History of the Berlin Wall
At the end of World War Two the Soviet Union and the other three Allied powers started to fall apart, the atmosphere of Germany turned competitive and aggressive. The capital Berlin was in east germany under the control of the Soviets. In 1949 the United States, Great Britain, and France combined to form West Germany and the Soviet Union formed east Germany. West Germany Federal Republic set up a capitalist society and experienced a rapid growth of their economy that it became known as the "economic miracle." Individuals lining in West Germany were able to live well, buy gadgets and appliances, and to travel as they wanted. East Germany set up a Communist society and by the late 1950s, many people living in East Germany wanted to leave. They packed up their things and left, about 2.5 million people left east Germany by 1961. The living conditions were controlled by the government and were the complete opposite of west Germany.
On August 12 and 13, 196 trucks with soldiers and construction workers moved through East Berlin, while most Berliners were sleeping. The crews teared up the streets that entered into West Berlin, and dug holes to put up concrete posts, and strung barbed wire across the border between East and West Berlin. Everything between the two like telephone wires were cut out. The Soviets constructed the Berlin Wall and it stretched over 100 miles long. The Early wall was concrete posts with barbed-wire fences. The Final version of the Berlin Wall was constructed form 1975 to 1980, it consisted of concrete slabs reaching nearly 12-feet high and 4-feet wide and had a smooth pipe running across the top to hinder people from scaling the Wall.
A lot of the people from east Germany wanted to leave and go to west Germany, but in order to do so they had to escape with out getting caught. Around 5,000 people made it safety to west Germany from east Germany, but some were not as lucky. Close to 200 Germans died trying to escape. The guards of east Germany shot anyone they saw trying to get over the wall. Early escapes before the wall was more advanced included throwing a rope over the Wall and climbing up. Other people ran their cars into the wall and then ran for it. Some jumped from high apartment windows on one side of the wall and tried to land on the other side of it. As the wall advanced, and was bigger and stronger, people dug tunnels out of their basements, to get into West Berlin. On of the most creative ways that people escaped was by tying stands of their clothes together and creating a hot air ballon.
On november 9, 1989 the east German government made an announcement, they were allowing people from east germany to leave and go to west germany. The wall was surrounded with people form both sides. Some chipped at the Wall with hammers and chisels. There was a huge celebration along the Berlin Wall. After the wall came down East and West Germany reunited on October 3, 1990.
On August 12 and 13, 196 trucks with soldiers and construction workers moved through East Berlin, while most Berliners were sleeping. The crews teared up the streets that entered into West Berlin, and dug holes to put up concrete posts, and strung barbed wire across the border between East and West Berlin. Everything between the two like telephone wires were cut out. The Soviets constructed the Berlin Wall and it stretched over 100 miles long. The Early wall was concrete posts with barbed-wire fences. The Final version of the Berlin Wall was constructed form 1975 to 1980, it consisted of concrete slabs reaching nearly 12-feet high and 4-feet wide and had a smooth pipe running across the top to hinder people from scaling the Wall.
A lot of the people from east Germany wanted to leave and go to west Germany, but in order to do so they had to escape with out getting caught. Around 5,000 people made it safety to west Germany from east Germany, but some were not as lucky. Close to 200 Germans died trying to escape. The guards of east Germany shot anyone they saw trying to get over the wall. Early escapes before the wall was more advanced included throwing a rope over the Wall and climbing up. Other people ran their cars into the wall and then ran for it. Some jumped from high apartment windows on one side of the wall and tried to land on the other side of it. As the wall advanced, and was bigger and stronger, people dug tunnels out of their basements, to get into West Berlin. On of the most creative ways that people escaped was by tying stands of their clothes together and creating a hot air ballon.
On november 9, 1989 the east German government made an announcement, they were allowing people from east germany to leave and go to west germany. The wall was surrounded with people form both sides. Some chipped at the Wall with hammers and chisels. There was a huge celebration along the Berlin Wall. After the wall came down East and West Germany reunited on October 3, 1990.