Berlin Wall And The Unification Of Germany

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Sean European History 2 29 March 2011 The Berlin Wall’s Role in the Unification of Germany When Japan surrendered in 1945 to end World War II, the people of the world thought they could rejoice and have less to worry about. Almost immediately after WWII ended in 1945, the Cold War began. Europe was right in the middle of the Cold War and was divided in half as a result of it. The Berlin Wall divided Europe for approximately thirty years. The Soviet Union was on one side of the Cold War and Western Europe and the United States were on the other. The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which was the ultimate symbol of the Cold War, was a major turning point in the collapse of communism which led to the unification of East and West Germany. In 1949, the city of Berlin was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin. The city of Berlin was separated because of the Potsdam Agreement. This agreement put Germany formally under the administration of four wartime Allies. The four countries that were involved in the agreement were the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union. The territory of Germany was divided into four zones and managed by the allied countries. Berlin happened to be administered by the Soviet Union, which divided Berlin in a similar way. It was said that the only way for Berlin to become reunited would be if all four countries agreed on it. The Berlin Wall was a border security installation built by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) on August 12, 1961. Officially called the Antifaschistischer Schutzwall (anti-fascist protection dike), the wall was to protect the GDR from aggressive acts by the West. In reality, the Wall functioned as a barrier to stem the massive exodus of skilled laborers to West Berlin and from there to West Germany. The wall’s purpose was to limit travel between East and West Germany, and it served

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