The berlin wall Ashita

8/7/2019 The berlin wall Ashita

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THE BERLIN WALL


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Another Cold War crisis

Background

East West rivalry

Berlin divided contrast the two halves.

WEST: Prosperous,

helped by US, attracted

people from the East.Seen by USSR as

infection in the heart of

Communist East

Germany.

EAST: Much less

prosperous and under

Communist control


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Focus on refugees from East Germany or

East Berlin to West

19491949--129,245129,245

19511951-- 165,648165,648

19531953-- 331,390331,390

19551955-- 252,870252,870

19571957-- 261,622261,622

19591959-- 143,917143,917

19611961-- 207,026207,026

19621962-- 21,35621,356

19631963-- 42,63242,632

19641964-- 41,87641,876


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What they wanted

The West

Prevent USSR fromgaining control of EastGermany

To see a united,democratic Germany

The East

Maintain control overE Germany

Make the Westrecognise it as anindependent state

Stop the flood ofrefugees especially

the skilled andprofessional ones much needed in EGermany


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1958-Soviet demands

West should:

Recognise GDR

Withdraw troops from West Berlin

Hand their access routes over to theEast German government

Khrushchev bluffed that he would hand

East Berlin over to the GDR. Westrefused and Khrushchev backed down.


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Events of1961 June-Vienna Summit

Khrushchev pressured new AmericanPresident John F Kennedy

Demanded withdrawal of Western forces

from West Berlin Kennedy refused July Western powers reject Khrushchevs

Vienna demands

July 23 Flow of refugees from East to West

= 1000 a day July 25 Kennedy repeats support for West

Berlin and announced increase in armsspending


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Events contd

13-22 August Khrushchev and EastGerman govt. orders barbed wire barrieracross Berlin, followed by a wall of

concrete blocks All of West Berlin encircled apart from

access points

This was against the FourPoweragreement reached in Paris on 20 June1949.


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Did Kennedy really mind the wall?

He had protected West Berlin and

he never promised to protect East

Berlin?


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Results

Important results for Berlin, Germany

and the Cold War

BerlinBerlin was divided, free access ended

between East and West, many families

split, many attempted to escape to the

West-between 1961 and 1989, 86

people died trying to cross the BerlinWall


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Results contd

Kennedy accepted the Soviet action. He refusedto use US troops to pull down the wall to avoidwar.

Kennedy looked weak but West turned it intopropaganda why if Communism was soattractive was a wall needed?

1963 Kennedy visited West Berlin pledgedcontinued support Ich bin ein Berliner(I am aBerliner) famous speech

Khrushchev lost face by failing to remove theWest from Berlin

LINK:CNN - Cold War-The Wall


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What was the Berlin Wall?

The Berlin Wall was a fence dividing East and WestGermany.

West Germany was under a Republic government whilstEast Germany was a communist society with conflicting

interests to that of the west.

It was constructed in 1961 by East Germany otherwiseknown as the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to keeptheir people from fleeing the communist country.

Many East Germans saw West Germany as a chance forliberation. Whilst the East German Government Restrictedthe public from migrating, they were aware that WestGermany was sufficiently well constructed.


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What was the Berlin Wall con.

On the night of August 13th 1961, East Germany began the

construction on the Berlin Wall. The concrete establishment

was 4m high and 166km long, dividing the two areas.

The GDR claimed that the wall was assembled to preventpolitical and military aggression from West Germany.

However, the East Germans built both tank traps and

trenches along the eastern border, Implying that the wall was

in fact erected to restrict the immigration of East Germans.

East German military guards strictly patrolled the Wall, any

citizen attempting to flee was shot instantly.


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East German Guards on a routine Wall petrol


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The End of the Berlin Wall

From 1961 to 1989, a few East Germans succeeded in fleeingthe country, although at least 80 people were killed as a resultof military brutality.

In summer 1989 a loop hole allowed East Germans to escapethe country via Hungry to Austria and West Germany.

By autumn the GDR was under sever threat of abolishment. Onthe 9th ofNovember enthusiastic private citizens began todestroy large sections of the wall without government protest.

By 1990 East Germany had participated in the deconstructionand removal of the Berlin Wall and was once again united with

West Germany to create one nation, the Federal Republic ofGermany.

To this day sections of the wall were remain and manymuseums and shops were established in its commemoration


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A temporary memorial of over 1,000 crosses

and a segment of the wall for those who died

attempting to cross.


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By Jim Olsen


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My Life and the Berlin Wall

Jim Olsen born 1956.

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 by

the communist government, to make it

impossible for East Germans to leave

their country.


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Berlin, 1961. Berlin Wall at Zimmerstrasse. West

Berliners watching over the Wall to the East.


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Berlin. Bernauer Strasse/Brunnenstrasse

View from West to East Berlin.


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Berlin, Checkpoint CharlieView from West to East Berlin, 1961


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Standoff between

US and Soviettanks at

Checkpoint

Charlie, 1961.


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In sixth grade my social studies teacher

showed slides of her visit to Berlin.

My first encounter with the Berlin Wall.

This is what she described.


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Berlin, PotsdamerPlatz, 60s


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Berlin, PotsdamerPlatz, 60s


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Brandenburg Gate photographed through thebarbed wire there, from the West

Berlin, April 1963


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Checkpoint CharlieBerlin, April 1963


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Berlin, 1963. John F. Kennedy visiting Berlin on

June 26, 1963.


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JFK gave his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkberliner.html


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President Kennedy says,

Ich bin ein Berliner.

(I am a Berliner) I support you.

Due to the Allied Air Lift, from a few yearsprior, and President Kennedys support,

West Berlin remained a vigorous and

healthy city. Berlin, unfortunately,remained divided.


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In the last phase of the wall's development, the

"death strip" between fence and concrete wall.


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East Germans were killed if they tried to

escape.


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In the summer of 1972 I traveled to

Berlin with my family (my second

encounter).

This is the sight I saw.


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Brandenburg Gate

View from West Berlin to East Berlin


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Berliner Mauer, Berlin 1983.


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United States President Ronald Reagan delivers his famed"Tear Down This Wall" speech at the Berlin Wall in June of

1987, in which he called for Soviet General SecretaryMikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganbrandenburggate.htm


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In 1989 the Berlin Wall came DOWN!!


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My friend sent be

a post cardshowing peoplewalking under

the

BrandenburgGate for the

first time since1961.

My 4th encounter.


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In summer 2007 I took my family to Berlin.

My 5

th

encounter. It was awesome!


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Here we are at the Hard Rock Caf, Berlin with

my friend, Heinz.


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They have the line marked where the Wall stood.


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PotsdamerPlatz

has been

restored.

They have kept

a section of

the Wall.


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PotsdamerPlatz restored.


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PotsdamerPlatz

Sony Center

2007


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Checkpoint Charlie today.


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Checkpoint Charlie today.


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Photo taken of

my children

with a relic ofpast

communist

oppression.


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Brandenburg Gate, 2007.


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I AM THANKFUL THE BERLIN WALL IS NO

MORE.

I AM THANKFUL FOR FREEDOM.

The berlin wall Ashita

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