1. By Jessica Flynn
Cold War Germany

2. West Germany: Pre-wall
Joined NATO (1955)
A place of economic growth
Wirtschaftswunder (1955)
Joined the European Economic Community (1957)

3. East Germany: Pre-wall
The Soviet Union had seized most of their industrial equipment so their economic conditions were dire
1953 Uprising: 40,000 construction workers revolted but were suppressed by Soviet troops
June 17 became a national holiday in remembrance in FDR
Joined the Warsaw Pact (1955)

4. 1958: Nikita Khrushchev demanded all Western troops leave West Berlin within 6 months. Unlike the Blockade in 1948, the city was too large to be supported via air shipments, so it became a concern how it was to be dealt with. They came to a temporary agreement in Geneva, but tensions rose again after the U2 incident in Eisenhower refused to give in and met with Khrushchev in Austria (1961) for discussion which did not lead to any resolutions. Instead, a wall was erected and Soviet and American troops stood on either side of the wall in a stand-off manner.
The Berlin Crisis

5. The Berlin Wall (August 31, 1961)
Despite Ulbricht’s claims that there was “no intention to build a wall”, an “anti-fascist protection barrier” is erected regardless
The Berlin Wall (August 31, 1961)
1961

6. Life in East Germany
Farmers were forced to divide their land between each other equally and give up their harvests to the people
Monetary award system for having children
Stasi (1950)
Secret police force similar to the Gestapo
Youth Groups
Thälmann Pionier Frei Deutsche Jugend
Military training one month each year
Culture
Socialist realism
German-centric

7. Party Opposition West Germany RAF KBW East Germany
Guerilla army force that caused 289 bombings
KBW
A Maoist organisation
East Germany
Barely any opposition as fear was prevalent
Towards the end, Monday Demonstrations were common

8. Kennedy’s speech to West Berlin to address the US’s standpoint in regards to the Wall and their unchanging support to the FDR
“Ich bin ein Berliner!”
1963

9. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Ronald Reagan stood in the same place as Kennedy had and demanded for the completion of the arms race and called for the fall of the Berlin Wall
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
1980

10. Fall of the Berlin Wall 9 November,1989
Günter Schabowski was late to a press conference in which he was supposed to announce that East Germans were now able to apply for a travel visa into West Germany, but he made it seem like every East German could leave immediately, hence reuniting the two halves of Germany.
Fall of the Berlin Wall 9 November,1989
1989