Tension between the two superpowers continued to rise and on the 25th of July 1961, America’s position on Berlin was announced. Kennedy described West Berlin as an island of freedom in a sea of communism, and stated that the west “cannot and will not permit the Communists to drive us out of Berlin, either gradually or by force”. He then announced a substantial increase in the US defence budget amounting to $3.25 billion. Kennedy’s speech gave a clear message, America is willing to fight over the fate of Berlin. At the same time East Germans were pushing for Khrushchev to forcefully remove capitalism from Berlin, believing Khrushchev’s false claims of superior nuclear weapons. German Democratic Republic leader Walter Ulbricht suggested building a wall, if the soviets were not going to go to war. On the 13th of August the Soviet and East German response to Kennedy’s speech was barbed wire being placed along the 50km dividing East and West Berlin, soon after a concrete wall was under construction and within days the wall was complete. The West protested against the construction of the wall, but did not take any military action.
Even though the Berlin Wall Crisis was of great significance in the Cold War, it did not have a great domestic impact outside of Germany and more significantly Berlin. After the construction of the wall West Berliners felt abandoned and isolated. Led by Mayor Brandt, residents of West Berlin demonstrated at the wall, Brandt also criticised the US for failing to respond to the breaking of all prior agreements promoting free access throughout Berlin. America was aware that West Berlin was completely surrounded by the Soviet Union, and realistically was only defendable by nuclear weapons. Kennedy responded to the drop in morale on the 16th of August by giving the order for a show of strength by marching 1500 men into West Berlin from West Germany. East German police and soldiers observed and took a head count, but did nothing to stop the columns proceeding. The reinforcements brought a sense of relief to the West Berliners, it appeared that America had stood by her promise to not permit the communists taking over Berlin. Russia also moved 5 divisions of troops in a covert operation to the Berlin Area. As it was not done in the open, America suspected a trap and a stand-off ensued between tanks at checkpoints such as Checkpoint Charlie during late August, eventually after negotiations the tanks retreated. The sheer speed that the wall was erected left families separated, more than 160 people were killed and 120 injured, trying to get to West Berlin throughout the time the wall was standing. With wall guards on shooting orders and in some areas minefields, it was extremely risky for the Eastern Germans to attempt to escape from communism through West Berlin.
From a Soviet perspective the Berlin Crisis was a significant victory, the construction of the wall which was against the peace treaty made at the Potsdam Conference, did not create more tension but inversely, decreased it. The wall solved the Eastern Bloc’s constant loss of human capital, and the subsequent humiliation for the communist system. The German Democratic Republic’s problems were solved, and according to Ulbricht improvements in the economy were observed immediately after the wall was constructed. It also restored much needed order and discipline in the East German’s lives. The Berlin problem was resolved by a Soviet initiative, which occurred without the involvement of America, in addition the fact that the US did not act militarily against the construction of the wall. Khrushchev later stated that Berlin was the gates to a socialist paradise, which needed to be guarded. America also benefited from the construction of the Berlin Wall, through propaganda and that the threat of a War became more distant. The Cold War was based around the conflict between capitalism and communism and their very different and opposing ideologies. The Berlin Crisis and the Berlin Wall, gave the US a massive propaganda edge of communism. Pictures and reports of hundreds of people fleeing the Eastern bloc and then even risking death when the wall was built were used to attack the communist system and the Soviet Union. Pictures such as the East German Guard jumping the barrier, were used to reinforce claims that the Soviet communist was a regime of terror, fear, and to the detriment of its nations population.
The construction of the Berlin Wall, was significant in the development of the Cold War, it ended the point of conflict that Berlin had become. The city was the symbol of the Cold War, it was where West was against East, Capitalism against Communism or America against Russia. It was where capitalism and communism were only divided by a 13ft wall. The crisis was solved without military conflict and both superpowers benefited from it. After the crisis détente emerged in the superpower relationship, West Germany tolerated East Germany’s defined borders and became willing to communicate with and acknowledge the German Democratic Republic fully. The barrier relieved tensions between the nations, and stoped suspicions of a military takeover of West Berlin. From America’s perspective, the wall meant that Khrushchev wasn’t planning a forceful occupation of Berlin. President Kennedy summarised the Berlin Wall, “It’s not a very nice solution, but a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war”.
The Berlin Wall Crisis, a flashpoint in the Cold War and the resulting construction of the Berlin Wall, was a major point of conflict and resolution between the United States and the Soviet Union. The wall created a major disruption for residents of Berlin, particularly East Berliners, but became a positive outcome for the rest of the world. Military conflict between the superpowers was avoided by the 96 miles of 13ft wall that enclosed West Berlin. It solved the Eastern Bloc’s loss of valuable human capital and subsequent economic problems and also meant Khrushchev could maintain the allusion of the Soviets having vast amounts of nuclear weaponry. America did not protest to heavily as it gave them a point of propaganda against communism, Kennedy was able to keep his promise to not let West Berlin fall, and a devastating war was avoided. The outcome of the Berlin Wall Crisis was a significant decrease in hostilities between the world’s superpowers, through the simplicity of a physical barrier.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Books:
The Cold War and Beyond Us Relations with Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia by James Fitzgerald
Kennedy’s Wars by Lawrence Freedman
Contested Spaces The Cold War by Justin Briggs
Websites:
Contested Spaces The Cold War by Justin Briggs, page 55
The Cold War and Beyond Us Relations with Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia by James Fitzgerald, page100
Contested Spaces The Cold War by Justin Briggs, page 56
Kennedy’s Wars by Lawrence Freedman
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1867.html
The Cold War and Beyond Us Relations with Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia by James Fitzgerald, page101