Essay Sample on Role of the Berlin Wall in the Cold War

According to the film documentary, the Berlin Wall symbolized the lack of freedom under the rule of communists and the divide between the Soviet bloc and the capitalist bloc. It was on the frontline struggle between the two superpowers symbolizing saved peace among the people in Europe. The actual symbolism of the Berlin Wall was to keep Fascists from entering Germany to undermine the socialist state. It served primarily as an objective to stem mass defection East to the West. The state claimed that by constructing the Wall, most of the citizens would be safe from the fascists.

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Why East Germany erected Berlin and Border Wall and how the Wall changed over the years

Germany was initially divided, and by the time the Wall was built, several East Germans voted to move to West Germany. East Germany was always against the support, and the regime never established a trust for its citizens, which made the citizens leave the state citing political and economic impacts on the economy. The only way to stop East Germans from migrating to West Germany was to construct the Berlin border wall. The walls were not just one Wall; at first, it had shards of grass at the top with guard towers, tripwires, and guard dogs. Later, the Wall contained anti-tank barriers and several other obstacles describing further perfections. The first Wall was made out of bricks and then had steel reinforcement. The changes were to restrict travel among the East Germans entering West German.

Why so Many Wanted to Cross to the West and how they tried to Cross

Most of the East Germans were escaping to West Germany because the ruling party in East Germany never trusted its citizens and external support. The citizens were leaving East Germany because of political and economic reasons. Additionally, the young intellectuals in the state were destabilizing the East German economy. Several people tried to cross to the West through hot air balloons, car tanks, and tunnels; for example, some individuals were crawling through the barbed wire, tunnels, and swimming across the river. Others tried to cross through submarines while others were jumping over the Wall. So many attempts were made, and a lot of people died in the process.

Why East Germans Stopped the Crossing and how they did it

The East Germans were stopped from crossing to the West because they were coming from the Soviet bloc, which is believed to be the enemy of the West. Whenever the people tried to cross the Wall, the East German would construct ways to ensure no one tries the same escape attempt. Some people were arrested and placed in East German prisons to serve as an example.

Why and how the Wall came down

The Berlin Wall fell following bureaucratic accidents as numerous revolutions were rocked by the Soviet-led communists. There were also political changes in the East and civil unrest that put pressure on East Germany to abandon some regulations on travel from the East to West Germany. The incident was followed by East Germany loosening travel restrictions, which the media misinterpreted to the public citing the border has been opened. Consequently, a crowd of thousands of people gathered on both sides of the Wall. The gathering led to the crumbling of the Wall, which prompted the two states to abandon passport checks and loosened travel restrictions.

Reference

History Channel Documentary. (2009). Rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. Retrieved from https://you.tube/X_tXxR-ET2Y