Mehmet Unsal B.COMM MBA Ryerson University Toronto, Canada

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THE BERLIN WALL
Mehmet Unsal B.Comm MBA
Ryerson University
Toronto, Canada

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The Berlin Wall successfully carried its mission of separating Germans and stood as an
ugly symbol of the Cold War for almost 3 decades. The Wall was the representation of
the division of Germany but furthermore it was standing to show the world how different
the ideologies of the Western World and the Communist regime. It divided families and
prevented East Germans’ access to the freedom. As soon as it was erected, it became an
inhumane symbol of the cold war.1 Berlin wall was built by the Communist regime in the
East Germany to prevent escapes and close the brain drain from east to west. However
the communist regime defined the wall as a barrier to fascist and imperialist ideology of
the capitalist world.2
May 7, 1945 was day of the official surrender of Germany. 3 However, Victorious
countries already decided to divide Germany couple months before the surrender at the
Yalta conference in February 1945. U.S., Britain and Soviet Russia decided to divide the
Germany and Berlin into zones and later U.S. and Britain gave part of their zones to
France.4 After they signed the surrender of Germany, allied powers took the control of
Germany and established their zones. However, West Berlin was in the heart of the
Communist part and even though western allies had a right to access, they had to pass
through Soviet’s part.5 When the Communist governments established in East Europe by
Soviet Russia’s ideological and military help, well educated people and intellectuals who
felt the threat escapes to the west immediately. Soviets answered to that problem by
1
Painter, David S. The Cold War: an International History. London: Routledge, 1999.,Print. P 53
2
Schulte-Peevers, Andrea. Lonely Planet Berlin Encounter. 2010-02, 2010., Print. P 160
3
Lemons, Everette O. Third Reich: a Revolution of Ideological Inhumanity;. Morrisville: Lulu Com,
2006.,Print. P 541
4
Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007.
Print. P 712,
5
̈
5 Thomaneck, Jurgen K. A., and William John Niven. Dividing and Uniting Germany. London: Routledge,
2001. Print.P12

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closing borders and isolating the eastern block from the west. Winston Churchill defined
that ideology as an Iron Curtain between east and west.6
Western allies were planning to establish unified zone to create free country as
West Germany. However their plan was not favoured by Stalin since he was planning to
control all of Germany and push the allies out of the country. Soviet’s plan was
preventing the access of allied forces to the Berlin. And they closed all accesses to the
city. Blockade started on June 24 1948.7 Berlin was an island in the communist part of
the Germany and a potential danger to the despotic Communist regime therefore Soviet
Russia tried to get rid of this danger and invade both parts of Germany to create
Communist country in this part of Europe. That was the main idea of Berlin blockade,
however because of the allies’ determination; Stalin had to end this blockade with
disappointment. Berlin was an important city for western allies; even though it was very
difficult to protect it, Western allies and especially the U.S. had to protect this city
because of its psychological effects in the non-communist world. If they give up the
Berlin they feared that it could have a domino effect and they will not be able to protect
other countries from the communist threat.8 Altough, some politicians and army
authorities advised President Truman to use military forces against this blockade he could
not take this risk since it might lead to another World War.9. They found the solution as
to provide supplies by Airlift. British, U.S., and French planes carried tens of thousand
tones of food, medical supplies and other necessary items to Berlin. They successfully
6
Gradus, Y.and Harvey Lithwick. Frontiers in Regional Development. Lanham, Md.: Rowman &
Littlefield, 1996. Print. P44
7
Betts, Richard K. Nuclear Blackmail and Nuclear Balance. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution,
1987. Print.
8
Harrell, David Edwin. Unto a Good Land: a History of the American People. Grand Rapids, Mich.:
William B. Eerdmans, 2005. Print. P 1001
9
Ojserkis, Raymond P. Beginnings of the Cold War Arms Race: the Truman Administration and the U.S.
Arms Build-up. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2003. Print. P 22

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assisted Berliners and broke the embargo. When Stalin saw the results of the year long
blockade he decided not to continue that embargo since western allies continued to
supply Berliners by airlift as long as it was possible. 10 In May 1949, Western allies
decided to unify their zones. This unification in the west created West Germany. Same
year in October, in the east part of the Germany, Soviet Russia established East Germany
under its communist regime.11 Berlin became a communist East Germany’s capital but
western allies continued to control their zone in Berlin as part of their Democratic West
Germany. Soviet Russia continued to export its communist regime to East Germany.
Communist Government took control of the commercial enterprises and planned state
economy replaced the market economy in East Germany. Political system changed
accordingly and they closed all the democratic political parties and communist party
started to run the country with the ideological and military help of Soviet Russia. People
lost their freedom under the Despotic Communist regime of SED (Socialist Unity Party
of Germany).12
While East Germany was poor and struggling with the lack of freedom, West Germany
developed economically and politically. East Germans wanted to move to the west to
enjoy economical and political freedom. Under the Walter Ulbricht’s communist regime
people were suffering and thousands of them moved to the West Germany. In 1952
communist government wanted to control this immigration and decided to close down the
borders between east and west.13 Berlin became a gate to the west and thousand of people
from East Germany had to come to Berlin to cross the border. After Stalin died in 1953
10
Burgan, Michael. The Berlin Wall: Barrier to Freedom. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point, 2008.Print.
P42
11
Thackeray, Frank W. Events That Changed Germany. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 2004. Print. P 187
12
Grieder, Peter. The East German Leadership, 1946-73: Conflict and Crisis. Manchester, UK: Manchester
UP, 1999. Print.P 1
13
Germany and Switzerland. Tarryton, N.Y.: Marshall Cavendish, 2010. Print. P 357

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thousand of people thought that the life will be even harder under the new communist
leader so immigration increased. In that year, approximately 300,000 people immigrated
to West Germany. 14 In 1953 Nikita Khrushchev became a leader of the communist party
in Soviet Russia.15. East Germany and communist regime were loosing their citizens and
most of them were well educated productive workers. This Brain drain further weakened
the East Germany’s economy and communist regime had to make decisions to prevent
this immigration. Between 1949 and 1961 2.5 millions of East Germans escaped to the
West Germany.16
In the early years of the East Germany, communist government did not attempt to
close borders or prevent immigration from the east. However increasing numbers,
especially in the 1950’s, alarmed communist regime because most of the immigrants
were well educated and professionals. This increased immigration became a serious
problem for the East Germany since it started to undermine communist regime. 17 Soviet
Russia and its puppet government in East Germany tried to prevent those escapes from
east but they were unsuccessful. Brain drain was a problem for east’s economy and they
made a decision that leaving East Germany without permission became a crime.
Communist regime tried everything to stop this immigration. Finally in 1961, East
German leader Walter Ulbricht and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev made a decision to
14
Burgan, Michael. The Berlin Wall: Barrier to Freedom. Minneapolis, Minn. Compass Point, 2008.Print.
P35
15
Page, Melvin E., and Penny M. Sonnenburg. Colonialism: an International, Social, Cultural, and
Political Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2003. Print. P 315
16
Tipton, Frank B. A History of Modern Germany since 1815. Berkeley: University of California, 2003.
Print. P 510
17
Loescher, Gil. Beyond Charity: International Cooperation and the Global Refugee Crisis. New York:
Oxford UP, 1996. Print. P 60

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build a wall between east and West Germany to prevent immigration which became a
symbol of cold war and division in Europe for 28 years.18
West Germany’s economic success and developments in the economic and political
life attracted East German citizens. This immigration undermined communist
system in East Berlin since they were loosing well educated professionals.
Event though communist regime tried to control escapes they could not stop
the brain drain from east to the west. While the East under the Communist
regime was struggling with lack of freedom and food shortages and increasing
pressure of the Soviet Russia, the West was enjoying the prosperous economy
in the country.19 West became a member of newly established European
economic corporation in 1949. It followed by membership of European Coal
and Steel Community in 1951 and also it approved that West Germany got full
membership of Council of Europe. All of these events improved West
Germany’s economic infrastructure and it became one of the Europe’s
economically developed and democratic countries.20 As a result of this
economical development in the west and increased pressure in the east also
stimulated the escapes from east to west. On August 13, 1961 East German and
soviet soldiers and construction workers closed the border, with the Berlin
wall, between east and west.21
18
Gray, Colin S. War, Peace and International Relations: an Introduction to Strategic History. London:
Routledge, 2007. Print.P 194
19
Sinn, Hans-Werner. Can Germany Be Saved?: the Malaise of the World's First Welfare State.
Cambridge, Mass.: MIT, 2007. Print. P 1
20
Fulbrook, Mary. History of Germany, 1918-2000: the Divided Nation. Oxford, England: Blackwell,
2002. Print. P 146
21
Solsten, Eric. Germany. DIANE Publishing, 1999. Print.P 104

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On August 13, 1961 East German government started to close all the border gates and
railway stations. They turned the street lights off so no one can see what was happening.
Even the leaders of the western countries did not understand the meaning of this
preparation until the morning.22 Soldiers guarded the construction workers and barbed
wires used first and to fasten the construction they used readymade cement blocks. The
wall isolated East Germany from the west completely. There is no country in the world
history that surrendered its own citizens and isolated them from the rest of the world. 23
Even though there was a wall in the morning of August 13, some places still closed only
by barbed wire and offered last chance to the east citizens. Many East Germans even
some soldiers took that risk and they escaped to the west before the wall completely
closed the border.24
As soon as the news spread to the West Berlin people gathered among the wall and
they demanded that Western allies and especially the U.S. had to do something. Although
the wall was a violation to the Yalta conference and other treaties, between western allies
and soviet Russia, no one wanted to take a risk to use military power. 25 Since both of
them, U.S. and Soviet Russia, had nuclear weapons, no one wanted to take a risk of a new
world war. Some can argue that the Berlin wall was necessary to prevent undesirable
clash between armies in this region even though it restricted the freedom of East
Berliners. Some can also argue that it brought the stability since the border was potential
threat to the peace and it could create chaos world wide. For instance, President Kennedy
22
Rosenberg, M. An American Trapped in a Communist Paradise: an Historical Autobiography. Sault Ste.
Marie, Ont.: Moose Enterprise, 2003. Print. P 197
23
Edwards, John. Europe. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes, 1998. Print. P 86
24
Swanson, Diane. Tunnels! Toronto: Annick, 2003. Print. P 109
25
Hunter, Allen. Rethinking the Cold War. Philadelphia (Pa): Temple University, 1998. Print.P 48

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indicated that”it is hell of a lot better than a war” about the construction of the Berlin
wall.26
East Germans and communist regime tried to close the border and complete the wall as
soon as possible. However it was impossible to close the border with 12- to 15-foot high
and 154.5 km long wall in one day. They used barbed wires first and as they erected the
cement wall and at the end they added the barbed wires on top of the wall. In some parts
of the wall they inserted land mines and steel traps to prevent vehicles. People had to pass
the barbed wires to reach to the wall. 27 to 91 m wide, no man land created between
walls and east side of the wall painted to white color to see people easily. Big lights used
to control the area and soldiers with machine guns patrolled along the wall. Communist
regime added more security measures and it became the real symbol of cold war and
people named this inhumane structure “wall of shame”.27 The wall isolated the West
Berlin entirely. The entire wall was 154.5 km long and 12- to 15-foot high but only 46.7
km was splitting the East Berlin from the west. 28 East Germany built 116 military towers
to control the entire area. Thousands of East German soldiers were assigned the area to
control the escapes. When the wall was built, thousands of people trapped in East
Germany and the wall separated families in the both sides of the Berlin. People who were
in East Berlin to visit their families or for a business or travel they could not leave the
country and they were stuck in East Germany. Some buildings facing the west were stuck
within the wall and people used them as a gate to escape to the west. They used the
entrances, which were in the east part, and used windows and back doors, which were
facing to the west, as a gate to the free world. They used to jump from the higher floors
26
Cowley, Robert. The Cold War. Random House Inc, 2006. Print.
27
Swanson, Diane. Tunnels! Toronto: Annick, 2003. Print. P 109
28
Dunn, Joeming W., and Ben Dunn. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, 2009.
Print .P 30

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of the apartment buildings and firefighters open their net and help them when they
jumped. When the East Germany discovered these loopholes they closed those windows
by brick walls. The communist government of East Germany gave orders to prevent
escapes. East German soldiers had a permission to kill people if they were attempting to
escape. First victim of this order was the Gunter Litwin. Border security shot him. Peter
Fatcher, 18 year old young man, was also killed by the East German soldiers when he
was trying to climb the wall. He was trapped within the barbed wires and no one wanted
to help him. They basically left him to die.
Some people swam in the city’s canal to escape to the west and some people used
home made balloons. Thousands of people tried every way to escape from the communist
regime, however more than hundreds of them killed by the east’s border guards. They did
not hesitate the shot even a pregnant woman who was trying to escape. Berlin wall was
relatively successful to prevent escapes from the east but it could not stop the people
from creating new ways to immigrate to west. As the security measures increased and
strengthened by the communist regime East Germans became more creative to find a way
to escape. They even dug tunnels from east to west under the Berlin wall.29
While East Germany was trying to keep its citizens in the country by force, West
German citizens and also the West Berlin continued to develop their economy and
enjoyed their freedom. West Germany successfully integrated to western economical and
political system and completed its transformation. Social life and economy was
progressing with incredible speed and even though the Berlin wall stopped immigration
29
Dunn, Joeming W., and Ben Dunn. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, 2009. Print.
P 24

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of the work force from East Berlin, West German government invited cheap workforce
from other countries to continue its development.30
In East Germany, life was totally different than the west. It was possible to see
communist regime’s bold marks in every part of the city and every part of the East
German’s lives. As a result of loosing well educated work force, economy was
experiencing a depression. Soviet regime and its puppet government were increasing their
pressure day by day and East Germany’s secret service, Stasi, was controlling the life in
the east. There was not any kind of freedom. Not just the lack of economical power or
social life opportunities but the fear of Stasi made the life unbearable for the East
German’s.31 There were some official gates to west from the east. But three of them were
more important: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie became a famous gate
when hundreds of tanks and troops from the both side stood against each other. When
the East German soldiers wanted to check the travel document of the western diplomats
they refused and it was started to big crisis between the U.S. and Soviet Russia. On
October 28, 1961 this crisis ended without any further problem. Checkpoint Charlie was
the only place to cross the border for diplomats and military officers and tourists. Others
had to use other checkpoints to cross the border. It was also the only place where Soviet
and the U.S. armies stood face to face during the cold war.32
It can be concluded that when the Communist regime built the wall people knew that
it was going to fall one day. People knew that there can not be any permanent barrier
30
Kopnina, Helen, Christina Moutsou, and Jaro Stacul. Crossing European Boundaries: beyond
Conventional Geographical Categories. New York [u.a.: Berghahn, 2006. Print. P 86
31
Malley-Morrison, Kathleen. State Violence and the Right to Peace: an International Survey of the Views
of Ordinary People. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger Security International/ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print. P 6
32
Harrison, Hope Millard. Driving the Soviets up the Wall: Soviet-East German Relations, 1953-1961.
Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UP, 2003. Print. P 214

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between freedom and communist dictatorship. Communist regime and even the Western
countries were aware of the fact that Soviet planned economy was not sustainable. Iron
Curtain countries, such as Poland and Hungary, were trying to find a way to get rid of the
communist governments and Soviet system was loosing its power. However, East
German government was strongly tied to the communist regime and there were no
attempt to improve the life in the East Germany. Even though economy was relatively
improved in East Germany that could not change the fact that communism did not make
people happy.33
When Mikhail Gorbachev became a head of the soviet Russia, in 1985, he decided not to
continue decade’s long typical communist system. He was trying to improve the life in
the communist world and he employed different strategies such as “glasnost” which gave
people more freedom to express their feelings against the state’s management. He also
tried to change the economic structure of the communist regime by employing
Perestroika. Those two fundamental changes in communist ideology prepared the fall of
the communist regime and eastern block. These fundamental changes had huge impact
on the Soviet policy. They led the Soviets to the Sinatra doctrine and Communist regime
in Russia approved the anti communist regimes in Poland and Hungary. With Sinatra
doctrine Soviet Russia simple gave up its control on the eastern block countries and it
was a signal to end of the cold war. 34 Another important step was taken by Hungary.
Hungary opened its borders with Austria in 1989. That created a huge hole in the Iron
Curtain since Eastern Germans can travel freely to Hungary, as part of the eastern block
country, now they have a gate to the west through Austria. When Eastern Germans
33
Germany and Switzerland. Tarryton, N.Y.: Marshall Cavendish, 2010. Print.P 357
34
Fry, Michael G. Guide to International Relations and Diplomacy. London: Continuum, 2002. Print. P
418

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discovered this way to escape from communism thousands of people immigrated to west
every day. East Germany’s attempt to close this loop hole did not work and thousands
managed the escape from the east.35 While anti communist demonstrations took place in
other countries such as Poland and Czechoslovakia, in East Germany intellectuals and
students created a “New Forum” to demand new reforms from the communist regime.
East German communist leader Erich Honecker did not want to create reforms and he
refused the demands of these peaceful demonstrations. But the communist party brought
more liberal communist leader, Egon Krenz, to the management instead of Erich
Honecker.36 Now everyone was expecting that it was the end of the cold war and freedom
will win against ruthless communist regime.
The main event to the fall of the Berlin wall was the announcement of the East
German government that allowed East Germans to travel abroad freely on November 9,
1989. The communist government finally gave right to get passport and travel documents
to the East German citizens. At first no body had any idea about the meaning of this
announcement. After the first shock thousands of East Germans gathered along the wall
and waiting for the gates to open. Since the communist management of East Germany did
not make any official announcement and they did not provide any order to the troops
along the border, no one knew what to do against the growing number of the East
Germans. The number grew with an unbelievable speed and they started to push the
border forward. Feared by the number of the people board guards had to open the borders
and finally East Germans managed to enter to West Germany freely first time in 28 years.
35
Fry, Michael G. Guide to International Relations and Diplomacy. London: Continuum, 2002. Print. P
166
36
Fulbrook, Mary. History of Germany, 1918-2000: the Divided Nation. Oxford, England: Blackwell,
2002. Print.P 266

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Next two days Germans celebrated their freedoms from the communist regime. Everyone
brought their hammers to tear down this ugly inhumane barrier between families,
between freedom and despotic communist regime. Some sources state that in first couple
of days more than 4 million East Germans crossed the border to freedom. 37 It was the
historical moment that ended the communist pressure on the people of eastern block
countries. That was the end of the communist era and end of the cold war.38 After the wall
Germany had to deal with the difficulties of the unification. Since East was intentionally
left poor and backward by the Communist government, East German currency was
worthless and there was a high unemployment. 39 That was another burden for the unified
Germany however the country successfully completed its transformation and became a
powerful economy in the world.
37
Grathwol, Robert P., Donita M. Moorhus, and Gareth L. Steen. Berlin and the American Military: a Cold
War Chronicle. New York: New York UP, 1999. Print.P 168
38
Suri, Jeremi. American Foreign Relations since 1898: a Documentary Reader. Chichester, West Sussex:
Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print. P 191
39
Kitchen, Martin. A History of Modern Germany, 1800-2000. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2006. Print. P
391