and regular goods

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall failed and this signified the start of the Cold War’s conclusion. The wall’s collapse happened because new political decisions met strong public desire campaigns.

More and more people joined public protests against East German leadership. Under continuous public protests the East German leadership opened the border to let East Berliners move without restrictions.

When the Berlin Wall fell the German people were united and Europe’s political configuration changed permanently.

Conclusion

During the Cold War Berlin existed inside East Germany’s borders. Despite being one city German authorities allowed Soviet rule over East Berlin while the US, France, and Great Britain co-managed West Berlin. During the Cold War communist East and democratic West separated from each other by the Berlin Wall. On November 9th 1989 the Berlin Wall collapsed which started the process of uniting the two parts of Germany while ending the worldwide conflict called the Cold War.