The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall, also known as Die Berliner Mauer, was a guarded concrete barrier that surrounded West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was built by the government of East Germany to prevent people from escaping to the West. The wall had guard towers, concrete walls, and a "death strip" with anti-vehicle trenches and other defenses. The Soviet Bloc propaganda depicted the Berlin Wall as protection against "fascist elements" and referred to it as the Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart. The West Berlin city government called it the "Wall of Shame" due to its restriction on freedom of movement. Together with the inner German border, it symbolized the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Before the Wall was built, 3.5 million East Germans found ways to escape to the West. However, once the Wall was erected, it prevented almost all emigration. Despite this, over 100,000 people attempted to escape, with over 5,000 succeeding. Tragically, there were estimates of 136 to over 200 deaths caused by East German authorities.
In 1989, revolutions in nearby Eastern Bloc countries, like Poland and Hungary, sparked a chain reaction in East Germany. The peaceful development led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. The Wall's demolition began in 1990, paving the way for German reunification.
After World War II, the remaining part of Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. Berlin was also divided into four sectors, even though it was located within the Soviet zone.
Within two years, tensions grew between the Soviets and the other occupying powers. The Soviets refused to support Germany's self-sufficiency and provide a detailed account of industrial assets. In response, France, the UK, the US, and the Benelux countries joined forces to combine the non-Soviet zones for reconstruction and extend the Marshall Plan. After World War II, the Soviet Union established communist regimes in several occupied countries, forming the Eastern Bloc. This led to the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, with NATO and the Warsaw Pact as opposing alliances. While there was no direct military confrontation, conflicts arose through proxy wars. The Warsaw Pact's biggest military action was the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
After the War, the USSR established a Soviet-style regime in the occupied zone of Germany, creating the GDR. The country had a centrally planned socialist economy, nationalized means of production, and repressive secret police under the SED party dictatorship. the Western powers established their own country in the zones they occupied, leading to the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany. The standard of living in the Western zones improved, prompting many people from the Soviet zone to migrate westward in search of a better life. This migration, known as "Republikflucht," resulted in a loss of skilled workers and highly educated individuals from the Soviet zone. In 1948, when the Western powers wanted to establish their own government and provide economic aid to Germany, the Soviets responded with the Berlin Blockade. They blocked land routes to West Berlin, but the US and other countries initiated a massive airlift to supply the city. The Soviets tried to disrupt elections and there were protests in support of the airlift. Eventually, Stalin lifted the blockade in May 1949. On October 7, 1949, East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was established. The USSR transferred power to the Provisorische Volkskammer under the new GDR Constitution. However, the Soviets maintained control over the GDR through various structures and a significant military presence. Even after the GDR gained legal sovereignty in 1955, the Soviet Union continued to exert influence through their embassy and military presence, which was used to suppress protests in 1953. East Germany and West Germany took different paths. West Germany became a capitalist country with economic growth and a democratic government. This led to a better standard of living, making many East Germans want to move there. After World War II, many people in the newly acquired areas of the Eastern Bloc wanted independence and for the Soviets to leave. The number of East Germans moving to West Germany increased significantly in 1953 due to fear of further Soviet influence. In the first half of that year alone, 226,000 people fled. As economic problems grew in the Eastern Bloc, the influence of the USSR weakened. For example, in 1989, Poland's communist government fell, and Hungary started dismantling its border fence with Austria. However, escaping was still very difficult.
The opening of the border gate between Austria and Hungary during the Pan-European Picnic in August 1989 triggered a peaceful chain reaction. The non-reaction of the USSR and the GDR to the mass exodus made Eastern Europeans realize the loss of power in their governments. Many East Germans tried to flee through Hungary, and thousands escaped to Austria. The events led to a flood of East Germans seeking refuge at the West German embassy. The East German government stopped further travel to Hungary but allowed those already there to return. This triggered similar events in Czechoslovakia, leading to mass demonstrations in East Germany. The protests grew, with half a million people gathering at Alexanderplatz on November 4th. Erich Honecker resigned on October 18th. More and more East Germans were leaving for the West, going through Hungary or the West German Embassy in Prague. The Krenz government allowed this movement, but it caused difficulties. On November 9th, they decided to let refugees exit directly through crossing points between East and West Germany. The new regulations would take effect the next day. Günter Schabowski, the party boss in East Berlin, was supposed to announce the new regulations, but he wasn't fully informed. During a press conference, he read a note stating that the regulations would take effect immediately. He later confirmed that it included border crossings into West Berlin. East Germans gathered at the Wall, demanding to be let through. The overwhelmed guards eventually opened the checkpoints, allowing people to cross with little identity checking. It seems that another border crossing to the south may have opened earlier, allowing some East Berliners to appear in West Berlin before the Bornholmer Straße border crossing opened.
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