The Berlin Wall

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Hitler committed suicide in 1945, swiftly making an end to any resistance against the Allied powers in World War II. The Axis powers soon surrendered and negotiations began over the fate of Europe. Germany took the blame for most of the wartime tragedy, but even with their varying agendas, the Allied powers were hesitant to act harshly against the Germans. They feared an uprising of retaliation such as the Third Reich regime that had begun the workings for World War II. With this in mind, Great Britain, France, the United States, and Soviet Russia started the process of recreating Germany (www.history.com). Following much deliberation, the country was divided into four sectors among the main Allied powers, as well as the capitol city of Berlin. World War II may have come to an end, but the political residue of war still lingered. Eventually the Soviet agenda, bent on communism, clashed with the ideals of the Western countries for the German sectors. This put a political barrier around Russia’s sector of Germany and specifically in Berlin that would pave the way for separation among the sectors. Berlin became a battleground for power and the effects of this inevitable separation would sever Germany for decades to come. This paper will cover why the Berlin Wall was built, events leading to its destruction, and its significance in post-World War II Europe.

The Allied forces wanted to keep an eye on post-war Germany, preventing another outbreak of combat. The three West sectors were under the control of the United States, Great Britain, and France, and the East sector was under Russian regulation. Russia was bent on keeping communist influence flowing into East Germany, which the other powers did not appreciate (“Germany”). Especia...

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“Berlin.” Encyclopœdia Britannica. Encyclopœdia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopœdia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 7 May 2012.

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“Berlin blockade and airlift.” Encyclopœdia Britannica. Encyclopœdia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopœdia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 7 May 2012.

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“Berlin.” Encyclopœdia Britannica. Encyclopœdia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopœdia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 7 May 2012.

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Schmemann, Serge. "A Fateful Day, and the East Tasted Freedom." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Nov. 2009. Web. 07 May 2012. .

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