Building of the Berlin Wall

What two developments in immigration policy happened in 1952?

• Border with FRG fixed (Operation Vermin)

• Banned emigration to the FRG

How many people emigrated to the FRG between 1949 and 1961?

3.5 million

Why did many people want to emigrate?

• Push factors - economic situation e.g. poor living standards, working conditions, repression

• Pull factors - FRG offered citizenship, financial assistance, higher wages

Give a piece of evidence for the ‘brain drain’

A quarter of doctors emigrated

What were the problems with mass emigration?

• Decreasing workforce (population fell from 18.5m to 17m

• Loss of skilled workers (brain drain)

• Demonstrated superiority of capitalism and SED lost credibility

Why was West Berlin a particular threat?

• 50,000 border crossers lived in East Berlin but worked in West

• Easy way to escape GDR

• Some espionage

When was the Berlin Ultimatum?

November 1958

What was the Berlin Ultimatum?

• Khrushchev demanded the West must withdraw troops from West Berlin and it should be a free city

• Must comply in 6 months

Why did Khrushchev present the Berlin Ultimatum?

• To end Western espionage and force them out of Berlin

• Stop GDR citizens leaving

• Force the West into implicitly recognising GDR government

What were the four summit meetings between the USA and USSR?

• Geneva (May 1959) - no agreement

• Camp David (Sep 1959) - improving relations but no agreement

• Paris (May 1960) - anger over American U2 spy plane

• Vienna (June 1961) - JFK refused to give in

Why was the USSR reluctant to support the building of the Wall?

• Logistically difficult

• Feared it would provoke trade restrictions or conflict with West

What were the main reasons for the building of the Wall?

• Stop mass emigration/stabilise the economy

• Prevent espionage

• Protect the reputation of communism

True or false: the Berlin Wall mainly aimed to keep Westeners out

False - it aimed to keep GDR citizens in

When and where was the decision made to build the Wall?

Meeting of the Eastern bloc states in Moscow, 3-5th August 1961

What was the operation for the building of the Berlin Wall called?

Operation Rose

Who was in charge of the operation?

Honecker

What date was the Berlin Wall built?

13th August 1961

What happened on the night of 12th August?

• Barbed wire and concrete put up

• Phone lines cut

• Westerners in the East were escorted back to the West

How long was the Wall?

45km through the city plus 160km around outside of West Berlin

Why was there so little resistance to the Wall?

• Built secretly and quickly - met with shock

• Fear of repression

• Resigned acceptance

Give three ways Khrushchev contributed to the building of the Berlin Wall

• The Berlin Ultimatum

• Summit meetings - failed to come to an agreement

• Used Berlin as a bargaining tool with the West

Give three economic impacts of building the Berlin Wall

• High labour force as the brain drain stopped

• More competition for jobs and housing

• Stable workforce enabled better government planning (hence NES in 1963) 

Give three negative impacts of the Berlin Wall on daily lives

• Separated friends and families

• East Berliners could no longer work or study in West Berlin - settled for menial jobs

• Armed bodyguards, booby traps, ‘shoot to kill’ policy

Give three impacts of the Berlin Wall on the SED government

• Reluctant acceptance - more conformity

• Easier to control the population

• Could no longer blame economic problems on mass migration

Give three impacts of the Berlin Wall on superpower relations

• Eased long-term tensions as there was now a stable border (JFK said “A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.”)

• Some short-term tensions e.g. fear of retaliation

• USA looked weak as they did nothing about it

Give three ways the Berlin Wall was bad for the USSR

• Accepted US control of West Berlin and abandoned reunification plans

• West Berlin seen as a symbol of defiance and freedom

• Bad for reputation of communism - seen as locking people in

What were border assailants (Grenzverletzer)?

People who tried to escape the Berlin Wall

How many people succeeded in escaping?

5000 out of 100,000 attempts (1 in 15)

How many people were killed trying to cross the Wall?

At least 136 - including Ida Siekmann and Peter Fechter