Berlin Wall

Question 1

What did experience of Hungary demonstrate?

Answer 1

Opposition to the commnunist system would be met with considerable force

Question 2

What did the harshness of communists lead to?

Answer 2

Led to an increase in the number of people leaving East Germany

Question 3

In the 1950’s what were East Germans free to do?

Answer 3

Travel into West Berlin and from there into West Germany

Question 4

Why did people leave East Germany in the 1950’s?

Answer 4

• Political (anti-communist activities) and economic (increasingly higher standards of living in the West; better opportunities for future generations) reasons.
• Harsh rule of the Ulbricht

Question 5

Where was this contrast of the West and East most apparent?

Answer 5

Berlin, tolerable eastern living standards juxtaposed to the opulence and extravagance of the West

Question 6

What did the West do in relation to West Berlin?

Answer 6

Invested huge amounts of money to demonstrate the appeals of capitalism: consumer goods, ample supplies, variety of shops all tantalisingly close to them. East Germans could even watch West German TV

Question 7

Why was people leaving East Berlin a problem for the communists?

Answer 7

• Poor propaganda to see people fleeing communist rule for capitalist alternative.
• Brain drain - skilled workers and managers were disproportionally fleeing which the communist government couldn’t afford

Question 8

What was Khrushchev’s initial solution to the problem in Berlin?

Answer 8

He tried to intimidate the young and newly appointed JFK (John F Kennedy) into withdrawing troops from Berlin in 1961.

Question 9

What did JFK say in response to Khrushchev?

Answer 9

He refused

Question 10

What did Khrushchev then do to solve the problem in Berlin?

Answer 10

At 2 in the morning on the 13th August 1961, East German soldiers erected a barbed wire barrier along the entire frontier between East and West Berlin, ending all free movement from East to West. It was quickly replaced with a concrete wall.

Question 11

What was the name of the only unsealed crossing point?

Answer 11

Checkpoint Charlie

Question 12

Consequences of the Berlin Wall

Answer 12

Families were divided. Berliners were unable to go to work; chaos and confusion followed.

Question 13

What did border guards have orders to do?

Answer 13

Shoot people trying to defect. The wall was constantly supervised.

Question 14

How many were killed trying to defect across the Berlin Wall over the next three decades?

Answer 14

Hundreds

Question 15

What did the US do up to October 1961?

Answer 15

Sent US diplomats and troops to cross the border regularly into East Berlin to see how the Soviet’s would react

Question 16

What happened on the 27th October 1961?

Answer 16

Soviet tanks pulled up to Checkpoint Charlie and refused access to the East. Soviet and US tanks, fully armed, faced each other in a stand off. Lasted for 18 hours before a slow retreat of 5 metres an hour begun.

Question 17

When did Soviet tanks pull up to Checkpoint Charlie?

Answer 17

27th October 1961

Question 18

What was the international reaction to the stand off?

Answer 18

Relief

Question 19

What did Khrushchev order Ulbricht do?

Answer 19

Avoid any actions that would increase tensions

Question 20

What did Kennedy say about the wall?

Answer 20

‘It’s not a very nice solution, but a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.’

Question 21

What was the wall a symbol of for the communists?

Answer 21

A protective shell around around East Berlin

Question 22

What was the wall a symbol of for the West?

Answer 22

A prison wall