Thus, the construction of the division of the city into the eastern and western portion by the Berlin Wall in 1961 was one of the defining moments in the Cold war. As such, it physically and politically split the city of Berlin into two halves: East and West Berlin tore apart family and friends. The Berlin Wall was constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR), which was in effect, under the ruler ship of Soviet Union at that time. In this article the author will discuss how the USSR, as the leading state in the GDR reacted to the construction and the consequences of the Berlin Wall.
The Soviet Impact in the East Germany
Before moving to the analysis of the Soviet reaction to construction of the Wall, it is worthwhile to know what role the USSR played in the GDR. Following the end of world war ii Germany was administered into four occupation zones under the United States, Britain, Soviet Union, and france. This developed into the Soviet Zone which in turn grew to form the German Democratic Republic a socialist country largely dependent on the Soviet Union.
That is why the USSR considered East Germany as strategic partner and perceived the country as the buffer zone between Western Europe and the Soviet Union. They wanted further attempts by the West to spread its influence into Eastern Europe to stop.
The Construction of the Berlin Wall
It was on the 13th of Aug 1961 that the east German regime under the support of USSR began construction of a barrier known today as the Berlin Wall. The stated Justification when it was erected was to safeguard East Germans socialism and achievements from encroachment by the western capitalist influences. However, its main goal was to prevent the ever-growing rate of East Germans migrating to West Berlin and, in the end, to the West.
While the idea of construction of the wall belonged to the East German regime, the Soviet Union however gave a nod and supported the construction of the wall. The Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, gave the green light on building the wall in hope that East Germany would be strengthened by losing those who escaped to the West constantly.
This paper focuses on the reaction of the Soviet Union to the construction of the Berlin Wall.
The Soviet Union claimed that the Berlin wall was an anti-fascist protective barrier, commentaire, this was the official alibi given to the wall when it was constructed. They claimed that a wall had to be built in order to prevent the Western imperialism and spying on Eastern Germany. According to che Soviet propaganda the Wall existed to protect them from capitalist forces and to keep them safe.
From within the USSR’s perspective the Wall was only a means of asserting Soviet dominance over the GDR. By erecting barriers to allow the citizens of East Germany not to emigrate, they sought to stabilize political situation within East German political system and avoid further supplication to the brain drain.
International Reaction
Externally, the so called western world especially the United States condemned the construction of the Berlin Wall. The historical situation for which President John F. Kennedy became famous for endorsing was the freedom of people in Berlin with an emphasis on the rights of citizens to move about. To the United States, the wall symbolised the divide much as the Iron Curtain and oppression of the Soviet Union.
The decision to build the wall in Berlin split the city in two and underscore the East/West divide, and more generally the ideological conflict of the Cold War period.
The role and purpose of the wall and Collapsed wall in South African art history : Soviet stance
The USSR continued to assert that the Berlin wall was prerequisite to defense of East Germany against influences from the west . They said that the wall halt spying, sneaking, and sabotage activities instigated by the western world.
However, it is understandable that throughout the existence of the wall the main beneficiaries were the Soviet side. Not only it helped in consolidating their political power over East Germany but also served and instrument of communicating the doctrines of socialism and capitalism.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The German division and the division of Europe was dramatically symbolized by the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, and the fall of the Wall- the dismantling of a symbol of the division began in late August 1989 with the opening of the border at the brandenburg gate in East- West Berlin. The fall of the wall was influenced by some reasons as developments within the USSR’s political arena as well.
The late leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, over time started embracing renovation and liberalization processes which included glasnost and perestroika. These policies besides the pressure from the population in both East and West Germany culminated into the liberalization of the border between east and west Germany as well as reunion of the two.
In Conclusion
At inception, the USSR encouraged and assisted in the building of the Wall to keep East Germans loyal and contain their mass exodus to West. The wall was an embodiment of the struggle between the two world Superpowers as well as the physical divide of East and West. But, the demolition of the wall and the bringing together of two Germanys showed the Russians, the inability of exercising power again and the transformation happening in the Soviet Union itself.
Today the Berlin Wall is a reminder of Cold War and victory of freedom over oppression.
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