The United States, France, Great Britain (the Western powers) and the Soviet Union (the Soviet Powers) had allied to fight in World War II because of a common enemy, Adolph Hitler, the powerful German leader who was mainly responsible for World War II. Soon, however, the Western powers feared the spread of communism and the Soviet powers. Because of this, cooperation between the two different powers and governments began to break down and they no longer trusted each other. The result was the beginning of the Cold War.

During the Cold War there was no direct military conflict; however, intense economic and diplomatic struggles erupted leading to mutual suspicion and hostility in an escalating ideological rivalry. The Soviets tried to spread communism to every nation by forming satellite nations (countries controlled by the Soviet Union). U.S. President Truman tried to limit the spread of communism, however, by getting the United States to contain the spread of the Soviet Union influence. He did this with the Truman Doctrine of 1947 in which the United States was to aid any country that was in danger of Soviet take over. Under this act, the United States’ Congress sent $400 million in military aid to Greece and Turkey.

The chief struggle between the Western powers and the Soviet Union came over Germany. The Western powers had slowly moved toward forming a self-governing, economically strong German state. However, the Soviets did not favor this idea. They wanted to keep control over their zone in Germany. 2

Germany was divided into four sectors. Each of the four sectors was controlled by the United States, Great Britain, France, and Russia. The United States, Great Britain, and France all combined their sectors and formed a democratic state that they called the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in the west while Russia created a communist state that was called the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the east.

When the Western Powers had announced their plans for a West German government, Stalin, the Soviet leader, cut off all roads, rails, and telephones in the East to prevent Western contact. He then created a land and sea blockade around Berlin. However, this was not going to stop Truman. He commanded an airlift to East Berlin along with the British since the air was not blocked off. In this way, food, coal, and many other necessities were delivered to Berlin and sick children were carried to the safe Western hospitals. Because the blockade was now proven ineffective to Stalin it was lifted; therefore, communication and transportation were now possible into the West. Soon after the crisis ended, America joined the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), whose philosophy was stated as: “An attack against any one of its members would be treated as an attack on all.” 3 The U.S. joined the alliance in hope that the Soviet forces would fear any counterattack and withdraw any aggression it held toward the Western Powers.

Soon, communism spread to China and East-West relationships grew worse during the Korean War. Eventually a barrier was created between East and West Berlin. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, called this barrier the “iron curtain.” Even though Berlin lay deep inside of the Soviet sector, the Western Powers also divided the city into four parts. Once again, the United States, Great Britain, and France created West Berlin, a democratic area, and the Soviets created East Berlin, a communist area. East Berlin then became East Germany’s capital.

There were vast differences between the lifestyles of the divided people of Berlin. The people of West Berlin prospered, but unfortunately the people of East Berlin did not. In East Berlin, people were suffering and poor compared to the people of West Berlin. A lot of the people in East Berlin did not enjoy being a part of the German Democratic Republic, for many of them were not even communists. In East Berlin there were food and supply shortages while in West Berlin they had plenty of food and supplies. The people of East Berlin were not allowed to have private trade or own private land. Also, many of them were forced to work on state owned farms. For these reasons many of the refugees in East Berlin crossed the border into West Berlin in hopes of finding a new way of life and better jobs.

In order to prevent the refugees from leaving East Berlin the Soviets built what they called the “anti-fascist protection wall” which used barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles, but this still did not keep the refugees from escaping. The authorities then added tanks at important streets that were around the wall and tore up the roads to build barricades. Even this effort had not stopped many of the people of East Berlin from escaping to West Berlin. The refugees had begun to build tunnels underneath the wall that led to West Berlin.

There were many tunnels dug under the wall. The tunnel system was an extraordinary resistance movement dug by hundreds of East Berlin students with thousands more willing to help. The first successful tunnel was in an East Berlin Graveyard. Mourners brought flowers to a grave and then dropped out of sight. A woman with a baby accidentally found the tunnel and escaped leaving the baby carriage. The police found the carriage and closed the tunnel. The largest tunnel was in the basement of a house at No. 60 Wernerstrasse. 29 people were freed from this location. 4

Finally, to prevent further escape, the GDR destroyed all houses that were near the wall.

The German Democaratic Republic finally stopped all subways, telephone wires, and railroads going to West Berlin and no longer allowed contact with West Berlin. Yet, people still managed to get through the wall with cigarette and money bribes. Many others also scaled the wall with ropes and twine so the selling of these objects was soon banned in East Berlin.

A more permanent structure was built in 1961 – The Berlin Wall. It was 166 kilometers long and about four meters high. Behind it was a trench to stop vehicles and it was topped with barbed wire and concrete tubing. Beyond that was a patrol track with watchdogs, watchtowers, and bunkers, which were further reinforced by another wall. All of this construction cut off 192 roads. Over five thousand refugees tried to escape through the wall, although over a hundred died in the attempt. Many refugees were shot by the GDR border guards.

Two interesting examples of desperate escape attempts are noteworthy. On August 17, 1962, Peter Fechter, age 18 at the time, attempted to climb the wall and was shot by the patrol guards and left to bleed to death. After Peter’s tragic death riots broke out all over Western Berlin. The people of West Berlin felt that the Americans should make an attempt to put an end to the Berlin Wall. President John F. Kennedy received this message and flew to East Germany to ask the U.S.S.R. to tear down the wall. While on his way another daring escape attempt had been made from East Berlin. Two families, The Wetzels and Strelzycks had purchased small amounts of nylon cloth. From this material they had built a hot air balloon large enough to hold about eight people in it. One midnight they drove to a deserted field and took off in the balloon to West Berlin, but the gas burner died and they soon fell. However, when they got out they found that they had reached their destination of freedom already. When the GDR found out about this incident, they banned the selling of all lightweight fabrics in East Berlin. This balloon escape angered the Soviets and the GDR making Kennedy’s plea to them to tear down the wall unattainable.

Soon, Hungary had joined the communist party and opened their doors to the west. Because migration to communist states was not prohibited, many of the people of East Berlin fled through Hungary into Western Germany going around the Berlin Wall. Tensions in East Berlin continued to mount.

In the 1980’s Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, gave the Russians freedoms that he did not give to the people of East Berlin and the people demanded to know why they had not received the same freedoms. They protested until the president of East Berlin, Erich Honecker resigned and was replaced by Agon Krenz. The reform movement gained momentum and protests in East Berlin became regular occurrences. People began to speak in masses until the GDR had no choice but to concede to the demands or to crack down militarily. Because they did not want to handle the political pressure the entire politburo, or congress of East Germany, resigned. The people had won and gained their new freedoms. The communist president still led the government; however, the people gained more control by each day.

On November 9, 1989 the president caved in and opened border crossing points. At first the border guards did not want to let the people through, but the people continued to push them until Checkpoint Charley and the Brandenburg Gate were opened. The people had won again.

In their excitement the people climbed onto the top of the wall and it wasn’t long until they tried to tear the wall itself down. “Woodpeckers” started to use hammers and chisels to knock out pieces of the wall. Many of the people of East Berlin immigrated to West Berlin. There were many celebrations as East and West Berlin were reunited.

Afterwards, East and West Berlin became one Germany that took the form of the Federal Republic of Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall actually occurred on November 10, 1989. The physical dismantling of the structure began in December. “The wall’s destruction would become a new symbol for the rebirth of the freedom that would shortly sweep throughout Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.” 5

The results of the fall of the Berlin Wall were astounding worldwide. Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall, China as well as almost every other communist country began a more democratic government. Today all that physically remains of the Berlin Wall is a red line where it had stood and also preserved are areas of historical importance such as the sections with graffiti on it. Although the barricade is gone, the memories of the emotional barrier remain with those affected by the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier between East and West Berlin and a symbol of human oppression. It has left financial and emotional scars in the lives of the people who have been involved, especially for all of those who have lost friends and family members to it. It has been an issue since the rise and fall of communism and is still discussed today. The Berlin Wall continues to be truly a major turning point in history.