Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Berlin's Refugee Crisis, 1958 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did Life Differ Between East and West Berlin? - Summary
From the end of the Second World War, Berlin was divided into four zones. In the 1940s, the USA, Britain, France and the Soviet Union each controlled sections of Berlin. Berliners could access every section of the city as all four nations governed together. By the 1950s, this way of government changed. As a consequence of the Berlin Blockade, a more formal divide occurred between East and West Berlin. The Western powers created the FRG (West Germany) whilst the Soviet Union formed the GDR (East Germany). Berlin fell within the GDR's territory, but the GDR and FRG split the city in two. Life between East and West Berlin was very different. West Berlin, under the FRG, received Marshall Aid. The area became prosperous. West Berliners had access to well-paid jobs and a high standard of living. West Berlin had many theatres, cinemas and restaurants. In comparison, East Berlin was under the control of the Soviet Union. East Germans experienced many restrictions in their lives and had little access to consumerism. This difference between East and West Germany caused significant problems between the USA and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. |
What Caused the Refugee Crisis in Berlin by 1958?
The more formal division between East and West Germany had consequences for Berliners
The FRG gave access to more rights and freedom
The FRG's economy was strong in the 1950s
The Western powers governed West Berlin as a democracy
The GDR had many issues
East Germans experienced food shortages
The Soviet Union's economic policies had not improved the East German economy
Many East Berliners lived in poor-quality houses and did not have freedom of speech or protest
The secret police, the Stasi, monitored for dissent. They arrested many East Germans, subjecting them to torture and imprisonment
By the 1950s, many East Germans did not want to live under Soviet rule
On 16th June 1953, East Berlin construction workers protested against the East German government
The protest spread across East Berlin and multiple towns across the GDR
The Soviet Union suppressed the revolt on 18th June 1953
Many East Germans began to leave
There was free movement between East and West Berlin
East Germans needed to reach East Berlin and travel to West Berlin
From West Berlin, East Germans could fly to the FRG
Fleeing East Germans created a refugee crisis
This means that there were too many people leaving East Germany. West Germany struggled to house these new citizens
East Germany had a significant decline in their population. There were not enough people to fill important job vacancies in the country
How Serious was the Refugee Crisis?
The number of people escaping the GDR through East Berlin became an increasing issue by the end of the 1950s
By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR
This was a sixth of the population of East Germany at this time
What were the trends of migration from the GDR?
Data sourced from www.statista.com
Analysis of the information
There were numerous years when the Soviet Union did not provide data on migrating East Germans
Due to censorship, the Soviet Union did not want to report the number of people actively leaving Soviet rule
From 1955 to 1957, the Soviet Union reported significantly higher refugee figures than the West
At this point, Khrushchev wanted to prove how significant the refugee crisis was. Inflated figures would help in the Soviet Union's negotiations with the West and for Khrushchev to issue his ultimatum on the issue in 1958
The source of Western data on migration was the number of East Germans who applied for refuge in the West
This is more likely to be accurate
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may ask you a consequence of the Berlin refugee crisis. The most obvious answer to this question is the building of the Berlin Wall. Khrushchev could not allow millions of people to continue to escape East Germany. By 1961, Khrushchev believed that he was left with no choice other than to physically trap people inside the GDR.
The Impact of the Refugee Crisis on Cold War Relations
The refugee crisis created a skills gap in the GDR
The majority of the refugees came from the middle classes, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers and engineers
The middle classes knew that West Germany would pay them higher wages than East Germany
Historians estimate that the loss of labour alone cost the GDR between $7 billion to $9 billion
Only 61% of the GDR's population was of working age compared to 70.5% before the Second World War
The loss of workers became embarrassing for Khrushchev
It was a propaganda failure for the Soviet Union
Khrushchev wanted to show the world how strong and successful communism was
The refugee crisis showed that, given a choice, a significant percentage of citizens under communist rule would choose Western capitalism and democracy
The crisis forced Khrushchev to take decisive action
He needed to stop so many people from leaving East Germany through Berlin
Worked Example
Explain the importance of the refugee crisis in Berlin between 1949 and 1958 for US-Soviet relations
8 marks
Partial answer:
The refugee crisis in Berlin between 1949 and 1958 worsened US-Soviet relations. By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR. This worsened US-Soviet relations because this created embarrassment for Khrushchev. The Soviet Union's propaganda showed how happy citizens were to live under communist rule. However, Berlin's refugee crisis proved that, given a choice, a significant percentage of citizens under communist rule would choose Western capitalism and democracy. This worsened their relations because Khrushchev could not allow the USA this propaganda victory. Khrushchev became determined to assert his power over Berlin. He became more aggressive in his communications with the USA.
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 US-Soviet relations. Ensure your answer has a chain of impacts in each one of your paragraphs. The worked example argues that:
Three million refugees left East Germany by 1958
This amount of migration went against Soviet propaganda
Khrushchev could not allow Soviet propaganda to be wrong
The crisis forced Khrushchev to become more aggressive in his approach to the USA
These points link together to create a developed explanation as to why Berlin's refugee crisis impacted US-Soviet relations. Attempt to make a chain of impacts when writing your own answers to this type of question.
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