A Comprehensive Report on The Berlin Wall: Historical Analysis

This report analyzes the historical events surrounding the Berlin Wall, drawing from Frederick Taylor's book and other sources. It examines the wall's construction, the Berlin Airlift, and Operation Rose, as well as the reactions of East and West Germany, the Allies, and the Soviet Union. The repo...Read More

Running Head: BERLIN WALL 1
Berlin Wall
Name
Institution
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The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall by Frederick Taylor tells the story and occurrences since the inception of
the Berlin Wall until its ultimate fall (Baker, 1993). It gives an account of each side and the parts
they played in its construction, existence and finally its destruction. The author's main debate is
that the stability of the whole of Europe depended on the ability of Germany to unite as one
(Baker, 1993). Each side, East Germany and West Germany were satisfied to let the wall stand.
Western administrations protested against the Iron Curtain but did little to ease the burden on
their citizens living in Germany.
Sand
The author starts with a depiction of the background of Germany post World War II and
in particular, occurrences that shaped and led to the division of Germany (Ahlfeldt et al., 2015).
The Soviets got to Berlin first, in 1945 (Ahlfeldt et al., 2017). Despite this early lead, they were
unable to close out and secure Berlin. Berlin, after the World War II was inhabited by the Soviet
Union, France and both the United States and Kingdom.
The East German economy was disastrous. Its leader, Walter Ulbricht, and Nikita
Khrushchev, the Soviet Union leader, aimed at steady the economy of the East but the two
leaders did not always see each other eye to eye. East Germans, eager for good jobs and freedom
were fleeing to West through Berlin (Sonnevend, 2016). The West’s answer to this emerging
problem was to create the iron curtain to curtail this trend. Its effects were unfathomable.
Blood
Frederick Taylor then talks of the Berlin airlift. The Berlin Airlift was the initial time
Berlin was blocked off from the West and the Allies’ efforts to provide necessities to Berlin and
its people. The Berlin Airlift failed and this led to the necessity to invent a permanent method of

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blocking off access to East Berlin (Ahlfeldt et al., 2015). He goes on ahead and explains why the
wall is necessary. The East’s economy was in shambles and citizens had to deal with the Stasi.
The promise of liberation lured East Germans into West Berlin, which in turn opened doors to
get to Western Europe and America.
Wire
Walter Ulbricht began an effort to prevent people from fleeing to the West. On July 6th,
1961, Operation Rose sprung into existence under high secrecy from the West and citizens of
GDR (Jiménez-Martínez, 2019). At this point, Taylor details common historical facts and
information he gathered himself. In preparation for the fateful day, police and all other
servicemen were alerted to deal with and curb riots and any disturbances against the Berlin Wall.
Upon request, Willy Brandt, Berlin’s Mayor was assured that President Kennedy would send a
troop of 1500 men and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to defend West Berlin (Rottman,
2012). The fateful date was set on an August weekend in 1961.
Cement
The book then switches its focus on the West’s reaction to the Iron curtain. They
emphasized their lack of awareness of the border but acknowledged the knowledge of a
possibility that such an event might take place (Jiménez-Martínez, 2019). With the fear of
provoking a war over East Berlin looming, President Kennedy made a deal with Dean Rusk,
Secretary of State, that the news should be downplayed (Jiménez-Martínez, 2019). The U.S,
France, and England weren’t going to take any action despite their emphasis that the wall’s
inception violated the Allies’ agreement.
Money

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Taylor clearly explains the effects of border closure on the citizens. A lot of the citizens
endured the repercussions and punishment of traversing over, the solitude experienced due to
separation from jobs. West Berliners were concerned by the lack of police presence as compared
to The Eastern Side. President Kennedy was not in support of the notion of a three-power status
(Sonnevend, 2016). The U.S. appeared to take action and left the border blocked.to curb the
possibility of war with the Russians.
Afterward – The Theft of Hope
In several weeks, the barbed-wire morphed to a hundred plus mile long wall. On top of
that it is watched over by over three hundred watchtowers and guards. Many of its citizens
suffered the repercussions and punishment of trying to transverse over, the solitude experienced
due to separation from jobs, family and friends and ultimately died (Rottman, 2012).
Reflection
Despite, its construction being met with opposition from the West, in the real sense they
barely did anything regarding it. Germany wouldn’t be easy to unite and this played to the tune
of the West. No evidence whatsoever supports the notion that the West took into consideration
destroying the wall.

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References
Ahlfeldt, G. M., Maennig, W., & Richter, F. J. (2017). Urban renewal after the Berlin Wall: a
place-based policy evaluation. Journal of Economic Geography, 17(1), 129-156.
Ahlfeldt, G. M., Redding, S. J., Sturm, D. M., & Wolf, N. (2015). The economics of density:
Evidence from the Berlin Wall. Econometrica, 83(6), 2127-2189.
Baker, F. (1993). The Berlin Wall: production, preservation and consumption of a 20th-century
monument. Antiquity, 67(257), 709-733.
Jiménez-Martínez, C. (2019). Book review: Stories without borders: The Berlin wall and the
making of a global iconic event.
Rottman, G. L. (2012). The Berlin Wall and the Intra-German Border 1961-89. Bloomsbury
Publishing.
Sonnevend, J. (2016). Stories without borders: The Berlin Wall and the making of a global
iconic event. Oxford University Press.