Berlin Wall Research Paper
Samuel Skultety
Mr. Reyes
AP US History
9 January 2015
The Berlin Wall: How it Rose and the Impact of the United States In 1948, my grandfather was 14 years old. Although he lived in a somewhat secluded area, he was similar to every young boy in Leipzig, Germany in the 1940s. He went to school, helped around the house, and played soccer with his friends. My great-grandmother was a teacher in the local school district and my great-grandfather was a shoemaker who supplied goods for the town. However, my grandfather and many young people were living a less satisfying life than it may portray. Living in eastern Germany presented …show more content…
Walter Ulbricht, a communist leader from East Germany, signed the order to construct the Berlin Wall in 1961. According to the GDR, the barrier was officially referred to as the “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart”. This name displayed the self-centered intentions of East Germany, subliminally accusing the West Germany and countries of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) of being fascists. For its enemies, the Wall was occasionally referred to as the “Wall of Shame”, coming from West Germany’s Mayor Willy Brandt. US president Lyndon B. Johnson flew to Berlin, showing his support of West Germany. Three days later, 1,500 US troops were sent to Germany and were stationed in West Berlin. It was argued that the Wall restricted the Germans’ freedom of movement, which was restricted due to the prevention of emigration. Over 100,000 people attempted to escape over the wall. However, only between five thousand and ten thousand people succeeded in their mission. Two hundred other people were killed trying to escape, many of them either getting shot by guards or undergoing a fatal accident. The ones who failed in getting over the wall usually suffered in what known as the Death Strip. Serving not only as a physical separation of Germany, but also as a boundary between communism and capitalism, the barricade provoked tension and rebellion, not only domestically, but internationally. US president Ronald Reagan issued a challenge to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the wall, remarked notably in the words “Tear down this wall!” during a speech at the Bradenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall. Gorbachev threw the responsibility of the global problems on the Eastern Europeans, and it was this man who eventually led to the fall of the wall. On November 9, 1989, a mass amount of people from both sides surrounded the wall
Mr. Reyes
AP US History
9 January 2015
The Berlin Wall: How it Rose and the Impact of the United States In 1948, my grandfather was 14 years old. Although he lived in a somewhat secluded area, he was similar to every young boy in Leipzig, Germany in the 1940s. He went to school, helped around the house, and played soccer with his friends. My great-grandmother was a teacher in the local school district and my great-grandfather was a shoemaker who supplied goods for the town. However, my grandfather and many young people were living a less satisfying life than it may portray. Living in eastern Germany presented …show more content…
Walter Ulbricht, a communist leader from East Germany, signed the order to construct the Berlin Wall in 1961. According to the GDR, the barrier was officially referred to as the “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart”. This name displayed the self-centered intentions of East Germany, subliminally accusing the West Germany and countries of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) of being fascists. For its enemies, the Wall was occasionally referred to as the “Wall of Shame”, coming from West Germany’s Mayor Willy Brandt. US president Lyndon B. Johnson flew to Berlin, showing his support of West Germany. Three days later, 1,500 US troops were sent to Germany and were stationed in West Berlin. It was argued that the Wall restricted the Germans’ freedom of movement, which was restricted due to the prevention of emigration. Over 100,000 people attempted to escape over the wall. However, only between five thousand and ten thousand people succeeded in their mission. Two hundred other people were killed trying to escape, many of them either getting shot by guards or undergoing a fatal accident. The ones who failed in getting over the wall usually suffered in what known as the Death Strip. Serving not only as a physical separation of Germany, but also as a boundary between communism and capitalism, the barricade provoked tension and rebellion, not only domestically, but internationally. US president Ronald Reagan issued a challenge to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the wall, remarked notably in the words “Tear down this wall!” during a speech at the Bradenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall. Gorbachev threw the responsibility of the global problems on the Eastern Europeans, and it was this man who eventually led to the fall of the wall. On November 9, 1989, a mass amount of people from both sides surrounded the wall