By: Autumn & Ryan THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL

 In 1945 after WWII, Berlin split into 4 sections and occupied by: United States, Great Britain, France and The Soviet Union  June The Yalta and Potsdam agreements split berlin in two major sectors with the soviets taking the eastern half, and the Allies taking the western THE RISE OF THE WALL EAST BERLINWEST BERLIN Communist society Spoil of war Took all supplies and valuable assets from east berlin and sent them back to the soviet union Individual freedom was restricted Everyone wanted to leave By 1960, East Berlin lost most of its labor workers and its population 2.5 million people fled by 1961 Capitalist society Experienced such a large economic growth, it was known as the economic miracle Able to live well Purchase gadgets and appliances Travel freely

 East Berlin residents wanted to live in West Berlin which resulted in fleeing and mass emigration  Soviet Union wanted to take over West Berlin to prevent this  US and Western allies were committed to protecting it  Desperately, East Germany built a barbed wire fence with armed soldiers stretching over 100 miles  Construction started the night of August 13 th 1961 and was finished by morning  “Whatever side you went to sleep on that night was the side you were stuck in forever” - THE RISE OF THE WALL

 In 1965, the fence was replaced with reinforced concrete walls and guard towers  Telephone lines connecting sides were cut  Section in-between sides was known as the “Death Strip” because anyone trying to cross was killed immediately  None of the commuters from East Berlin could make it to their well-paying jobs in West berlin and families were separated  In 1975, the wall was renamed The Grenzmauer 75 which was there to stay THE RISE OF THE WALL

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 1987-President Ronald Reagan visits Berlin and urges Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall.  May-September Thousands of East Germans leave and make their way to West Germany due to Hungarian Government opening their border with Austria  November 4th A million people attend a pro-democracy demonstration in East Berlin's main square and within days the East German Government resigns  November 9 th East German protesters go to border crossings demanding they be let through WHY THE WALL FELL

 November 9, An announcement was made by Günter Schabowski, a government official of East Germany  Schabowski misinterpreted the instructions given to him of when to make the announcement and that the changes were not being made immediately  This broadcast sent people into shock then chaos broke out as they began chipping away at the wall and celebrating  This symbolizes the end of the Cold War  October 3, East and West Germany were officially reunified  WHY THE WALL FELL

 Eastern Germany lost some two million people (around 13.5 per cent of its population)  Cultural disunion is occurring  Western Germany sent around 3 trillion dollars to the East  As a result westerners have grown impatient with giving out handouts and easterners remain resentful of western prosperity  East Germans didn’t set aside much money for old age and therefore now have to care for their aging parents while Westerners are cashing in on their Boomer parents’ savings, accrued during the 1950s-60s “economic miracle.”  In 1990 The German government sold off eastern industries and launched an ambitious “solidarity pact,” through which western tax money would be pumped eastward  In 2012 the great migration per year decreased to only 2000 compared to the in earlier years IMPACT

 The fall of the Berlin Wall was immediately significant  It enabled free travel between zones where families have been separated for years  People were able to flee East Berlin to get away from the horrible living conditions  Enabled people to start to live a better life  More symbolically significant as it shows the end of the “battle” that had been ongoing for years  Symbolized an end to the catastrophic Soviet Union ruling over East Berlin DEFINING MOMENT

 The building of the wall resulted in dramatic changes in people life for many families were separated, many lost their jobs, and lost their freedom  The fall of the wall resulted in dramatic changes in people lives for they were reunited and free at last  Everyone fled into West Germany since it was the desired place but then East Germanys economy crashed  Symbolic of the end of the cold war and the crash of communism  Gave people hope for a better life  However the wall has left an everlasting barrier in people minds DEFINING MOMENT

 Guenter Schabowski, "Guenter Schabowski's Press Conference in the GDR International Press Center," Making the History of 1989, Item #449, (accessed September , 9:04 am)  "Berlin Wall." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 1 Jan Web. 29 Sept  "A Divided Germany, 25 Years after the Berlin Wall." Macleansca. Macleans, 25 May Web. 29 Sept  Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). All About the Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from WORKS CITED