Preview

The Fall of Berlin Wall

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1255 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Fall of Berlin Wall
The Fall of Berlin Wall > 1989

It has been 23 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Following World War II, the area that was Germany was divided into four military sectors controlled by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union. On May 23, 1949, the sectors controlled by France, the United Kingdom and the United States became the Federal Republic of Germany. On October 7, 1949, the sector controlled by the Soviet Union became the German Democratic Republic.
The two countries developed very different political and economic systems and, due to the tensions in post-war Europe, there was little contact between the inhabitants of the two countries.
A protest against the German Democratic Republic's government occurred in Leipzig on September 4, 1989. More demonstrations took place across the German Democratic Republic.
The protests called for political reform and to open the borders. On November 9, 1989, the checkpoints between the two countries were opened and people were allowed to travel freely. This date marked the "fall" of the Berlin wall.

Those who were around at the time, or who personally experienced what it was like to live in one of the countries behind the so-called Iron Curtain, will never forget what happened when it fell. The world changed and has never been the same since. Millions of people gained their freedom; freedom to think, speak, write, travel, express their opinion.

Moreover, two decades after the Berlin Wall fell, the spread of democracy has stalled. Between 1988 and 1990, as the Cold War was winding down, prodemocracy protests erupted far from Eastern Europe, overturning dictatorships in countries as different as Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan and Chile. After the Soviet disintegration, even Russia emerged as a credible candidate for democratic reform.

The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which was the ultimate symbol of the Cold War, was a major turning point in the collapse of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Unit 9 Final Project

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 1961, millions of people crossed the Berlin wall escaping from the tyrannical oppression of The Soviet Union. This event was probably the biggest symbolism of the fall of communism in history as the Berlin wall was at that time commonly known as the symbol of communism. This event was also a major milestone to the end of the cold war. During the time of the cold war The United State and The Soviet Union kept guns pointed at each other pretty much at all times.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Berlin Wall, three words which bring to mind some of the most turbulent and confusing years twentieth century Germany had ever seen. Often, when discussing this topic, most of the focus mainly surrounds the construction and destruction of this great barrier. Although these topics will be discussed at length, the reasons for its construction and later destruction began long before any sign of an official barrier made an appearance.…

    • 1556 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Berlin Wall was an infamous monument that separated Berlin for years finally fell to reunite families. The curiosity of the citizens was finally fed, and eastern citizens finally were able to live up to their full potential. The wall provided perturbation for all of Berlin, but it was finally resolved on that fateful November 9th,…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay On The Berlin Wall

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages

    From 1961 to 1989, the Berlin wall was an obstruction built so as to divide Berlin and cut off western Berlin from Eastern Berlin. It continued like this for almost 30 years until it opened in 1989 and started to be demolished in 1990. The wall included guard towers which were placed along large concrete walls, which surrounded a large area (which would later be known as the ‘death strip’). This area contained many other defences to prevent any passing through. The wall served a purpose to stop the mass emigration that plagued East Germany and the communist eastern bloc after the Second World War.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Berlin Wall Dbq Analysis

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As a result, many Eastern Germans migrated to the West because they didn’t like the way their government works. Which led to the forming of the Berlin Wall by the East German authorities. Shown in document 3b, the impact of the wall was significant because it…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Berlin Wall

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages

    On August 12th 1961, Berliners awoke to the sight of barbed wire that divided Germany's capital city. Turmoil and confusion was widespread until Walter Ulbricht, head of the…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Berlin Blockade and airlift (1949) were important for the development of the Cold war because it was one of the first crises which happened during the Cold War and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 to block off exodus of East Germans fleeing to the West.…

    • 1675 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cold War Dbq Analysis

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Berlin was an immediate victim to the Cold War. Berlin was shared amongst 4 powers, the French, British, United States and the Soviet Union.(doc 3a) Since Berlin was shared with the Soviet Union, part of Berlin was communist as the other half wasn't. The Soviet Union built a wall to keep capitalist ideas out of their sector of Berlin.(doc 3b) Not only did the Soviet Union build this wall but they also blockaded the city hoping to force out the western sector. This attempt failed as the United States responded with the Berlin airlift which brought food and supplies to Berlin each day. Germany wasn't…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Fifteen to sixteen years after World War Two, which was about 1960-1961 the Berlin Wall was built to separate East and West Berlin Germany. West Berlin was controlled by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. East Berlin was controlled by the Soviet Union.…

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many problems began for Germany when World War II began, but by the end of the war Germany was a disaster waiting to happen. After WWII was over Germany found itself split between France, the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, each country controlling a part. Berlin, which was surrounded by the Soviet Union, was also divided into four sections. The Soviet Union was in control of half of Germany, and it happened to be the East half of the Germany. The Soviet Union made East Berlin the capital of East Germany. The other three counties were each in control of a small part of what was to be West Germany. These three countries decided that they would come together to form one country out of their three sections. Those three sections formed West Germany.…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “After World War II, Germany was divided into two countries .. the berlin wall was a symbol of the division between Communism in Eastern Europe and democracy…

    • 807 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    1989 Ap World History

    • 1966 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Overall, the year 1989 saw the greatest expansion of pro-democracy protests the world had seen in years. In April, thousands of students, teachers, workers, and even some government officials crowded “…Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, demanding greater democracy in China” (Foner 1048). Inspired by America and recent reforms in the Soviet Union, the protests lasted until July, when government troops reportedly killed an unknown number of protesters. Later, in the fall of 1989, “…pro-democracy demonstrations spread across Eastern Europe” (Foner 1048), and the Soviet Union stated it would not interfere with the protests. On November 9, the Berlin Wall was…

    • 1966 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected in order to separate the free West Berlin from the surrounding Soviet-occupied East Germany and East Berlin. On June 12th, 1987, millions listened as world leaders gathered in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate to commemorate the 750th anniversary of Berlin. President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the symbol of communist oppression. Reagan uses rhetorical language in order to persuade Gorbachev and his supporters into beginning the demolition process that would set Eastern Europeans free.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Berlin Blockade was the first catastrophe of the Cold War. By 1945, Germany had lost the war and was divided into 4 sectors: the British, Soviet Zone, French Zone, and the American Zone. In the process of trying to gain economic recovery in Germany, the US, Great Britain, and France tried to change the currency.…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Berlin And The Cold War

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page

    Between the end of WWII and the end of 1950, Europe pushed both Cold War sides as far as possible. No real battling happened between the two yet the five years set a tone that was proceeded until the Cold War was formally finished in the 1991. One city that appeared to symbolize what the Cold War was about was Berlin. Stalin had concurred that Berlin ought to be quartered and separated among the triumphant Soviet, American, British and French strengths. Every country had the privilege to put into their Berlin zones their own troops. However, Berlin was particularly in the Soviet-possessed part of the previous Nazi Germany that had been given to them during the Potsdam…

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays