Building the Berlin Wall, 1961 (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note
The positives & the negatives of the Berlin Wall - Summary
By August 1961, US-Soviet relations were at their lowest point. Berlin remained an issue between the USA and the Soviet Union. The USA wanted to maintain their claim on West Berlin whereas the Soviet Union wanted to encompass the whole city into their satellite state, the GDR. An increased Soviet influence in Berlin would prevent East Germans from using the city as a gateway to the West. The Vienna Summit between the Soviet Union and the West had failed to find a resolution to the issue of Berlin. On the evening of 12th August 1961, the GDR government constructed a wall to divide East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall became a symbol of the 'Iron Curtain' between East and West for almost 30 years. Some historians argue that the Berlin Wall benefitted the relationship between the Soviet Union and the USA. The Berlin Wall temporarily de-escalated tensions between East and West. The wall's existence would prove controversial until its collapse in 1989. |
Why was the Berlin Wall built?
Khrushchev ordered the construction of the Berlin Wall due to increasing tension between the USA and the Soviet Union about how to govern the city
In the peace conferences of 1945, the governing of Berlin became the responsibility of the USA, France, Britain and the Soviet Union
When the Western powers combined their zones of Berlin into Trizonia, the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin in June 1948
The Soviet blockade of Berlin lasted a year
East and West formally divided their sectors of Germany and Berlin into the GDR and the FRG in 1949
During the 1950s, US-Soviet tension over Berlin worsened
The mass migration of skilled workers from East to West Germany created a skill gap in the East German economy
Capitalism appealed to many citizens of East Germany. They could gain more freedom and money by moving to West Germany
The Soviet Union became threatened by US espionage as showed by the U-2 spy-plane incident in 1960
Khrushchev worried that the CIA could gather more intelligence about the Soviet Union if both countries had a presence in Berlin
Events that caused the construction of the Berlin Wall
The situation in Berlin required Khrushchev to act quickly
Over 40,000 East Germans escaped the GDR through Berlin in one day in August
Walter Ulbricht, the leader of the GDR, urged Khrushchev to act quickly to prevent more East Germans from leaving
Building the Berlin Wall
Under nightfall, the East German government placed barbed wire between East and West Berlin on 12th August 1961 and placed guards near the divide
The Berlin Wall developed from barbed wire to a concrete structure during the 1960s
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A common misconception that students have is that the East German government constructed a concrete wall overnight. The Berlin Wall was under constant development from its creation. The GDR replaced the temporary divide of barbed wire and cinder blocks. In 1965, the divide became a series of 5-metre-high concrete walls.
The consequences of the Berlin Wall
As there had been free movement between East and West Berlin, many people travelled between the two sectors to visit family and friends or for work
As a result, many people became stuck in East Berlin
The wall separated German families and friends for years
Many East Germans continued to attempt escape plans to West Berlin
The GDR killed over 130 people attempting to go over, around or under the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989
Escape plans included:
climbing and jumping from windows next to the wall
flying over the wall in hot air balloons
using open-top cars to duck underneath the barriers at the Berlin Wall's checkpoints
using the sewer systems to travel to West Berlin
In 1962, the failed escape attempt by Peter Fechter caused international outrage
The GDR border guards shot Fechter when he attempted to escape
Fechter fell into no-man's-land between the Wall
The FRG border guards could not go and rescue Fechter
The GDR border guards did not attempt to treat Fechter's injuries
Fechter died of his injuries 45 minutes after he was shot
The nature of Fechter's death damaged the GDR's reputation
Impact of the Wall on US-Soviet relations
The Berlin Wall created a mixture of positive and negative impacts on US-Soviet relations
Negative outcomes of the Berlin Wall
The Soviet Union authorised the construction of the Berlin Wall without consulting the US government
It demonstrated that the Soviet Union did not value the West's opinion
The possibility of uniting Germany into one country seemed further away than ever after the building of the Berlin Wall
East Germans found it much more difficult to escape the GDR
The Soviet Union gained a reputation for repressing its own people
Positive outcomes of the Berlin Wall
West Berlin remained independent of communist influence
It became a symbol of freedom across Europe
The Berlin Wall created a stalemate
Khrushchev had failed to incorporate Berlin into the Soviet Union
Kennedy had shown that Khrushchev could not bully the USA out of Berlin
The migration of millions of East Germans was no longer an issue between the two countries.
Kennedy's 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech
Kennedy visited West Berlin in June 1963
Thousands of West Berliners gathered to see Kennedy
They placed flowers on his route through West Berlin and chanted his name
Kennedy was a symbol of freedom for the West Berliners
On 26th June 1963, Kennedy addressed the West Berliners in what is now known as the 'Ich bin ein Berliner' ('I am a Berliner') speech
What did Kennedy say in the "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech?
![IAn illustrated image of U.S. President John F. Kennedy standing behind a podium and speaking into microphones. He is wearing a black suit with a white shirt and black tie. His right hand is raised, holding what appears to be a small card or paper. The background is black, drawing focus to the figure.
Below the illustration are three quoted excerpts from Kennedy’s famous speech in West Berlin in 1963. The quotes are:
“All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words – ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’.”
“[The wall is] an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.”
“Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in – to prevent them from leaving.”](https://cdn.savemyexams.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto,width=3840/https://cdn.savemyexams.com/uploads/2025/04/53961_ich-bin-ein-berliner-quotes.png)
Kennedy's speech praised the strength of West Berlin and maintained the USA's image as the protector of freedom
His speech caused some confusion
'Berliner' also means 'doughnut' in German
The crowd in West Berlin appreciated Kennedy's attempt to speak German and supported Kennedy's message of hope and freedom
The impact of the Berlin Wall on Cold War tensions
Initially, the Berlin Wall increased tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union
Some positive consequences occurred from the 1960s to the 1980s as a result of the Berlin Wall
Reasons why the Berlin Wall eased tensions
The Berlin Wall meant there was less chance of a nuclear war developing over Berlin
Kennedy stated: "a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war”
The Berlin Wall ended the day-to-day comparison between communist East Berlin and capitalist West Berlin
This allowed both states to develop and function independently from each other
Reasons why the Berlin Wall escalated tensions
It was a diplomatic failure for the USA and the Soviet Union
It showed that the attempts to talk about the issue of Berlin had failed
The Berlin Wall created a physical divide to match the ideological divide between East and West
It became a symbol of the Cold War until 1989
Worked Example
How useful are Sources B and C to a historian studying the impact of the Berlin Wall in 1961?
[12 marks]
Source B: From Khrushchev’s memoirs, published in 1971
The establishment of border control in 1961 straightened things out at once. Discipline in East Germany increased. Factories began working better. So did collective farms. Comrade Ulbricht informed us that there were immediate improvements in the economy of East Germany. The population of West Berlin had been shopping for food in East Berlin, taking advantage of lower prices there.
Source C: A cartoon by Don Wright for the Miami News in 1961. The figure on the top of the wall is Khrushchev
Answer:
Source B is useful to a historian studying the impact of the Berlin Wall because it shows how the Soviet Union viewed the consequences of its construction. The source says that “discipline in East Germany increased” and that “there were immediate improvements in the economy.” This is supported by my own knowledge, as East Germany had been losing thousands of skilled workers each week before the Wall was built, which was damaging its economy. The source is also useful because it is written by Khrushchev himself in 1971. As Khrushchev was closely involved in the decision to build the Wall, his account helps historians understand the reasoning and claimed benefits from the Eastern perspective.
Source C is also useful to a historian studying the impact of the Berlin Wall because it shows a Western view of the event. The cartoon shows Khrushchev smiling on top of the Berlin Wall, while many people appear trapped beneath it. The caption reads, “See how many are staying on our side,” which suggests people are being forced to stay in East Germany, not by choice. This supports the Western belief that the Wall was built to prevent escape, rather than improve life in the East. This is supported by my own knowledge, as between 1961 and 1989, the GDR killed over 130 people who tried to cross the Berlin Wall by climbing over, digging under or breaking through it. The source was created in 1961 by an American cartoonist, which makes it useful as it shows the immediate response in the West and how the Wall was used in Cold War propaganda to criticise communism.
Although both sources are useful individually, they are more useful together. Source B shows the Soviet justification for the Wall, while Source C shows the Western criticism. Together, they help a historian understand how the impact of the Berlin Wall was viewed very differently by each side, which is important in understanding how it affected Cold War tensions.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
For this question, your judgement does not need to include limitations and you can receive full marks without one. Students’ responses are often given higher marks if they only focus on the source's strengths.
However, if you include a limitation you will be credited, you must make sure the limitation is:
supported by knowledge
focused on the question
relevant to your answer
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 12-mark"How useful" question.
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