Why was the wall Built?
Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961 as a way of separating the three zones controlled by France, Britain and America from the zone controlled by the Soviet Union.
The Berlin Wall was constructed as a way of Keep East Berliners (Allie side) from entering West Berlin (Soviet side). It was not so much a boundary for West Berliners wanting to enter the East, who were able to do so by obtaining a permit several weeks in advance. It didn't face much opposition by the western powers as its construction confirmed that the Soviet Union were not planning to take over West Berlin.
Official figures show that at least 136 people died trying to cross the border. People attempting to get from East to West were regarded as traitors and guards were instructed to shoot at them if they attempted to cross, although not to kill them. |
After World War Two, Germany was split into four zones, each occupied by one of the four Allied powers that defeated the Nazis. The zones controlled by France, Great Britain and America became West Germany. The Soviet-controlled zone became East Germany.
Germany's capital, Berlin, was situated in Soviet-controlled East Germany , but as this city was the administrative area for the Allied forces, it too was split in half. This meant that France, Great Britain and America controlled West Berlin, whereas the Soviet Union controlled the East. Relations between America and the Soviet Union soured considerably during much of the second half of the Twentieth Century. The Berlin Wall was a symbol of this hostility, a physical representation of what was called the Iron Curtain. |
Although November 9th 1989 is recognized as the date of the fall of the Berlin Wall, official demolition of it didn't start until June 13th 1990.
Between November 9th and June 13th, border controls still existed, although were less strict that previously. Parts of the wall was chipped away by Germans to keep as souvenirs/sell on eBay. People who did this were known as "wall woodpeckers" All border controls ended on July 1st 1990 and Germany was recognized as one country again on October 3rd 1990. Watch Video for live footage of the Wall coming down |
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Just watch the first 4 - 5 mins of this video. Get an idea of the building and security of the wall.