after airlift / blockade (1949): french, british, us zones amalgamated “federal republic of...

• After Airlift / Blockade (1949): French, British, US zones amalgamated “Federal Republic of Germany”

• Soviet zone became “German Democratic Republic”

When and Why

• By July 1961 30,000 East German were fleeing to the west each month.

• The survival of East Germany was threatened

• Khrushchev (..hard one to

spell…) ordered construction of the Berlin Wall on 13 August 1961

When and Why

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~hatch/images/europe/berlin.buildwall.jpg

http://www.dw-world.de/popups/popup_imagegalleryimage/0,2180,1023752_gid_1023708_lang_2_page_1,00.html

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~hatch/berlin_wall.html

When and Why

“The Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc officially claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a Socialist State in East Germany. However, in practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.”

The Berlin Wall and its crossing

points

• There were 12 crossing points from East to West.

• Only one allowed non-Germans into East Berlin: Checkpoint Charlie (Berlin Friedrichstrasse)

The Berlin Wall and its crossing

points

Consequences

The Berlin Wall divided many families.

Many East Berliners were unable to commute to their jobs in the West

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~hatch/berlin_wall.html

West Berliners demonstrated against the Wall

Consequences

During the wall’s existence there were around 5000 successful escapes into West Berlin.

Varying reports claim that either 192 or 239 people were killed trying to cross the wall and many more were injured.

"Walled In!" Germany's inner borderhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwQsTzGkbiY

Primary source analysis:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nch5MbnvTqY Who was it produced by? Who was it produced for? What is its bias? Is this a useful source for a Historian? Why?

The Berlin teenagerThe Berlin teenager

Remember the 17 year old Berlin Remember the 17 year old Berlin teenager in 1948?teenager in 1948?

S/he was born in 1931, so s/he’d have S/he was born in 1931, so s/he’d have been 30 when the wall was built. been 30 when the wall was built. S/he would be married with children.S/he would be married with children.

How would you feel? Would you and How would you feel? Would you and your family try to escape? your family try to escape?

Facts and Figures

Total length around West Berlin155kmBorder between East & West Berlin 43.1 kmNumber of watch towers 302Number of bunkers 20Concrete wall height3.6m

9th of November 1989

August 23 1989: Communist Hungary opened its borders with Austria.

September 1989, 13,000 East German tourists who were in Hungary escaped into Austria.

East German government decided to allow East Berliners to apply for a travel visa to visit West Germany.

November 9 1989: the East German Minister of Propaganda Günter Schabowski, announced this arrangement at a press conference. He was asked when this would come into effect and he replied ‘As far as I know, immediately, right now’.

9th of November 1989

http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/media205/berlin_wall.jpg

(30)http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4711/letters.htm

http://www.wall-berlin.org/gb/expodb13.htm

http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/tour/wall.html

after airlift / blockade (1949): french, british, us zones amalgamated “federal republic of...

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