RISE AND FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL

CAUSES OF THE BERLIN WALL

• After WWII, France, US, Britain, and the Soviet Union all took control of parts of Germany agreeing to relinquish the land back to Germany once the country was stable. Yet, the Soviet Union refused to withdraw their troops.

CAUSES OF THE BERLIN WALL

• Many began to emigrate from communist East Germany to the more westernized and democratic western Germany. This was hurting East Germany's economy. In the 11 years before the Berlin Wall was build in 1961, 2.5 million people moved from East to West Berlin.

Many of those refugees who fled from East Germany spoke of how the economy of East Germany was failing miserably. East Germany was to be seen as a strong, successful force, so they decided to halt the emmigration of any East Berliners to any other countries. Nobody could leave or come in.

CONSTRUCTION

• Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August Thirteen, 1961.

Untitled Slide

This depicts a family separated by the wall waving to one another.

Hundreds of people were killed attempting to cross the Berlin Wall. It is believed that thousands escaped from Eastern Germany, but mostly through other bordering countries. Crossing the wall was extremely dangerous.

The people of Eastern Germany were denied many rights and all media and items had to be censored and approved. Modern music and styles were banned. They weren't able to express free speech and had to abide by the strict laws that were in place.

The Berlin Wall was riddle with Grafitti, on the Western side, much of it protesting the communist government of East Germany.

People protested hoping to free their friends and family from East Germany and once again unite Germany as a nation.

After the discovery of a rigged election, the people of East Germany began to revolt. The East Germans stormed the West German embassy and refused to leave. Then nearly a million gathered at the wall an demanded freedom.

The East Germany government slowly began to open up various checkpoints for the East German people to travel through to West Germany. Now people from Western Germany had gathered as well in support.

Protesters began tearing down the wall by any means necessary. Then, the East German government brought in bulldozers to tear our sections of the wall to reopen roads that had been closed for years.

On June 13, 1990, the government of Eastern a Germany began to officially tear down the wheel, freeing the people of Eastern Germany.

On October 3, 1990, the Eastern German government was dissolved the Germany was reunited as one country. Not only did this reunite the country, but families, friends, and the German people as one. It also represented a triumph of Democracy over Communism.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS NOT A CAUSE OF THE BERLIN WALL?

• A) 20% of East Germany fled to West Germany
• B) East Germany's economy was failing
• C) lack of food in East Germany
• D) refugees spoke about the failing economy of East Germany

WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE BERLIN WALL?

• A) prevent East Berliners from leaving
• B) protect West Berlin from Communist invasion
• C) prevent spies from sneaking across border
• D) guard Germans from Polish military

WHEN WAS THE BERLIN WALL TORN DOWN?