Why was the Berlin Wall Built in 1961? (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
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 USSR'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 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 USSR 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 its population. There were not enough people to perform high-skilled jobs 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
Khrushchev's Ultimatum, November 1958
What is an Ultimatum?
An ultimatum is when a person or country warns another that, if they do not do or stop a certain action, an unpleasant consequence will happen
The consequence is usually a threat of physical violence or war
An ultimatum is usually delivered as a last resort
Before delivering an ultimatum, a series of issues have to occur between the two countries
It indicates a breakdown of effective communication between two people or countries
An ultimatum gives a time limit for a decision before the consequence occurs
The time limit is usually short to pressure the person or country to react
What Did Khrushchev's Ultimatum Threaten?
In October 1958, Khrushchev demanded that the West recognise the GDR as an independent country of the USSR
Since 1949, many Western countries refused to acknowledge that Germany had formerly split into two nations
The USA hoped that Germany would become one country soon. It refused to accept Khrushchev's demand
On 27th October 1958, Khrushchev issued his ultimatum to the West
Khrushchev's ultimatum put the USA in an awkward position
Asking for Berlin to become a 'free city' showed the USSR as a peaceful nation
If the USA refused, it would make them look power-hungry
In reality, Khrushchev had no intention to make Berlin independent. He wanted to incorporate the whole of Berlin into the USSR
Giving control of Berlin's transport network to the GDR played a clever political tactic
To secure access to West Berlin, the West would have to enter into negotiations with the GDR
This would force the USA to acknowledge that the GDR was an independent country and Germany was not ruled as one nation
Building the Berlin Wall, 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
On 12th August 1961, under nightfall, the East German government placed barbed wire between East and West Berlin. They stationed guards near the divide
The Berlin Wall developed from barbed wire to a concrete structure during the 1960s
Worked Example
Why was the Berlin Wall built in 1961?
6 marks
Partial answer:
One reason why the Berlin Wall was built was because of the refugee crisis (1). Many East Germans were unhappy with living conditions and used the free movement between East and West Berlin to migrate to West Germany. By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR (1). This motivated East Germany to build the wall. They could not allow more people to leave the GDR because it impacted the economy and the reputation of Communism. The wall made it harder for people to leave (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In Paper One, ‘explain why’ questions are worth either six or ten marks. For full marks in this question, an examiner is looking for two fully explained reasons as to why the Berlin Wall was built. Use the PEE structure in your answer:
P - Make a point about the question
E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made
E - Explain why this evidence caused East Germany to build the wall. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused the GDR to take the extreme measure of building a physical divide between East and West Berlin.
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:
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 GDR and FRG. 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 on US-Soviet relations
Negative outcomes of the Berlin Wall | Positive outcomes of the Berlin Wall |
|---|---|
The USSR authorised the construction of the Berlin Wall without consulting the US government. It demonstrated that the USSR 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 USSR. 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 USSR gained a reputation for repressing its own people | The migration of millions of East Germans was no longer an issue between the two countries |
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 | 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.” |
Kennedy's 'Ich Bin Ein Berliner' Speech
President 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
Worked Example
Study Sources F and G
How far does Source F make Source G surprising? Explain your answer using details of the sources and your knowledge
8 marks
Source F: Instructions from the Soviet government to Soviet diplomats in East Germany in September 1953 TOP SECRET The proposals for the establishment of border security between East Berlin and West Berlin are politically unacceptable. You should meet with Ulbricht and tactfully explain the following. These measures would place under suspicion the sincerity of the governments of the Soviet Union and East Germany, which consistently speak out for German unification and the conclusion of a peace treaty, and would bring serious harm to our political successes in West Germany. These measures would break down the order in city life, bring disorganisation to the city economy, and would negatively affect the interests of the inhabitants of East and West Berlin, causing anger toward the East German government and the Soviet authorities in Germany. It should also be kept in mind that the establishment of border security along the border of East Berlin would worsen the Soviet Union’s relations with the USA, Britain and France, which would be a definite disadvantage to the countries in the camp of peace and democracy |
Source G: 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. Thus, the West Berliners had been devaluing the East German mark, placing a heavy burden on the shoulders of East German peasants and workers, and therefore extracting political as well as economic gains from the situation. Once we established border control, we put an end to this. |
Partial answer:
After looking at Source F, it does not make Source G look surprising (1). This is because of the length of time between the production of both sources. Source F was written in 1953. This was when the refugee crisis was worsening but before Khrushchev issued his ultimatum in 1958. It is a secret document (1). In comparison, Source G was written in 1971. This was ten years after the wall was built. Khrushchev’s memoirs were published (1). As a result, it is unsurprising the two sources differ. Source F is a secret discussion expressing concerns about dividing Berlin whereas Source G publicly supports the decision to build the wall, knowing it was effective (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
To answer this style of question in Paper Two, you should aim to:
State how surprising the information in Source F is to Source G. To do this, you need to understand the different outlooks of both sources on a specific event. Ensure you clearly state in a sentence if Source F makes Source G surprising
Use quotes from both sources. This is needed to show where the sources differ
Compare the two sources, using your own knowledge. In this example, you could discuss how it is surprising because Source F states how dividing Berlin would ruin the economy whereas Source G shows how the wall bettered the GDR’s economy
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