Revision Notes on the Berlin Wall

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The Berlin Wall

Background information

* Berlin was an important battle ground of the Cold War.

* It was the Capital of Germany.

* It was divided into 2 sectors: the East and West.

Why was the Berlin wall built?

* The crushing of the Hungarian uprising gave a message that it was impossible to defeat the Communist. The only way to escape was to leave.

* Other reasons for people to leave Eastern Europe include: economic reasons and the low standard of living (enticed to live in a Capitalist state where the standard of living was much higher).

* This was especially evident in Berlin. In East Berlin, living conditions were poor; however, in West Berlin the living conditions were much better. This was deliberately done by the Western powers to attract people living in East Berlin. They western powers: filled West Berlin with shops full of goods and allowed East Germans to watch West German television.

* It was very tempting for the people of East Berlin to travel to West Berlin. In the 1950s East Germans were able to do so; however, in the late 1950s,