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Essay / The History of the Berlin Wall
Table of ContentsBerlin Wall Essay OverviewIntroductionThe Construction and Purpose of the Berlin WallThe Challenges of Crossing the Berlin WallThe Fall of the Berlin WallConsequences and LegacySample Essay on the Berlin WallEssay Overview on the Berlin WallIntroductionThe importance of the Berlin Wall in the division of East and West BerlinThe political context of the Allies and Soviets in post-World War II BerlinConstruction and the purpose of the Berlin WallThe decision of Nikita Khrushchev and Walter Ulbricht to build the Berlin WallThe role of the Berlin Wall in preventing East Berliners from fleeing to the WestEfforts to retain essential workers in the East BerlinThe challenges of crossing the Berlin WallDescription of physical barriers, including the "death strip"The desperation of East Berliners and the creative methods used to crossThe impact of the wall on family and professional lifeThe fall of the Berlin Wall BerlinThe Schabowski announcement and its aftermathThe destruction of the Wall by the peopleThe wider implications of the fall of the Berlin Wall, including the end of the Cold War and the reunification of GermanyConsequences and legacyThe lasting impact of the Berlin Wall about the people of BerlinThe role of the Wall in shaping the city's landscapeReflections on the significance of both the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. Berlin Wall Essay Example The walls in people's heads are sometimes more restrictive than those made of concrete and steel. A quote from Willy Brandt, mayor of West Berlin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The Berlin Wall would not only create a border between East and West Berlin, but also underline the understanding between the Allies under which the Soviets would assert dominance over its Eastern European allies and East Berlin, while the Allies would claim West Germany and West Berlin under their control. The Berlin Wall would divide people and others in East Berlin used the wealthier West to get more money than the East, where there was not as much wealth and jobs. worse than in the West. The hopes and dreams of thousands were dashed overnight on August 13, 1961, when Nikita Khrushchev and Walter Ulbricht held a conference call and ordered the construction of one of the most infamous borders in history. . There is a problem. The city of Berlin. A city located in the heart of the GDR (German Democratic Republic), yet divided into four parts. The fact that this city was not completely communist was "stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat." as Khrushchev said. During the Cold War, citizens of every major power lived in constant fear of nuclear attack, and the sad truth was that if one day an atomic bomb suddenly fell from the sky, there was nothing they could do about it. The kids were doing a "bomb drill" in class, and all they could do was hide under their desks, which wouldn't protect them much from a bomb that would vaporize everything underneath. Nowhere was this more true than in Berlin (with exceptions), and this fear peaked (arguably) when in 1948, when the Soviet Red Army surrounded Berlin and cut off all convoys bringing in food. food and other necessities for survival, hoping to starve the Allies out of the city, "the transport division of the Soviet military administration is obliged to interrupt tomorrow at 6 a.m. all passenger and freight traffic to and from Berlin due totechnical difficulties. West Berlin will only receive electricity between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.: Soviet communiqué. The Red Army, however, had not restricted access to Berlin by air. The Allies sent planes carrying thousands of tons of food to Berlin, an almost impossible task, because they had to stay within three extremely narrow air lanes, and if they strayed from those lanes it would provide an excuse for Soviet fighters to tackle. . This became even more dangerous, because, in the words of an anonymous USAF pilot: "We had no weapons, only flour"; they were unarmed. The air routes also crossed mountains, where the altitude could be too high and the oxygen level too low, costing the lives of 101 British and American pilots. Seeing that the airlift was working too well, the Soviets canceled the blockade and food could once again reach Berlin. Act 1 In 1961, 17 years after the airlift, Moscow was worried about a rapid decline in East Berlin's population due to better living conditions. and jobs in West Berlin. Every day, thousands of East Berliners cross the border to go to work or visit family. All this ended with the construction of the wall. One of the main reasons the wall was built was to help maintain the population and stop the thousands of people fleeing East Berlin. Another reason was to keep the most essential workers, such as scientists, doctors and, in general, intellectuals, in the East, as they had moved in large numbers to the West. Act 2On August 13, 1961, the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall. The wall prevented residents of East Berlin from moving to West Berlin. Even after the wall was built, many people tried to cross the wall and reach West Berlin. Thousands went west, but the journey to West Berlin was much more difficult than before the wall was built. Over the years, around 138 people have died trying to cross the wall. The reason the wall was so difficult to cross was because there were actually two walls to cross. Between the two walls was an area that the Germans called the “death strip.” This death strip was so difficult to cross because there were landmines, tripwire machine guns, guard dogs, anti-vehicle trenches, barbed wire, and hundreds of watchtowers. If an East Berlin citizen trying to escape set foot on the death strip, the guards had permission to shoot without warning. People were so desperate to get through West Berlin that they would do almost anything to get through. Some innovative crossing attempts included drifting in a hot air balloon, driving an inflated truck through the wall, sliding down zip lines, flying in a fake Soviet plane, digging tunnels, and even walking a tightrope toward freedom. In three decades, it is estimated that more than 5,000 people have managed to cross the wall. This wall affected both sides of Berlin in several ways. Many families have been separated for decades. Many people lost their jobs because it was impossible for them to get to the other side of Berlin to reach their workplace. People on both sides despised the Wall for the impact it had on their personal and professional lives. The wall stood for about 28 years until an East Berlin spokesman, Mr. Schabowski of the Communist Party, announced the lifting of travel visa restrictions. When asked when the new policy would begin, he.