However, when the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 the division no only became physical, but this wall also represented ideological division of East and West. Consequently, the wall affected not only the citizens of Berlin but also the whole world in a profound way.
- Opening Global Responses
When the information about the construction of the wall came out it was embraced with much surprise and concern all over the world. A large number of responded rapidly to denounce the deeds of East Germany. Western leaders like the US president John F. Kennedy turned aghast. Kennedy made his historical visit to West Berlin only few months after the construction of the Wall and in his speech “Ich bin ein Berliner” he expressed the willingness of United States to support the people of West Berlin.
Examples:
- Western countries deemed the construction of the wall as a transgression to one’s rights, and an umbrella to offend the rights to freedom of mobility.
- The continued construction of the wall by its supportors have been criticized by the United Nations with the body requesting the dismantling of the structure.
- Most countries in the West no longer considered East Berlin as the capital of the GDR and had their embassies remained only in West Berlin.
- Some of the response from the Eastern Bloc depends on the geopolitical perceptions of the period.
Whereas the Western world deplored the construction of the Berlin Wall, the East Central European reaction was entirely dissimilar. East Germany and the Soviet Union approved the wall because it was deemed to protect socialism from counter revolution as well as to prevent talented workers and intellectuals from crossing from east to west.
Example:
- The East German government sealed itself by ensuring that no one could cross the wall without their permission. It was directed that whoever was caught attempting to flee to West Berlin, the guards were to open fire.
- Impact on the Cold War
The construction of the Berlin Wall was the main reason for the extension of Cold war between United States and Soviet Union. It turned into the emblem of the Cold War – the separation between communism and the free world. It exacerbated the East/West conflict and stepped up feelings of enmity shared by the two super powers.
Examples:
- The United States of America put into practice containment this having the objective of stopping communism from spreading beyond the areas of Eastern Europe.
- This wall strengthened the west resolve to defend west Berlin and the democratic values .
- While the Russians tried severally to force the Americans to remove this wall they only succeeded after 1989.
- SOLIDARITY AND REUNIFICATION INTERNATIONAL
However the people of the world simply slowly accepted the fact of a divided Berlin even after the outrage and consequent condemnation of such act. But the years passed and a major portion of the international community still sent signals of sympathy to the residents of West Berlin and bothered to push for reunification as well.
Examples:
- The independence and freedom of speech of the yearly West Berlin music festival called “Rock gegen den Ost-West-Dialog” (Rock Against the East-West Dialogue) turned it into a marker of protest.
- In the 1980s pressures from inside and outside Germany emerged in the form of movements demanding the reunification of Berlin and bringing down the wall.
- In 1989 due to the pressure from the East Germans, liberalization process and political upheaval in eastern Europe the Berlin Wall was opened, people kissed each other, separated families were reunited and people voiced the determination to rebuild a new Berlin.
Conclusion
Someone suggested that the construction of the Berlin Wall led to different response from the global world. This was condemned by western democracies as an emblem of oppression, and a violation of the rights of woman while Soviet bloc celebrated it as a protective measure. Not only did the wall create the division which has been mentioned earlier, but also fueled the cold war by playing the most vital role into it. But this division was meet with international support for reunification and the efforts put in led to the dismantling of this Berlin Wall and reunification of a city that represented freedom we overcame division.
