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The Fall of the Berlin Wall

For nearly 30 years, Berlin was divided not only by ideology, but also by a concrete fence that snaked its way through the city—an ugly symbol of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall, hastily built and demolished in protest, is about 43 kilometers long and is protected by barbed wire, military dogs and 55,000 mines. However, the wall, although erected from 1961 to 1989, could not escape a massive democratic movement that eventually overthrew the socialist East Germany (GDR) and hastened the end of the Cold War.

This wall originated at the end of World War II. At that time Germany was divided into four parts, occupied by the Allied powers. Although Berlin was located approximately 145 kilometers east of the East-West German border and was completely surrounded by Soviet territory, the city was originally divided into four parts, but by 1947 the city was merged into the East and West.

By 1949, two new Germanys were formally established. Socialist East Germany, ravaged by poverty and turbulent by strikes, was a response to East Germany’s new political and economic system. The resulting brain drain and labor shortage prompted East Germany to close its border with West Germany in 1952, making it increasingly difficult for people to cross from “communist” to “free” Europe.

East Germans began fleeing from the easier-to-pass East-West Berlin border instead. At one point, 1,700 people entered West Berlin from East Berlin every day seeking refugee status, and between 1949 and 1961 some 3 million East Germans entered West Germany via West Berlin.

In the early hours of August 13, 1961, while Berliners were still sleeping, East Germany began erecting fences and fences to block the entrance from East Berlin into the western half of the city. The overnight operation shocked Germans on both sides of the new border. There was also a series of tense standoffs between diplomats and troops on both sides as East German soldiers patrolled along the dividing line and laborers began to build concrete walls.

Eventually, East Germany erected 43 kilometers of concrete walls throughout the city. The Berlin Wall was actually two parallel walls dotted with watchtowers, separated by a “death zone” that contained paths for guard dogs, mines, barbed wire, and various obstacles designed to prevent escape. East German soldiers guarded the wall 24 hours a day, monitoring West Berlin, and had orders to shoot people if they found someone sneaking away.

There were indeed attempts to escape. At first, they ran directly from the houses by the wall; later, the houses were emptied and converted into the fortifications of the Berlin Wall. Other resourceful adventurers use tunnels, hot air balloons, and even trains to escape. Between 1961 and 1989, more than 5,000 people managed to escape. Others were not so lucky, with at least 140 people killed or killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall.

Over the years, the Berlin Wall has become a relentless symbol of the Cold War. By 1989, many East Germans had had enough. They staged a series of massive demonstrations demanding democracy. At the same time, the Soviet Union disintegrated due to economic difficulties and political restructuring.

On the evening of November 9, 1989, Günter Schabowski, a ruling party official in East Berlin, responded to the demonstrations by announcing that he was about to reform travel regulations, but he communicated so badly that it sounded like an East De is actually to open the border. Thousands of East Berliners flocked to the border crossing on the Berlin Wall, and the guards, who were confused, finally opened the gate.

As East Berliners swarmed through the wall, thousands of West Berliners greeted them with emotion and joy. As they rejoiced with champagne, music and tears, Berliners really began to tear down walls with sledgehammers and chisels. In less than a month, the entire East Germany collapsed, and in 1990 Germany was united.