Fall+Of+The+Berlin+Wall

**__By: Christina Vang __** Table of Contents-
 * __Fall of the Berlin Wall, The __**
 * Background[[image:i'm_just_another_brick_in_the_wall.jpg width="426" height="223" align="right"]]
 * The German Border Line
 * The Construction
 * The Attempts
 * The Celebration

__ ﻿ __  **Background ** The Berlin Wall was built on August 13th of 1 961. It stood as a symbol dividing Germany into two. The wall was built due to an untrusting and aggressive correlation amongst [|Soviet Union]and the rest of the [|Allied Powers]. For three decades the wall separated family, friends, and a nation. As the results after World War II, Allied Powers overthrew Germany and separated it into quarters. Every one of them was controlled by The United States, Great Britain, France, and The Soviet Union. Soviet Union had controlled Eastern Germany whereas United States, Great Britain, France controlled 3 divisions along the Western part of Germany. Eventually, Western Germany became one federal republic while Eastern Germany became communist.

__The German Border Line __ After World War II, Western Germany and Eastern Germany developed two contrasting societies and economies. West Germany, with the support of the other 3 Allied Powers established a capitalist society. It experienced an impressive economic growth and it was acknowledged as the “[|Economic Miracle]”. West Germans who worked hard lived well and fed well, purchased appliances and helpful devices, and were free to roam and travel as they desired. In East Germany, it was exactly reversed. When East Germany became a separate country with the influence The Soviet Union, a socialist society was set. The economy in Eastern Germany decreased and all sorts of freedoms were limited. Near the late 50’s people wanted out. They were unable to withstand against the restraining dwelling circumstances of East Germany. People from all over East Germany gathered their things and head towards West Berlin. Many were blocked and arrested while heading towards West Berlin, but hundreds to thousands were able to make it across the border. Mostly those who escaped were young and skilled experts. Once they crossed, they were refugees contained in storage rooms or warehouses and then headed for West Germany. Around the 1960s, East Germany lost a great number of its employment force and residents. Losing already about 3 million people, East Germany badly wanted to end this great resettlement to the west. With the funding and support of The Soviet Union, there were numerous pursuits to try and over throw West Germany but the attempts failed due to the thoughts of [|nuclear bombs]. Wanting to keep the citizens in so badly, the East Germans finally began constructing the Berlin Wall to prevent anyone from passing over. __The Construction __ During the midnight of August 12th, 1961, large vehicles, military soldiers and guards, and building workers made their way throughout East Berlin. However, while the Berliners were still asleep, the group of construction workers began shredding the roads that lead into West Berlin. They burrowed holes to hold up concrete poles and arranged spiky coils entirely across the border. Telephone wires were cut in the middle of West Berlin and East Berlin. When the Berliners woke up that morning they were stunned. Now Eastern Germans were unable to cross over to enjoy their daily activities and entertainment. No longer could they look for well-paying jobs in West Berlin, nor could they see family, friends, or lovers. People were trapped inside East Berlin for years.

The wall reached in excess of a hundred miles surrounding. It entirely cloaked around throughout West Berlin separating it off from the rest of Germany. The wall had also gone through its own transforming history during its 3 decades that it stood. It first started with just barbed wire with solid poles and then after, the fence was replaced it. Then it quickly became sturdier with more stable structure of cemented blocks crowned with wire. Then it was substituted with the third version consisting of a solid cemented wall sustained by tough girders in 1965. The fourth version was assembled from 1975 that comprised of solid chunks of concrete about 12 feet high and 4 feet wide. It had leveled pipe in a row diagonally along the top to block people from climbing the barrier. By the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, there was another extra wall within. Inside were soldiers guarding with dogs, [|anti-vehicle channels, electric boundaries, impressive light systems, watch towers, bunkers, and minefields]. __The Attempts __ <span style="color: #262626; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-align: center;">The Berlin Wall was created to put a stop to people who were leaving the country of course, but it did not stop them all. The history of the great barrier estimated about 5 thousand people escaped safely. Some successful efforts were as simple as tossing a rope over, climb and jump over. Other crazy people attempted to drive into the wall with trucks or buses and dash away. Others were miserable, jumping from apartment windows that bounded the wall. As the wall became more firm and complex, the strategies to run away became more complex and planned. Some burrowed tunnels from the basement of houses to under the Berlin Wall. Other groups saved leftovers of garments and even built a hot air balloon and fluttered over. But not every effort was prosperous; soldiers were allowed to shoot anyone who was nearby the Wall. In all escape plots the risk of death was always available. It estimated that about 100-200 East Germans died while struggling to cross the wall. <span style="color: #262626; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-align: center;">An infamous case on August 17th, 1961, was when two young men (18) ran towards the wall and planned to climb it. The first man who reached the wall safely climbed over. The second man, [|Peter Fechter], while climbing the wall a guard spotted him and open fire and hit him. He continued climbing the wall but suddenly ran out of energy right when he touched the top and then he stumbled back down to where he started. Sadly, he was left there with no aid, even when he cried out for help for hours no one came. Once he bled to death, the guards finally came and dragged him away. Fetchter became the 50th person to die at the wall and it symbolizing their struggle for freedom. <span style="display: block; line-height: 200%; margin-left: -0.5in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">__<span style="color: #262626; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">The Celebration __ <span style="color: #262626; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-align: center;"> As [|communism] decreased in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia in 1988, new and different ideas were displayed to East Germans. Communism in other countries had decreased which meant that East Germany had their chance of freedom too. Then suddenly on November 9th, 1989, a statement was prepared by East German government official [|Schabowski]; “Permanent relocations can be done through all border checkpoints between the GDR (East Germany) into the FRG (West Germany).” People were astonished. The borders were certainly open. East Germans advanced to the border and indeed, they found safeguards allowing people through. Quickly, the wall was chipped into pieces with mallets and chisels. There was a huge celebration alongside the barrier with people embracing, smooching, singing, cheering and of course weeping. Eventually, the wall was chiseled into smaller shards, some in the size of coins and some in larger pieces. The parts have become collectible and have been stored in households and galleries as a symbol of the great struggle in East Berlin. After the Berlin wall had fallen, East and West Germany reintegrated back into one country on October 3rd, 1990.[]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 37px; line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Analysis <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 21px; line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: auto;">The fall of the Berlin Wall was what led to the German reunification. ‘Till today it still stands as a magnificent symbol for the end of the cold war and the struggle for freedom. It stood significantly to theBerlinpeople, especially to those inEast Berlinsince the wall was their blockage to a better life. But luckily, communism finally began to decrease inEastern Europe. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Although East Berlin had much more to grow compared to West Berlin,West Berlin had given it many opportunities. It became easier to find jobs and decent homes. But as more and more people entered West Berlin it became packed and now a bit more difficult to find a job and more room for homes. But even after the wall fell, there began some tension between the West and East due to how much the West had given up for its other side to recover. Many people viewed the fallen wall as a peace symbol, but nobody can really say that the wall fell and there was peace again. Seemingly, the separation of the wall made each side grow apart in a way that people were not able to cooperate. East Berliners living standards thought so highly of themselves yet they packed their things heading towardsWest Berlin with a junk like looking car. East Berliners even thought about bringing back up the wall that they were so used to seeing everyday like it became part of their own life. It sums up a lot of questions whether the west thought the same too. Did the wall become part of West Berliners lives too? Growing up in East Berlin with a communist control influenced many people of what their standard living should be like. The Berlin Wall stood as one of the most important objects during the cold war. It also stood very important to Europe and their growth in their economy. It was an amazing thing that it stood for almost thirty years and even more surprising that it even fell and ended the cold war. Today we regard the fall of the Berlin Wall as a signal event of historical importance for the German people. It also remains the most iconic event in the fall of communism across the region of Europe. It led to an entire region unlearning dictatorship and now running with democracy and capitalism. Through all of this building, repairing, and demolition Germany altogether learned a great lesson about communism. The best part is that this entire struggle inside the wall has been released and now freely moving on wherever. Today, there is still a double line on the streets of Berlin that trace where the wall that once stood within Berlin. It remains standing as a testimony of what happened in Germany’s great city.

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