Berlin+Wall+Constructed+G2

=Berlin Wall Constructed=

Overview
During the night between August 12 and August 13, 1961, a wall was erected between East Germany and West Germany inBerlin. The wall was actually first made with barbed wire, and guarded by troops. Two days later, they started building an actual wall. This "Berlin Wall" was erected by the Soviet Union to decrease the amount of population being lost to West Germany. Over thirty-six thousand people with professional and academic qualifications had crossed from the east to the west. The Soviet Union was losing money because all of their intelligent citizens were working in West Germany, and they only lived in East Germany because it was cheaper. On the Soviet Union's side of the wall they made a "no-man's land" of 100 meters. Contrary to the Allied side, where the West Germans could walk right up to the wall.

Central Issue
"When I was stationed in Germany with the US Army, I was assigned to a unit that patrolled the American sector of the border with East Germany and Czechoslovakia. Many times I, with my weapons, looked through binoculars over the Wall to men like myself, armed with binoculars trained on me. It was your beloved Berlin Wall that kept us apart. He kept us from doing violence to each other. I am sure those men were like myself in many ways -- they had families they loved and wanted to protect. They would rather be somewhere else, doing something else than looking at the magnified image of another anonymous armed man. I could feel the strength of the Wall, and many times I was happy he was there." This is the best way to show how the Berlin Wall was a symbol.

Conclusion/Historical Significance
The Berlin Wall stood for over twenty-five years between East and West Berlin. It divided families, businesses, and most importantly, a society. The economic and political reasons for building the wall were very strong for the Soviet Union. They did not want to lose any more of their educated citizens, and they did not want the Allies in their business any more. It is unfortunate that we could not look past our differences. The Wall showed the bitterness between our two societies.