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An essay on the Berlin wall
The consequences of the Berlin wall
An essay on the Berlin wall
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When World War II ended in 1945 there are a few things that people have learned but also may not remember from history. The fears of having another nuclear apocalypse, in Germany, was a occurring thought every day during the Cold War. Beginning with after World War II the time period then was called the Cold War. After that, Germany was spilt into two halves, the Soviet and non- Soviet. Then, leading to a barrier that separated Germany, splitting families and ruining lives for the people; only due to Soviet wanting more power. Right after that, the separation had caused west and East Berlin to think they would be forever apart… permanently… during the Cold War; though rights and freedom changed over time for the people. Finally, the people of Germany evolved to the separation, but politics and the world around Germany changed and moved on to take down the wall. The rights of Germans on either side reflect on the political changes in their country, Germany.
First off, after World War II the setting of Germans life style and events piled up to a climax point. At any moment someone could do something to start a third war because of the Soviet ruling and the starting of politics. East Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union Russians, and the West side had three allies which included the United States, Great Britain, and later on France joined them as republic. Separation of the Soviet and Non-Soviet was always a problem. When World War II ended, there was a loss of supplies, food, clothes, hope, everything. Germany’s recovery was slow just like everywhere else. East Germans citizens moved to West Germany in a rush for the better provided things from the more wealthy state. East Germanys Russian police blocked off West Germany f...
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...an the wall being put up. Just over one day, they were together again. With the wall being down they were given hope, they get to see their families; it was like having a new start.
Over all in Germany, they had so many huge changes for them; it had become one new and better country overtime that now is united. There is a reflection on how Germany came through in the end with tearing down the Berlin Wall and how the Cold War ended everywhere over the world with that symbol gone. A country had been through the worst, a truly pitiful time in history for Germany. Though there is a happy ending after the wall got torn down. They could live their old lives how they have longed to, for twenty years, they had to wait. Through the ups and the downs, through the political wars Germany has faced, the history of the Berlin Wall is something you can remember, and learn from.
It did provide German Democratic Republic with economic stability, however, the number of suicides and people trying to cross the wall cannot be undermined. The “Grenzganger”, were exploited by not being allowed to “jump the queue” meaning even if the workers were skilled and had prior experience, they had to “start at the bottom of the factory”. The slogan “Kompamentionsaufgebot” was used which meant that the workers had to produce more at the same time with the same pay. Though the closing of the passage between the East and West Berlin did have an increase in the agricultural aspect after the pressure as in about three weeks after the closure, it was reported that the agriculture had gained stability in the villages.
On September 1st, 1939 Germany invaded Poland, which started World War II in Europe. The war between Germany and the Soviet Union was one of the deadliest and largest wars of all mankind. It caused an overall change in Jewish people’s lives because they lost family members, homes, and the reason to live. There was a political shift in climate during that time because of the mass genocide it caused. Germany went from a place where people lived to a huge European power that singled out one race.
Germany continued to push buttons resulting in the world jumping into a World War. Nations desired to grow and gain more influence. Danger increased while others selfish dictators were trying to bloom. In The Treaty of Versailles an article stated that German troops were forbidden from entering
After World War II, many countries have serious problems in almost all areas, political, social and economic. At one of the winners of the major issues after the war were the German question and the reason for the conflict between them, and led to the division of Germany and Europe.
1945 in east Berlin the red flags are raised, bombs were dropped and the Russians arrived.
The main reason was that people were discomposed that Germany had lost a war and most of the people blame for the defeat. On the other hand, during 1929-1933, the worldwide Great Depression, which impacted Germany, and there was no leader of Weimar could solve the economic problem.
...y important that the bigger part is long gone, which is tearing down the physical wall. The one and last element that is left for German people is the wall in their minds. As it can be seen from discussion above, only time can bring together the true reunification of German People. With the time, there is very little to do but wait, however we can help by helping and educating each other so what happened in 1961 won’t be repeated by generations to come.
Frank Schulz, a 35-year-old Berlin postman, is a prime example of the effects. Six days a week, Schulz sets off to deliver 100 kilos of mail heaped into leather bags on his bright yellow Post Office bicycle in a Berlin neighborhood called Kopenik.... ... middle of paper ... ... Canning, Kathleen. “Responses to German Reunification.”
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 precipitated the Reunification of Germany in 1990. Negotiations and talks between East German’s Lothar de Maiziere and West German’s Helmut Kohl and the four occupying powers of United States, United Kingdom, France, and Soviet Union resulted in the Unification Treaty or the “Two plus Four Treaty” recognizing the sovereignty of the newly unified German state. The five states of German Democratic Republic or East Germany united with Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany and Berlin became a unified city on October 3, 1990 marking the die wende or Turning Point. “By early 1991, however, not much more than a year after the barricade surrounding the Brandenburg Gate was actually removed, most Germans, East and West, were asking themselves whether the Wall’s absence was, by itself sufficient to bring the nation together again” (McAdams 199).” Zealous attempts to restructure East Germany’s economy after reunification in 1990 led to massive debt and high taxation, sparking disillusionment and frustration among German citizens, which resulted in a divided and unequal economy.
On June 5th 1945, Germany lost WWII. The allied powers of the United States, the United Kingdom and the USSR won. They decided to divide Germany into four different zones: one each for the US, UK, USSR and France. The city of Berlin was also divided into four zones. Unfortunately the city of Berlin was right in the middle on the Russian zone, surrounded by land and waterways that were controlled by Russians. When differences and disagreements start with the Soviet Union, Stalin would try to use Berlin to force the other allies into agreeing with his vision of the future. The Berlin blockade ad the Berlin airlift that followed was caused buy political and economic differences between the united states and its allies and the soviet union and how they wanted to treat Germany after WWII.
The Berlin Crisis reached its height in the fall of 1961. Between August and October of that year, the world watched as the United States and the Soviet Union faced off across a new Cold War barrier, the Berlin Wall. In some ways, the Wall was Khrushchev’s response to Kennedy’s conventional buildup at the end of July, and there were some in the West who saw it that way. However, as Hope Harrison has clearly shown, Khrushchev was not the dominant actor in the decision to raise the Wall, but rather acquiesced to pressure from East German leader Walter Ulbricht, who regarded the Wall as the first step to resolving East Germany’s political and economic difficulties. The most pressing of these difficulties was the refugee problem, which was at its height in the summer of 1961 as thousands of East Germans reacted to the increased tensions by fleeing westward. But Ulbricht also saw the Wall as a way to assert East German primacy in Berlin, and thus as a way to increase the pressure on the West to accept East German sovereignty over all of Berlin.
The division of Germany into West Germany and East Germany emerged as a stopgap solution for the woeful state of the nation following its defeat in the Second World War. With the United States (US) ultimately gaining full control over West Germany, East Germany increasingly became alienated towards it, as it went under the influence of the Soviet Union (USSR). West Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), rapidly grew into one of the most politically and economically influential nations in Europe representing the democratic interests of the US in the region, while East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), went seemingly the other way. East Germans became increasingly disillusioned by the way their politicians have promoted communism in the GDR, characterized by oppressive measures and sheer inequality in living standards. The Stasi, the secret police unit of the GDR, closely monitored East Germans and purged those who are suspected or proven dissidents, while politicians of the nation enjoyed living standards that are way superior compared to the average East German. West Germans, on the other hand, enjoyed the benefits of political and economic reforms brought forth by the democratic influence of the US. Therefore, discontentment among East Germans increased the prospect of unification of the FRG and GDR – an issue that was never written off in consideration, only further complicated by political differences. Nevertheless, eventual unification of the FRG and GDR following the symbolic collapse of the Berlin Wall did not completely result to favorable circumstances, as problems that continued to alienate matters between the Western and Eastern sections of Germany remain unresolved (Brockman ...
...itory. Germany was left weak in every aspect. The people of Germany were left emotionally disconnected, which was why Adolf Hitler was able to easily preach his ideas. The unjust treatment towards Germany was a cause of World War II. This was something far worse than World War I, which was unimaginable at the time.
The collapse of the Berlin Wall changed Western Europe as we know it today. The Iron Curtain which had split Europe had ascended and the once divided germans were reunited under one common nation. The causal factors which resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall were internal — communism imploded upon itself—. Gorbachev attempted to reform communism through Glasnost and Perestroika, which were supposed to incorporate economic reforms and transparency, however, history illustrates that increased liberty is incompatible with communism. Dr. Schmidtke argued that structural deficiencies led along with poor economic growth which led to the collapse of communism in Europe, and consequently the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The alienation of intellectuals and the authoritative nature of communist regimes further contributed to the failure of communism in Europe. However, the collapse of the Berlin Wall would not have occurred had it not been for Gorbachev’s Glasnost, Perestroika, and the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine. Along with German official Schabowski whose actions were the catalyst for the mass exodus of persons from the GDR into West Germany. The Collapse of the Berlin Wall would not have occurred so swiftly had Gorbachev not tried to implement reforms to communism.
After the Second World War, Germany was seized by a crisis, which was due to numerous human casualties in the war, the collapse of the economy, and ideas of National Socialism (Sheffer, Edith). To restore Germany, it was decided to occupy all of its territories by countries between the United States, Britain, Soviet Union, and France. At that time, America and the Soviet Union were in a state of Cold War. This led to Germany, especially Berlin, becoming a kind of platform for the distribution of spheres of influence. Consequently, Germany was wedged between the opposing fire of capitalism and socialism, forcing it to undoubtedly be the anvil for an extended period of time after the war (Sheffer).