Berlin

The Berlin Wall is a physical testament to the tension between the Soviets and the United States and how the Cold War affected other nations. The Wall encompassed the entirety of West Berlin and served as a barrier to not only prevent a majority of movement between the two halves of Berlin, but also to demonstrate the Soviet ownership of the region. While the construction of the Berlin Wall was not the initial conflict between the US and the Soviets, it exacerbated the hostility between the two nations. On August 12th 1961 at 4 pm Walter Ulbricht, leader of East Germany approved the command to close the border, and the next night the city watched as a wall was built encircling it. During the construction, all transport lines are cut, and East Berliners will not be able to travel to the west until 1989. The wall began as merely a fence and barbed wire entanglements, as time progressed, the wall was developed into a complex system including multiple walls and fences and guard towers. This menacing wall served to demoralize the Western Berliners, cutting them off from their families, jobs, and any real outside connection. The East German government argued that the wall was established for the purpose of preventing Western aggression, yet West Berliners could travel to East Berlin. Throughout the era of the Berlin wall, many escape attempts were made, some of which failed. While approximately 5,000 East Berliners managed to escape to West Berlin, reports say around 200 failed and were shot and killed. The Berlin Wall is a perfect example of change for the worse, the Berlin Wall solidified a boundary which not only claimed the lives of many citizens, but also drastically impacted its population. This conflict is a prime example of the struggle for power between the US and Soviets because while the US could assist Western Berliners with the little support it could provide, it was powerless to interject in the affairs of East Berlin. The Berlin Wall remained for more than 28 years, and served as a detriment to Allied forces, as well as the Berlin population.

Source: Burkhardt , Heiko. "Berlin Wall Online." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/>.