Back to the video list: German History
The Berlin Wall was the most obvious sign of the Cold War. From its erection in 1961 to its fall in 1989 the Berlin Wall was a scar that divided not only Germany but also the whole World into East and West.
Video
Overview
- Date: 13 Aug 1961 – 09 Nov 1989
- Location: Germany
- Start: Building of the Berlin Wall
- End: Opening of the Berlin Wall
Parties & Persons Involved
- German Democratic Republic (GDR)
- Soviet Union
- Federal Republic of Germany
- United States
- United Kingdom
- France
- & other European countries
Background
- De facto 2 German states:
- (1) Western occupation zones & Soviet-occupied zone (1945)
- (2) Foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) & the GDR (1949)
- Eat-West conflict & Cold War
- The GDR is economically underdeveloped & oppresses its people
- Mass flight from the GDR to the FRG (approx. 3.5m from 1949 to 1961)
History
- 1945 – 1952: Mass flight into West Germany
- 1952: GDR closes its border except Berlin
- 1952 - 1961: Mass flight through Berlin
- 17 Jun 1953: Mass demonstrations in the GDR are violently suppressed
- 13 Jun 1961: “No one has the intention to erect a wall.“ (Ulbricht)
- Jul 1961: approx. 30,000 flee into West Berlin
- 03 – 05 Aug 1961: Ulbricht & Khrushchev decide to build the wall during a Warsaw Pact meeting
- 13 Aug 1961: GDR security forces close the Berlin border & start building the Berlin Wall
- Reactions to the closing of the border:
- Berlin: The mayor of West Berlin Willy Brandt leads a mass protest of 300’000 (16 Aug)
- Germany: Chancellor Adenauer appeases the population & refers to a shared reaction with the western partners in future
- Western allies: “It is not a very nice solution but a hell of a lot better than a war“ (John F. Kennedy), but he also sends reinforcement troops to Berlin
- Aug – Sep 1961: 85 deserters & approx. 400 civilians reach West Berlin
- 26 Jun 1963: Kennedy in Berlin – “Ich bin ein Berliner.“
- 1989: Mass flight through third countries & peaceful mass protests in the GDR
- 09 Nov 1989 18:57 hrs: Günter Schabowski announces a new travel law which allows travelling abroad without any preconditions
- Several 10,000s go to the border checkpoints
- 09 Nov 1989: Opening of the Berlin Wall
- Until 24:00 hrs: All of the border crossings are open
- 13 Jun 1990: start of the demolition of the wall
- 01 Jul 1990: With the currency union all border controls cease
- 03 Oct 1990: German Reunification
Consequences & Impact
- Berlin Wall & other border fortifications cause the death of several 100 Germans
- Opening of the Berlin Wall is start of the German reunification process
- The Fall of the Berlin Wall is the symbolic end of the Cold War