Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
Building the Berlin Wall, 1961 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
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. A series of summits 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 1943-45, 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. Historians sometimes refer to this as the 'Brain Drain'
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
Capitalism appealed to many citizens of East Germany. They could gain more freedom and money by moving to West Germany
Events that caused the construction of the Berlin Wall
A flow diagram explaining the steps taken by the USA and the Soviet Union towards the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961
The situation in Berlin required Khrushchev to act quickly
The failure of the Vienna Summit in June created fear among East Germans
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
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 Berlin Wall had watchtowers and armed guards to prevent anyone from crossing. By the 1980s, the Berlin Wall had electrified fences. It became 28 miles long through the centre of Berlin and extended a further 75 miles to separate West Berlin from the GDR.
The Consequences of the Berlin Wall
The construction of the Berlin Wall had devastating consequences for the people of Berlin
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. After he had died, the East German border guards removed Fechter's body. 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
Consequences of the Berlin Wall on US-Soviet relations
Negative outcomes of the Berlin Wall | Positive 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 | West Berlin remained independent of communist influence. It became a symbol of freedom across Europe |
The possibility of uniting Germany into one country seemed further away than ever after the building of the Berlin Wall | 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 |
East Germans found it much more difficult to escape the GDR. The Soviet Union gained a reputation for repressing its own people | 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?
An image showing the important messages from Kennedy's 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech on 26th June 1963
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, so a member of the audience could have interpreted Kennedy as stating 'I am a doughnut'
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
The table below explains how the Berlin Wall heightened and eased Cold War tensions
How did the Berlin Wall affect Cold War tensions?
Reasons why the Berlin Wall eased tensions | Reasons why the Berlin Wall escalated 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”. | 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 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 | 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
Explain the importance of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 for Cold War tensions
8 marks
Partial answer:
In some ways, the building of the Berlin Wall improved Cold War tensions. By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR. Berlin's refugee crisis was becoming an issue that could lead to a nuclear war. With the building of the Berlin Wall, the USA and the Soviet Union could no longer fight over the region. Kennedy famously stated that "a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war." This briefly improved Cold War tensions because it clearly defined the zones of occupation for the USA and the Soviet Union. The governments of East and West Berlin could independently govern their people without direct, day-to-day influence on the other.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This style of question in the exam paper would be worth 8 marks. An examiner would expect you to write two paragraphs analysing the importance of an event on a wider theme like Cold War tensions.
You could argue that the Berlin Wall improved or heightened Cold War tensions. In your first paragraph, explain how the Berlin Wall eased US-Soviet tensions. Your next paragraph could explain how the building of the wall increased Cold War tensions. This would allow you to show that some events in history have both positive and negative consequences.
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