Berlin Wall Research Paper

In 1989, the Berlin Wall, an iron curtain, a potent source of conflict between the soviet union and the United States that almost started World War III, that was a symbol of the Cold War and Communist Repression, crudely taking freedom from East Germans, fell, because of a compromise between East German leaders and East German citizens, eradicating Communism and uniting East Germany.

After World War Two, Germany was divided between the Capitalist United States, United Kingdom M 48 1963 France in the West and the Communist Soviet Union in the East. The city of Berlin, deep in Soviet territory, was divided similarly thus creating an island of Capitalist island in a sea of Communism. This created a safe haven for Communist refugees and the Soviet …show more content…
This crumbling economy was caused by the Soviet Union. Then, on the night of August 12, 1961, GDR soldiers put up a barbed wire fence that stretched 46 miles around West Berlin, sealing the border and stabilizing their Communist economy. Next, to follow, the Brandenburg Gate was closed the next day and all checkpoints were closed 12 days later. East German officials only allowed tourists from abroad, diplomats, and military personnel from the FRG only through Checkpoint Charlie and only by car or by foot. On October 22, 1961, E Allan Lightner Junior, the senior U.S. diplomat in East Berlin, was stopped by East German border guards when trying to enter East Berlin and was forced to go back. On October 27, General Clay, the hero of the Berlin airlift, declared that the diplomat sent by the United States was going to be escorted by armed U.S. military police in jeeps. The plan succeeded, but they were again forced to go back. General Clay then ordered 10 American M48 tanks to head for Checkpoint Charlie, 75 meters from the border. Alarmed by the threat, Moscow, with the approval of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, sent an equal number of T55 tanks to face down the Americans, both sides awaiting orders to fire. President Kennedy assured Khrushchev that the U.S. had no interest in East Berlin and both sides withdrew their tanks 16 hours

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