The Building of the Wall
"Of course we will not build a wall!"
A Division of Power
After World War II, the war-torn country of Germany was split into four zones of occupation by the four victorious allies. Great Britain, France, and the U.S.A. occupied the western portion of Germany, or the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) and the communist USSR (The United Soviet Socialist Republic) occupied the east, or GDR (the German Democratic Republic). Germany’s former capital city, Berlin, was also split up like the rest of Germany, even though it was located in the eastern zone: the western part of the city was occupied by Great Britain, France, and The U.S.A., while the east was occupied by the USSR. The western countries’ plans for rebuilding included monetary support and support of infrastructure known as the Marshall Plan. The Soviets rejected this, because they did not want any “capitalist” aid.
But why could this be a problem? Great Britain, France, and The U.S.A. have what are commonly known as capitalist economies, in which an individual can own capital, meaning property and money, and sell things. In a communist economy, the government owns resources and distributes them. The Soviet Union did not agree with the capitalist principles. Its government was angry that there seemed to be a little island of capitalism, West Berlin, surrounded by communism. They claimed that it was “poisoning” their people, and they just wanted West Berlin gone. So, on June 24, 1948, the Soviets cut off all rail and transport and communication to West Berlin, so that they could control it. The people of West Berlin, without resources, began to starve. Luckily, the U.S. and Great Britain came to the rescue, with tons of food on transport planes. They kept up the “Berlin Airlift” until the Soviet blockade ended on May 12, 1949.
The Closing of the Border
After the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and with the help of the Marshall plan, its recovery from World War II proceeded fast in the 1950s. On the other hand, in the east many people were becoming disillusioned with the glorious claims of the communist party, which did not seem to be achievable. Many began leaving the German Democratic Republic and escaping to West Berlin for a better life. Talks of building a physical barrier abounded, but as late as June 15th, 1961, East German leader Walter Ulbricht denied any plan to build a wall at the border of West Berlin to East Berlin and West Germany to East Germany. More and more people were leaving the GDR. The economy was falling apart.
Walter Ulbricht had lied.
On August 13, 1961, almost overnight, East German border guards and workers began to build what came to be known as the infamous Berlin Wall. A barrier that would separate Berlin from Berlin, Germany from Germany for 28 years, a symbol of the Cold War and the inefficiencies of Communism was built in one day. Overnight, families were split in half, neighbors and friends cold no longer visit each other and hearts were broken.
After World War II, the war-torn country of Germany was split into four zones of occupation by the four victorious allies. Great Britain, France, and the U.S.A. occupied the western portion of Germany, or the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) and the communist USSR (The United Soviet Socialist Republic) occupied the east, or GDR (the German Democratic Republic). Germany’s former capital city, Berlin, was also split up like the rest of Germany, even though it was located in the eastern zone: the western part of the city was occupied by Great Britain, France, and The U.S.A., while the east was occupied by the USSR. The western countries’ plans for rebuilding included monetary support and support of infrastructure known as the Marshall Plan. The Soviets rejected this, because they did not want any “capitalist” aid.
But why could this be a problem? Great Britain, France, and The U.S.A. have what are commonly known as capitalist economies, in which an individual can own capital, meaning property and money, and sell things. In a communist economy, the government owns resources and distributes them. The Soviet Union did not agree with the capitalist principles. Its government was angry that there seemed to be a little island of capitalism, West Berlin, surrounded by communism. They claimed that it was “poisoning” their people, and they just wanted West Berlin gone. So, on June 24, 1948, the Soviets cut off all rail and transport and communication to West Berlin, so that they could control it. The people of West Berlin, without resources, began to starve. Luckily, the U.S. and Great Britain came to the rescue, with tons of food on transport planes. They kept up the “Berlin Airlift” until the Soviet blockade ended on May 12, 1949.
The Closing of the Border
After the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and with the help of the Marshall plan, its recovery from World War II proceeded fast in the 1950s. On the other hand, in the east many people were becoming disillusioned with the glorious claims of the communist party, which did not seem to be achievable. Many began leaving the German Democratic Republic and escaping to West Berlin for a better life. Talks of building a physical barrier abounded, but as late as June 15th, 1961, East German leader Walter Ulbricht denied any plan to build a wall at the border of West Berlin to East Berlin and West Germany to East Germany. More and more people were leaving the GDR. The economy was falling apart.
Walter Ulbricht had lied.
On August 13, 1961, almost overnight, East German border guards and workers began to build what came to be known as the infamous Berlin Wall. A barrier that would separate Berlin from Berlin, Germany from Germany for 28 years, a symbol of the Cold War and the inefficiencies of Communism was built in one day. Overnight, families were split in half, neighbors and friends cold no longer visit each other and hearts were broken.