Topic 2: The Berlin Wall

Question 1

What was the context for the building of the Berlin wall?

Answer 1

• x4 summits meeting 1959-61 failes to resolve problem of Berlin= Kennedy prepares for Nuclear war
• Khrushev don’t want to risk N war but need to solve mass migration + brain drain problem

Refugee problem-> falure of summits/breakdown in relations-> finish construction

Question 2

Why was the Belin wall built?

Answer 2

1. Khrushchev backs down knows he cnn’t win nuclear war
2. Western powers stayed in Berlin
3. Solved immigration crisis
4. Khrusheve avoids war with USA but looks strong

Refugee problem-> falure of summits/breakdown in relations-> finish construction

Question 3

What happend during/ what was the building of the Berlin wall?

Answer 3

12th August 1961
* East German troops buils barbed wire fence wich becomes heavly guarded wall
* Soviet tanks depolyed to stop Wgermans accessing East
* **End OCT **: eat + west compleatly cut off
* Could be shot for trying to cross some soilders building fence tryed to escape

Refugee problem-> falure of summits/breakdown in relations-> finish construction

Question 4

What was the impact of the Berlin wall?

Answer 4

• Western troops remained in Berlin
• Solves refugee problem
• Number of millitray alerts in berlin declined due to wall construction. Kennedy comment: altough wall wasn’t nice better than war over comm unifiction of Berlin as Khrusheve damanded in 1958
• Hummilation for SU, propangand vitory for West: east Germans prefer Capitalism, forced to stay in comm
• Notorious barrier, stark divide beteewn Free doms in West vs east->thousand die trying to cross=sybolic of freedom
• Khrushev thought Kennedy showe weakness by allowing walll to be built= ecourages him to think about missile in Cuba

Question 5

Kennedy visit West Berlin

Answer 5

1963
* ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’= ‘i’m a Berliner’
* expresstion of solidarity comming close to personaly visit= show NATO + USA willing to protect W Berlin
* After Cuban missle crisis= show he is not soft on comm

sounded like i am a dounut

Question 6

How did th Berlin wall relate to the iron curtain?

Answer 6

fill last gap in Iron curtain= East+ West completly divided