The Berlin Wall

Question 1

When did Berlin become an island? Why?

Answer 1

-1945->due to the division of Germany

Question 2

What proved the vulnerability of Berlin?

Answer 2

the Berlin Blockade

Question 3

What was Berlin like after the Blockade in 1949?

Answer 3

-after the Berlin Blockade all air corridors, transport links and free movement around the City was allowed->you could live in the East and work in the West

Question 4

What made the division of East and West Berlin worse?

Answer 4

-the division of East and West Berlin was made worse by the creation of the FRG and DDR

Question 5

What did the DDR recognise Berlin as but what did the FRG insist?

Answer 5

-the DDR recognised Berlin as the capital of East Germany, however, the FRG still insisted it was under occupation by the 4 powers

Question 6

What were the 1961 crisis’?

Answer 6

-Khrushchev’s ultimatum
-GDR Seven Year Plan
-breakdown of the USSR and USA relations:

Question 7

What was Khrushchev’s ultimatum? When?

Answer 7

-1961
-he demanded that the 3 Western powers withdraw from Berlin with 6 months to create a demilitarised free city state
-the USA appeared to negotiate so the issue was dropped
-the 1960 U2 crisis exacerbated relations (a US spy plane was shot down in Soviet airspace)
-Khrushchev remained committed to protect Berlin

Question 8

Who was Khrushchev?

Answer 8

Soviet leader

Question 9

What was the GDR Seven Year Plan?

Answer 9

-Ulbricht decided to abort the 5 Year Plan which upped expected levels of productivity and accelerate the process of collectivisation of farms->led to a sharp increase in refugees from DDR to the FRG (1959=143.9->1961=207)

Question 10

What led to the breakdown of the USSR and USA relations?

Answer 10

-JFK met Khrushchev but the meeting went badly->Khrushchev threatened war if there was no settlement over Berlin->JFK stated that he would guarantee the status of West Berlin and would protect access (but didn’t threaten the USSR)

Question 11

What made the DDR government feel threatened their fragile state?

Answer 11

-more than 3 million East Germans had migrated to the FRG

Question 12

Why is it unclear whether Khrushchev or Ulbricht gave the direct order to build the wall?

Answer 12

-all negotiations were concluded in secret until Operation Rose was launched

Question 13

What was the East German government’s official reason for the Berlin Walls construction?

Answer 13

-pure propaganda

Question 14

When was the wall built?

Answer 14

August 13th 1961

Question 15

How was the wall built?

Answer 15

-while the world slept, East German officials shut down the border between East Germany and West Berlin, in effect circling the city
-bulldozers rolled in, workers quickly erected a wire fence barrier and in a 24 hour period East German authorities blocked nearly 100 miles of border

Question 16

What was the FRG’s response to the wall being built?

Answer 16

-couldn’t legally challenge the building of the wall because it was built on the DDR side
-it was obvious that no side was willing to seriously escalate the situation which could lead to full-scale war

Question 17

What did the Berlin Wall underline and allow?

Answer 17

-the creation of the Berlin Wall underlined the iron curtain which had been established in the wake of WW2->it allowed both superpowers to co-exist with clear boundaries established

Question 18

What was the original wall like?

Answer 18

-no more than a wire fence patrolled 24/7 by armed guards and watchdogs

Question 19

How was the wall improved in 1962?

Answer 19

-an improved wire fence was established

Question 20

How long did the improved wire fence last?

Answer 20

1965

Question 21

What change was made to the wall in 1965?

Answer 21

-a concrete wall was erected->that stood guard for 10 years

Question 22

When was a reinforced concrete wall build and how long did the structure stand?

Answer 22

-1975
-stood until 1989

Question 23

What was built in 1962 and how was the wall improved?

Answer 23

-during construction of the improved wire fence in 1962, a second fence was built 110 yards in from the first->powerful spotlights lit the area between the 2 fences and it was layered with sand and fine gravel so that footprints would be easily seen->this area became known as the ‘Death Strip’ because so many who tried to defect and made it through the first fence found themselves in an impossible situation and were often shot for their efforts

Question 24

What did the area between the 2 fences became known as?

Answer 24

-‘Death Strip’ because so many who tried to defect and made it through the first fence found themselves in an impossible situation and were often shot for their efforts

Question 25

What was the final version of the wall?

Answer 25

-it measured 103 miles in length and stood 12 feet tall and at its peak, help 302 watchtowers and 20 bunkers

Question 26

How many people tried to cross the wall?

Answer 26

-around 5,000

Question 27

How many people were killed trying to escape?

Answer 27

100-200

Question 28

Why is it hard to have accurate figured of the escape attempts and deaths?

Answer 28

-the secretive nature of the East German government and it’s reluctance to share news that would obviously hurt the country’s political image

Question 29

How many border guards escaped in the first 2 years?

Answer 29

1,300

Question 30

How did people escape early on? What was a result of this?

Answer 30

-there were residential buildings along 23 miles of the wall and people attempted to simply jump over the wall from upstairs windows and roofs->many were successful->bulldozers eventually levelled those residential areas so more inventive means of escape were devised

Question 31

How did people escape after bulldozers levelled the residential areas?

Answer 31

-ultra-lights and hot air balloons being flown over the wall while other would be refugees slide along aerial wires strung between the 2 areas
-tunnels were popular until bulldozers dug them up and some people crawled through the sewer system to escape->several drove cars through the barrier prompting the construction of the reinforced concrete wall

Question 32

What was life like for families who were separated by the wall?

Answer 32

-West Berliners initially could not visit East Berlin or East Germany at all->all crossing points were closed to them between August 1961-December 1963
-in 1963 negotiations between East and West resulted in a limited possibility for visits during the Christmas season that year
-similarly very limited arrangements were made in 1964-1966

Question 33

Why could this be considered a turning point in DDR/FRG relations?

Answer 33

-it would’ve further separated them and resulted in little to no communication between the different zones

Question 34

What were the effects of building the wall?

Answer 34

-it kept people in East Berlin but many (~5,000) still tried to escape and it would have reminded them of the control of Nazi Germany but to a more extreme level

Question 35

Do you think the Berlin Wall achieved what it intended to?

Answer 35

-they intended to prevent Brain Drain which was somewhat successful because people couldn’t leave and they gained more control
-people would’ve been unhappy and reminded of Nazi control to a more
extreme level ->more opposition