The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall In partial completion of
MEDT 7477 For Dr. O.P. Cooper By Has Slone
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Berlin US UK French USSR
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Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947 "the policy of the United States
to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by
armed minorities or by outside pressures." Truman reasoned, because
these "totalitarian regimes" coerced "free peoples," they
represented a threat to international peace and the national
security of the United States. US President, Harry Truman
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Purpose of the Marshall Plan PURPOSES Provide Europeans with an
attractive option to communism Make the U.S. look good by giving
Europeans hope by providing for immediate needs of the people
Provide financial opportunities for the U.S. to later trade with
European nations Cause Stalin (Soviet Union) to put up a wall
dividing Europe which aided containment of communism Cause friction
between Stalin and satellite countries by forbidding acceptance of
U.S. aide
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Trieste Stettin
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Cold War
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The Soviet Blockade of Berlin C-47s unloading at Tempelhof
Airport in Berlin during the Berlin Blockade.
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Berlin Airlift
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Berlin, Germany
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Exodus from GDR (East Germany to West Germany) via Berlin
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The Wall goes up! East German Combat Groups of the Working
Class close the border on 13 August 1961 in preparation of the
Berlin Wall construction. East German construction workers building
the Berlin Wall, 20 November 1961
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Specifications for the Wall
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"There are some who say that Communism is the wave of the
future. Let them come to Berlin." --President John F. Kennedy,
Berlin, Germany, June 26, 1963 "Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a
Berliner).
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Escape Tactics
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Hopping over the wall
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Memoriam Berlin, Oberbaumbrcke 1962 Remembering of an unknown
refugee who was killed by East German border guards. Peter Fechter
shot by East German Border Guards and left to bleed to death before
being retrieved.
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Cuban Missile Crisis A US Navy P-2H Neptune of VP-18 flying
over a Soviet cargo ship with crated Il-28s on deck during the
Cuban Crisis. [ President Kennedy signs the Proclamation for
Interdiction of the Delivery of Offensive Weapons to Cuba at the
Oval Office on October 23, 1962.
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Ronald Reagan and the Cold War (We win. They lose!)
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Mr. Gorbachev, Tear down this wall Reagan used the setting in
front of the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin to address Mikhail
Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, in a speech that included the plea:
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
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Hungarian Demonstrations: the beginning of the end Protest and
Demonstration banner
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Brandenburg Gate, 2010
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Berlin Wall Timeline May 8, 1945 World War II is over and
Berlin is divided into 4 sectors: the American, British, French in
the West and the Soviet in the East June 30, 1946 At the
instigation of the Soviet Military administration the demarcation
line between East and West Germany is safeguarded June 23, 1948
Currency reform in Berlin, Berlin is divided into two different
currency zones June 24, 1948 Begin of the Berlin blockade June 25,
1948 Berlin Airlift begins May 12, 1949 End of Berlin blockade May
24, 1949 Federal Republic of Germany is founded (West Germany)
September 30, 1949 End of Berlin Airlift October 7, 1949 German
Democratic Republic is founded (East Germany )
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Berlin Wall Timeline (2) May 26, 1952 Border between East and
West Germany and between East Germany and West Berlin is closed.
Only the border between East and West Berlin is still opened. June
17, 1953 Uprising of East Berlin building workers against the
imposition of increased working norms, suppression by Red Army
tanks. December 11, 1957 Leaving East Germany without permission is
forbidden and violations are prosecuted with prison up to three
years. August 13, 1961 The Berlin sectorial border between East and
West Berlin is closed, barriers are built. August 14, 1961
Brandenburg Gate is closed. August 26, 1961 All crossing points are
closed for West Berlin citizens. June 26, 1963 President J. F.
Kennedy visits Berlin. December 17, 1963 West Berliner citizen may
visit East Berlin the first time after more than two years.
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Berlin Wall Timeline (3) September 3, 1971 Four Power's
Agreement over Berlin visiting becomes easier for West Berliners.
June 12, 1987 President Ronald Reagan visits Berlin and urges
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
September 10, 1989 Hungarian government opens border for East
German refugees. November 9, 1989 Berlin Wall is opened. December
22, 1989 Brandenburg Gate is opened. October 3, 1990 Germany is
reunited.
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Hours leading to the construction 1. Saturday, August 12, 1961
2. Under leadership of Erich Honecker 3. Very Secretive a) Only
about 20 top level leaders knew anything b) Others were told they
were "exercises" c) No code word was ever issued d) Minimal written
down (1) Only hand written (2) Single Person 4. Ways to minimize
reaction and chance of war a) East Germany army units standing
ready b) Bi-lingual Soviet-German staff to "trivialize" the actions
c) Made actions look like local police initiative (1) Looked like
crowd control (2) 10,000 Person front line was People's Police and
the Riot Police (3) Assisted by militia known as Battle Groups of
the Working Class (a) Chose as most visible armed section of
movement (b) Seemed less warlike than regular army Implication to
the citizens of East Germany (1) No movement between East Germany
and West Germany (2) Restricted almost all movement out of
country
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Specifications for the wall 1. At first a) Barbed wire b) Armed
guards 2. After final fortification a) Dimensions (1) 107 km long
(2) 4 m high at most locations (3) Concrete wall section with
concrete tube placed on top (4) Lighted control area (a) People who
reached this area were shot without warning (b) This is where most
people were caught (5) A deep trench in ground to prevent vehicles
from breaking through (6) Patrol track with guard towers, attack
dogs, and bunkers (7) Then a second wall b) Cut through 192
streets
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The Fall A. November 9, 1989 at about 7 PM B. Gunter Schabowski
1. Leader of the East Berlin communist party 2. Announced that the
border would be opened for "private trips abroad" a) Massive
gatherings at the wall b) Wall "woodpecker" started tearing down
wall almost immediately c) Massive emigration of East Berliners to
West Berlin C. November 10, 1989 and December 22, 1989 1.
Checkpoints were opened for pedestrians 2. Again parties broke out
D. July 1, 1990 1. East and West Germany reunited 2. Assumed West
Germany's former name, The Federal Republic of Germany 3. All
Restrictions on travel between East and West Germany were dropped
4. The wall was taken down except for a few areas a) At the
Bernauer Strasse b) In front of the Neiderkirchnerstrasse (former
Prussian Parliament and current Berlin Parliament)
