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Cold War Berlin. The Question of Berlin. Present Day. Yalta & Potsdam. F.D. Roosevelt dies April ‘45 Harry Truman 33 rd President of U.S. At Potsdam Truman informs Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, that the U.S. Possesses a new weapon of extraordinary force.
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Cold War Berlin The Question of Berlin Present Day
Yalta & Potsdam • F.D. Roosevelt dies April ‘45 • Harry Truman 33rd President of U.S. • At Potsdam Truman informs Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, that the U.S. Possesses a new weapon of extraordinary force. • Hiroshima (Aug 6th) & Nagasaki (Aug 9th)
Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” Speech • “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtainhas descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in some cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow. Athens alone -- Greece with its immortal glories -- is free to decide its future at an election under British, American and French observation. The Russian-dominated Polish Government has been encouraged to make enormous and wrongful inroads upon Germany, and mass expulsions of millions of Germans on a scale grievous and undreamed-of are now taking place. The Communist parties, which were very small in all these Eastern States of Europe, have been raised to pre-eminence and power far beyond their numbers and are seeking everywhere to obtain totalitarian control. Police governments are prevailing in nearly every case, and so far, except in Czechoslovakia, there is no true democracy.” Delivered March 5th 1946 at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.
East and West GermanyA Country Divides the World • Following the war, Germany is divided into four sections. • These regions are controlled by The United States, France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union • Why division?
The Division of Berlin • Berlin was also divided into sectors • These sectors were controlled by The United States, Britain, The Soviet Union and France • Berlin, however, was located in East Germany, deep inside Soviet territory
West Germany Under the Allies • In 1948, the three western controlled zones of Germany (US,France, UK) were united as the Federal Republic of Germany (or West Germany), and grew in prosperity due to Marshal Aid. • The west quickly moved to get W. Germany back on its feet and restored much of its sovereignty through self government • Citizens in the West Germany could travel freely in the west, those in the east could not
East Germany Under Soviet Control • Over time the western zones and the Soviet zone (in 1949 called the German Democratic Republic of East Germany or East Germany) start drift apart economically, not least because of the Soviets' much greater use of disassembly of German industry under its control as a form of reparations.
The United States will support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures! The Truman Doctrine A.K.A.“Containment” • In 1947 the British were helping the Greek government fight against Communist guerrillas and they appealed to America for aid • America promised it would support free countries to help fight communism – this became known as the Truman Doctrine • Greece received large amounts of arms and supplies, and by 1949 had defeated the Communists. • The Truman Doctrine was significant because it showed that America, the most powerful western country, was prepared to resist the spread of communism throughout the world.
The Marshall Plan • In 1947, US Secretary of State George Marshall announced the Marshall Plan. • This was a massive economic aid plan for Europe which saw the United States offer up to $20 billion for relief, but only if the European nations could get together and draw up a rational plan on how they would use the aid. • The Marshall Plan, it should be noted, benefited the American economy as well as the money would be used to buy goods from the United States, and they had to be shipped across the Atlantic on American merchant vessels.
Tensions Rise – Stalin Takes Action • The west wanted the east to rejoin, but Stalin feared it would hurt Soviet security. • In June 1948, Stalin decided to try to gain control of West Berlin which was deep inside the eastern sector. • He cut road, rail and canal links with West Berlin, hoping to starve them into submission. This has become known as the Berlin Blockade • The west’s response has become legendary
The Berlin Airlift • On June 25, General Lucius D. Clay, Commander of the American Occupation Zone gave the order to launch a massive airlift using both civil and military aircraft • The lift lasted 462 days • Civilian and military aircraft flew supplies into the Western-held sectors of Berlin over the blockade during 1948–1949. • The first plane flew on June 26th, and the first British airplane flew on the 28th. • This aerial supplying of West Berlin became known as the Berlin Airlift.
The Airlift Continued • Military confrontation loomed while Truman embarked on a highly visible move which would publicly humiliate the Soviets. • The American Operation became known as Operation Vittles
The Airlift Continued • Ultimately 278,228 flights were made and 2,326,406 tons of food and supplies, including more than 1.5 million tons of coal, were delivered to Berlin. • At the height of the operation, on April 16, 1949, an allied aircraft landed in Berlin every minute • There were 1,398 flights in 24 hours carrying 12,940 tons of goods, coal and machinery, beating the record of 8,246 set only days earlier.
HUAC & McCarthyism RED SCARE
The Berlin Wall • The Berlin Wallwas the iconic symbol of the Cold War • It was initially constructed starting on August 13, 1961 and dismantled in the weeks following November 9, 1989. • The Berlin Wall was the most prominent part of the GDR border system.
The Reasons for the Wall • West Germany prospered through assistance from the west • East Germany was hindered by reparations paid to the Soviet Union • The Soviet Union also liquidated many of their industries further hindering their progress
Why a Wall? • stop the drain of labour and economic output associated with the daily migration of huge numbers of professionals and skilled workers from East to West Berlin • Prevent defections from the Communist bloc. • The Wall itself effectively decreased emigration from 2.5 million between 1949 and 1962 to 5,000 between 1962 and 1989.
Escapes! • The creation of the Wall was a propaganda disaster for East Germany and for the Communist Bloc • It became a key symbol of what Western powers regarded as Communist tyranny, particularly after the high-profile shootings of would-be defectors. • Many die trying to escape East Germany and many more went to prison if they were caught.
Modifications to the Wall • The Wall was over 155 km (96 miles) long. • In June 1962, work started on a second parallel fence up to 91 meters (100 yards) further in, with houses in between the fences torn down and their inhabitants relocated. • A no man's land was created between the two barriers, which became widely known as the "death strip". It was paved with raked gravel, making it easy to spot footprints left by escapees; it offered no cover; it was mined and booby-trapped with tripwires; and, most importantly, it offered a clear field of fire to the watching guards. • Over the years, the Wall went through four distinct phases: - Basic wire fence (1961) - Improved wire fence (1962-1965) - Concrete wall (1965-1975) - Grenzmauer 75 (Border Wall 75) (1975- 1989)
Life Behind the Wall • Life changed dramatically for the people of Berlin • Entire families were cut off from one another • Many died trying to escape to the west • Travel between the two side was very difficult
