The official purpose of this Berlin Wall was to keep so-called Western “fascists” from entering East Germany and undermining the socialist state, but it primarily served the objective of stemming mass defections from East to West.
Contents
How did the wall affect Germany?
Effects of the Berlin Wall
With the closing of the East-West sector boundary in Berlin, the vast majority of East Germans could no longer travel or emigrate to West Germany.Many families were split, and East Berliners employed in the West were cut off from their jobs.
How did the Berlin Wall affect Germany’s economy?
The occupation of West Germany by many wealthy countries drastically boosted their economy.Once the wall fell, however, there was a glaring issue with East Germany being far behind West Germany economically. They lost their currency, and many government workers for the GDR (German Democratic Republic) lost their jobs.
What was the Berlin Wall and how is it important to German history?
The Berlin Wall was built by the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War to prevent its population from escaping Soviet-controlled East Berlin to West Berlin, which was controlled by the major Western Allies. It divided the city of Berlin into two physically and ideologically contrasting zones.
Why was the fall of the Berlin Wall a significant moment?
The fall of the Berlin Wall was covered extensively around the world. Western leaders hailed it as a victory by the German people, who had chosen freedom over division. The wall was quickly dismantled, paving the way for German reunification.
How did the Berlin Wall impact the world?
The Berlin Wall dismantling saw anti-communism, and communism intolerance, spread quickly around Eastern Europe with free elections and economic reforms following suit.
What was the outcome of the Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall: 1961-1989
The construction of the Berlin Wall did stop the flood of refugees from East to West, and it did defuse the crisis over Berlin.
How did the Berlin Wall affect superpower relations?
The wall stopped people leaving East Berlin, preventing further damage to the economy. Showed the West that communism would remain in East Berlin and that Germany could not be united under Western control. International relations: Tensions increased between the USA and the Soviet Union after the Berlin Wall was built.
Why was the Berlin Wall important?
The wall separated East Berlin and West Berlin. It was built in order to prevent people from fleeing East Berlin. In many ways it was the perfect symbol of the “Iron Curtain” that separated the democratic western countries and the communist countries of Eastern Europe throughout the Cold War.
What were the effects of the Berlin Wall quizlet?
One of the effects of the Berlin Wall being built related to the Cold War. The Wall became a symbol of the Cold War. One of the effects of the Berlin Wall being built related to tension. It ended the superpowers’ tension in Berlin because it was afterwards very difficult to escape.
What did the Berlin Wall symbolize?
The wall, which stood between 1961 to 1989, came to symbolize the ‘Iron Curtain’ – the ideological split between East and West – that existed across Europe and between the two superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, and their allies, during the Cold War.The whole Cold War could be reduced to this one nexus point.
What was an immediate outcome of the fall of the Soviet Union?
The immediate outcome of the fall of the Soviet Union was independence of its 15 constituent republics, adoption of more liberal political systems in most of the newly independent states, and a deep economic crisis associated with the changes.
How was Berlin divided after ww2?
After World War II, defeated Germany was divided into Soviet, American, British and French zones of occupation. The city of Berlin, though technically part of the Soviet zone, was also split, with the Soviets taking the eastern part of the city.
Did the fall of the Berlin Wall end the Cold War?
On a global level, the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the symbolic end of the Cold War, famously prompting the political scientist Francis Fukuyama to declare it the “end of history.” On Oct. 3, 1990, 11 months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, East and West Germany became one state again.
Who tore down Berlin Wall?
Happily for Berliners, though, the speech also foreshadowed events to come: Two years later, on November 9, 1989, joyful East and West Germans did break down the infamous barrier between East and West Berlin. Germany was officially reunited on October 3, 1990.
Who is responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall?
Although changes in the GDR leadership and encouraging speeches by Gorbachev about nonintervention in Eastern Europe boded well for reunification, the world was taken by surprise when, during the night of November 9, 1989, crowds of Germans began dismantling the Berlin Wall—a barrier that for almost 30 years had
Was the Berlin Wall good or bad?
What did the Berlin Wall accomplish for Khrushchev? It saved the East German regime, eased economic pressure on the Soviet Union and other socialist countries to help East Germany, and kept Ulbricht’s power limited to East Berlin, thereby taking some control away from him, Harrison argued.
What are two outcomes of the construction of the Berlin Wall?
Some families were separated until the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Another outcome was the polarization of capitalism and communism during the Cold War. The US and USSR already did not trust each other, and building the wall around West Berlin solidified this.
What was done to those who tried to escape the Berlin Wall?
Well over 100,000 citizens of the GDR tried to escape across the inner-German border or the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1988. More than 600 of them were shot and killed by GDR border guards or died in other ways during their escape attempt.
Did the Berlin Wall increase tension?
Not only was the summit unsuccessful in its goal of building trust, but it also increased tensions between the two superpowers—particularly in discussions regarding the divided city of Berlin. During the summit, Khrushchev threatened to cut off Allied access to West Berlin.
Why was the Berlin Wall important for the development of the Cold War?
The Berlin Wall was built by the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War to prevent its population from escaping Soviet-controlled East Berlin to West Berlin, which was controlled by the major Western Allies. It divided the city of Berlin into two physically and ideologically contrasting zones.
