Berlin Wall Research Paper

Following the conclusion of World War II, the control of Germany was left in the hands of four powerful countries: Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union. The division of Germany and the tensions that resulted contributed to the start of the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin wall sparked the initial discussion over the reunification of Germany, until it was officially reunified in 1990. The losses Germany suffered during World War II, the various changes in leadership, and Cold War events all influenced and led up to the eventual reunification of the country.

To conclude their involvement in World War II, the Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945. During this war Germany suffered many casualties, economic losses, and was left

with an unorganized government. Due to the war, between six and nine million German lives were lost and the economy was a mess. “Twenty percent of all housing was destroyed, food production per capita was only 51 percent of its level in 1938 and industrial output was only one-third its 1938 level” (“German Economic Miracle”). After the war, the country’s leadership consisted of four major powers: Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Between July and August of 1945, the Potsdam Conference was held in order to discuss the conditions of Germany and further courses of action. Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Harry Truman all attended this conference. As a whole, it was agreed upon that all aspects of the German military would be broken down within these four zones.
Though this was one thing all four powers could agree upon, their methods of governing often varied. The United States sought to avoid the harsh treatment of Germany and encouraged German restoration. “U.S. occupation policy was characterized by programs to eliminate all traces of Nazi influence, introduce democratic institutions, and assure that German industry was used only for peaceful purposes.” (“1945-1955- Postwar Germany”). Britain, France, and the United States had many ideas in common regarding the reconstruction of Germany. Unlike the United States, the Soviets favored a more severe course of action regarding German reconstruction and reparations, particularly ones that benefited the Soviet Union (The Potsdam Conference, 1945).
The variations of ideas directly contribute to the start of the Cold War.

Since the United States, Britain, and France all had common beliefs regarding Germany, they eventually merged into one large zone. This zone occupied the western part of Germany, leaving the Soviets with their zone in the east. One of the common goals among the western zones were to help rebuild the economy. As a result, the West established a new kind of currency. Due to already existing tensions with the United States, the Soviets, rather than viewing the merging of the West and this new form of currency as progress, viewed these actions as threats.

In response to these actions, the Soviets established the Berlin Blockade, which later turned into the Berlin Wall. The purpose of the Berlin Wall was to “physically divide the country into eastern communism and western democracy. After it was built, citizens from the East tried to escape to the West because it was economically prosperous and granted its citizens more freedoms” (“Separation of Berlin”). The Berlin Wall divided Germany for about twenty-eight years, between the years of 1961 and

1989.
Previous and ongoing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union contributed to the escalation of the Cold War. Such tensions were created as a result of the United States’ concern about Soviet leadership and communism, and were continued by the Soviet’s bitterness towards the United States’ late participation in World War II. The merging of the western zones with the United States, Britain, and France only heightened these tensions. “After the war ended, these grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity. Postwar Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe fueled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world” (“Cold War History”). Due to a mutual fear of the other having more power, there was a constant sense of uneasiness between the United States and Soviet Union.
In order to establish new foreign policy for the United States, President Harry Truman instituted the Truman Doctrine. This doctrine expressed the United States’ intentions for their involvement in foreign issues. Specifically, it stated that the United States would provide “political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces” (“The Truman Doctrine, 1947”). This provided foreign countries with the support of the United States, making them less susceptible to being victimized by authoritarian powers like the Soviet Union.
On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall was officially demolished.

This was made possible by the uneasiness of the seperated German citizens and changes in politics at that time. For close to thirty years this wall restricted people from job opportunities, family and friends, and freedoms in the West. Therefore, the German citizens of the East were more than eager to travel to the West once these conditions became less restricting. “The political, economic and social impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall further weakened the already unstable East German government” (“What Was the Berlin Wall and How Did It Fall?”). When the East Germans jumped at the opportunity to travel West, they were simultaneously jumping at the opportunity to reunify

Germany.
The fall of the Berlin Wall sparked the initial discussion over the reunification of Germany. Approximately eleven months passed between the fall of the wall and the official reunification. The West favored reunification much more than the East did, but once the Berlin Wall fell reunification was essentially inevitable. “West Germany's efforts to improve its relations with Eastern European states are consciously perceived as promoting its influence with the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and ultimately drawing the two states closer together” ("The German Question and Reunification”). Though many favored the reunification of Germany, reunification could not be completed without the cooperation of both East and West Germany along with their allies. In Germany, October 3, 1990 became a day known as “The Day of German Unity.” On this day, West Germany was joined by East Germany to officially reunify the country. Every year on this day German citizens come together and celebrate the reunification of their country.
As a country, Germany experienced many changes after the conclusion of World War II. Despite the loss and chaos throughout the country following the war, Germany was able to recover and reunite. Three of the major powers, sharing similar goals for Germany, joined together so the country was only divided into two. Though this division and the tensions that came with it contributed greatly to the Cold War, their differences were addressed through many of the nation’s leaders. As a result of the efforts made to demolish the Berlin Wall, the Germans became one step closer to reunification.