Berlin Wall Thesis

The Berlin Wall was meant to relieve certain tensions between the three powers of the GDR, Soviet Union, and NATO but it quickly became a great source of it. From the day it was constructed to the day it fell, it separated families, isolated citizens of the GDR and caused death and misery throughout East Germany. When it fell in 1989, it represented a symbol of division falling for many people. It was an example of the idea of division that was infamous and tangible, and so, it became a symbol of division.

Thesis: In 1961, The Berlin Wall was erected as a compromise to keep the peace between the GDR, Soviet Union, and NATO. It caused death and suffering. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it signified the end of a long-standing reign of tyranny

It was an example of the idea of division that was infamous and tangible, and so, it became a symbol of division. It represented a symbol of division falling and a symbol of freedom rising for many people.

1:16: When WWI caused the Allied Forces to unite under necessary circumstances, it gave birth to an alliance that would later save the world from the Nazi party in WWII. But the Allied Forces were not strong enough on their own to stop the German forces and needed the help of the Soviet Union. Neither side was happy about having to work with the other and as such, the Cold War began, and it was an arms race fueled by tensions between the Soviet Union and the US that WWII magnified by forcing them to work together. It was during this time period that the Berlin Wall was built, adding a physical barrier along with the geographical barriers put up dividing Berlin into 4 sections, one for each allied force and one for the Soviet Union after the German Forces lost Berlin in WWII. This wall was also a cause of many of the tensions fueling the Cold War. And although the Soviet Union played a large part in dividing Berlin

They began to allow certain freedoms, such as allowing immediate family to visit, promising passports, and fewer border guards. Although they tried to make these freedoms as inaccessible as possible, intentionally making the lines long and boring, imposing heavy fees, and only allowing only a few people at a time, they were backed up from all the requests. As Soviet countries fell, most riots took place crying out for a democracy. The GDR took another step in trying to make people stop their demonstrations, allowing people to get travel permits. In response to this, riots grew within the city, demanding that they be allowed to go beyond the city borders, and finally,the crowd grew too large enough that Harald Jaeger, a border guard, gave in and let them through. Decades later in an interview he stated; “[B]etween 10 and 20 people showed up [to protest]... The crowd soon swelled to 10,000, with many of them shouting: "Open the gate!" Jaegar was ordered to let through the most dangerous people in this crowd to avoid people getting hurt, but this only made the crowd even more heated, and finally, he ordered all his men to release all control. Over 20,000 people left that night, and the GDR was never able to close the wall again, the masses too big and too excited. They began taking bricks and tools and smashing the wall,