The Problem: Living standards were falling behind the West, West Berlin was enticing because of its wealth, East Germans could watch West German television, East Germans were able to travel 'freely' into West Germany, Walter Ulbricht was a committed and harsh communist, By late 1950s thousands of East Germans were defecting, Defectors included highly skilled workers, Defections were an 'embarrassment' for Khrushchev and communism, Berlin had become a centre of western espionage, The Solution: Try to negotiate the West's departure at Paris Summit (May 1960), Demand the West leave - Vienna Summit (June 1961), 2 am 13 August 1961 East German erected a barbed wire fence, The 'fence' streched along the entire border between East and West Berlin, Barbed wire fencing was replaced by concrete wall, All crossing points from East to West were sealed (Except Checkpoint Charlie), Border guards ordered to shoot defectors (239 killed), 302 watch towers were built (Over time), Manned by 14,000 border guards + 259 dog runs, The Outcome: Became a visible symbol of East / West mistrust, German families divided, Some Germans could not attend their workplace, West saw it as evidence of Communist oppression (Prison wall), East called it the anti-fascist rampart (Protective shell), Created a crisis at checkpoint Charlie 27 October, JFK 'a wall was better than a war', JFK claimed a propaganda victory - in 1963 he visited the wall, West Berlin became an island of democracy!,

The Berlin Wall

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