1. 1)If a wall was built across Hw. 290 is, how would it affect your life? -You cannot cross this wall or you will be shot or imprisoned. -This wall continues to the borders of the United States, and surrounds Houston, so you cannot just go around. -Think about where you live and where your friends live. -Think about what would be on the other side of the wall. (would you be able to go to this school?) -Which side would be better to live on?

2. The Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union Cy-Woods HS World Geography

4. Berlin, Germany Where are we talking about?

5. Why was there a wall there? Let’s go back to the end of World War II (1945).

6. The aftermath of World War II What was left of Nazi Germany was divided into 4 areas. Britain, France, US, and Soviet Union Berlin (the capital) was also split into 4, even though it was mostly inside the Soviet zone.

8. The aftermath of World War II Two big powers arose (United States and the Soviet Union). Eastern Europe became dominated by the USSR. An “iron curtain” was formed.

9. “Iron Curtain” “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” -Churchill While there were mine fields, troops, and barbed wire separating east from west, more importantly it was an ideological wall. The “iron curtain” was an ideological divide between Western democracy and Soviet communism.

10. The onset of the Cold War In 1949, as the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union was heating up, Germany split. Federal Republic of Germany (France, Britain, US) including West Berlin German Democratic Republic (Soviet Union) including East Berlin

11. West Germany (FRG) West Germany Market economy; capitalist Democratic parliamentary government High standard of living

12. East Germany (GDR) East Germany Command economy; communist Authoritarian government Low standard of living

13. Why are walls normally built?

14. Which side built the wall and why? The Soviets decided to build the wall in 1961. They wanted to prevent people from leaving for East Germany. To keep people in! Why would people want to go from East Germany to West Germany?

15. What were the effects of the Berlin Wall? Families were separated. People could not get to their jobs. While East Germany grew economically, it was viewed as oppressive by the world. It fell behind the West economically.

16. Why didn’t they just go around the wall?

18. Did anyone try to escape? There were 5,000+ escapes. 136 confirmed dead. Most escapes were early in the wall’s existence. "Do not hesitate to use your firearm, not even when the border is breached in the company of women and children, which is a tactic the traitors have often used"

19. Fall of the Berlin Wall People were going through Czechoslovakia and mass protests in East Germany were beginning. November 9, 1989 (Europe’s 9/11) People were allowed travel between the two. See Reagan clip

22. The Aftermath Problems arose with reunification: East was communist (inefficient). West was capitalist. Closing factories in the East would cost thousands of jobs. Eventually, the Soviet Union would collapse altogether.

23. The Aftermath Germany had begun reunification. This marked the fall of communism. See Berlin Wall clip

24. Why reunite then? The German “people” would be linked together in a single country. Families separated since 1945 would be reunited. Potential for the future.

25. The Aftermath West Germany They would have to pay for reunification ($40,000/person). There would be a mass migration of East Germans into the West looking for jobs. East Germans would work for less than West Germans. They would not have enough natural resources and would have to import them. East Germany Factories would have to close, leaving thousands jobless. Women had to give up free child care to go to work. The government no longer guaranteed jobs. The government no longer offered free housing. East German money was worthless.

26. Your assignment On a piece of notebook paper, write a letter to a friend on the other side of the wall.  East (middle row, pick one) West  Tell them: –What life is like on your side of the wall. –What you have heard about life on their side of the wall.