East and West Germany Flashcards
How were East and West Germany formed?
After WW2, Germany was split into 4 zones for each of the major allied powers. Soon afterward the three Western superpowers, Britain, France and the USA, decided to join their sectors to create West Germany. Communist Stalin decided to keep his sector separate and it became the GDR or East Germany
What was life like in West Germany?
West Germany was a democracy with a stable government, it worked towards an independent and denazify Germany with an economy like it was before the war. The Marshall Aid Program helped West Germany as they got 100 million gold marks from the US in the Dawes Plan which meant that they could rebuild their economy. It also had a stable central bank and was famous for the production of cars.
What was life like in East Germany?
East Germany was a one-party state where there was n free choice and there was police forcing you to vote a specific way at each polling station. It was also communist with the Stasi, spying on people and listening to their calls and reading their letters. They tried to control television and they encouraged people to have large families and they gave loans and money for doing so.
When and why did tensions initially grow before the Berlin Blockade?
Tensions started to rise in 1945 after the USSR, led by Stalin used Eastern European countries as an ‘iron curtain’ to stop an invasion. The West also had atomic weapons which scared Stalin. In 1917 the Truman Doctrine was made to fight back against Communism and the USSR, the Marshall Plan also aimed to stop Communism.
When did the Berlin Blockade happen?
1948-1949
What was the Berlin Blockade?
It was where Stalin ordered the blockage of all road and rail links to West Berlin where 2.4 million people were living. He also cut off all electricity. This meant that the allies started the Airlift where they dropped supplies for the West Berliners, not wanting the USSR to win. In the end, the blockade lasted 11 months and cost the allies $200 million.
What is NATO?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is an agreement that promises that if war breaks out, all the countries within NATO will support each other. At this time, there were 13 countries in NATO. In 1955, West Germany formed a new army - the Bundeswehr.
When did West Germany join NATO?
1949
What was the Warsaw Pact?
The Warsaw Pact is much like NATO, in that it was an agreement that meant that if there was ever war the countries in the Warsaw Pact would support each other. By this point, the USSR also had atomic weapons.
When did East Germany join the Warsaw Pact?
1955
Why did tension continue to rise between 1955 and 1961?
With Stalin now dead, Krushev the new leader of the USSR tried a second Berlin Blockade in 1958, only for it to fail. The East was dong badly economically whilst the West was thriving and young workers kept leaving for the West. The USSR were also embarrassed that they could not control their people.
When was the Berlin Wall built?
The wall was built overnight on August 13, 1961
What was the Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall was a wall built by the USSR to stop people moving from the East into West Berlin. It covered 91 miles and was heavily guarded with only a few passage points. In all, over 100 people were killed trying to cross the wall, 41 in the first 12 months alone President JFK went to the wall to show his support for West Berliners but was unable to take down the wall due to it causing a nuclear war.
How long did the Berlin Wall stand?
It stood for 28 years, from 1961 to 1989
Who was Willy Brandt?
Willy Brandt was the Chancellor of West Germany in the 19960s and he wanted to improve relations between East and West Germany, and also with Poland.
