The Division of Germany

The Conferences at Yalta and Potsdam determined what

would happen to German territory after WW2.

 The Western Allies (USA, Britain and France)

occupied western Germany.
 The Soviet Union occupied the east.

Brit, Fr and USA combined the economies of the western

zones of Germany under their control and united the zones
politically. It was called West Germany.

The Soviet Union imposed communist rule on its eastern

zone. It was called East Germany.

Source: 1 The Division of Germany after WW2

Berlin
Even though Berlin was located entirely within the Soviet part of the country, the Yalta and Potsdam
agreements split the city into similar sectors. The Soviets took the eastern half, while the other Allies took
the western. This four-way occupation of Berlin began in June 1945.

In 1948 the Western powers combined their three zones and introduced a new currency, which they also
introduced into their sections of Berlin.

 The Western Zones benefited from the new currency and also received Marshall Aid and began to
recover far quicker than the Soviet Zone.
 People in the East (The Soviet Zone) began to notice the difference in the economic growth.
 Between 1946 and 1961 over 3 million people emigrated from East Germany to West Germany.
 This humiliated the USSR and damaged the East German economy.

Figure 1: Barriers placed between East and West Germany – and East and West Berlin
The Berlin Airlift
The existence of West Berlin, a capitalist city deep within
communist East Germany was seen as being threatening to
the USSR. The Soviets began manoeuvring to drive the United
States, Britain and France out of the city for good.

In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the

western Allies out of the city.

Instead of retreating, however, the United States and its allies

supplied their sectors of the city from the air. Source: 2 - Children waving at the US aircraft during the Berlin Airlift

This effort, known as the Berlin Airlift it lasted for more

than a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin.

The Soviets called off the blockade in 1949.

The Berlin Wall

Between 1948 and 1960 the two sides of Berlin developed very differently from each other.

 West Berlin became modern, wealthy and thrived under democratic rule.
 East Berlin was poor, run down and under tight communist control.

Every day the people of East Berlin saw the differences.

Although the crossing between the two sides of the city was patrolled, Berliners could still cross between
the two.

Many Germans especially skilled, professional workers left to West Berlin.

This was disastrous for East Germany and was a humiliation to the Soviet Union and the promoters of
communism.

In August 1961 : The USSR under Khrushchev ordered the blocking off of East Berlin from West Berlin.

 A barbed wire fence was put up across the border.

 Over the next few months’ construction workers began building a solid wall.
 People living in East Berlin and East Germany could no longer cross to the west.

The East German communist government gave strict orders to shoot and kill any person attempting to
defect to the west.

Source: 3 - A section of the Berlin Wall

 The End of the Cold War, 1989
In 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR.

 The Russian economy had become inefficient.

 Gorbachev introduced reforms called –
o perestroika – changing of the economy
o glasnost – policy of openness
o new freedoms were given to Soviet people.
Figure 2: Mikhail Gorbachev
 These reforms affected other communist countries.
o Massive demonstrations were held against communism in East Germany
 The president of East Germany was forced to resign in October 1989.
 The new East German government prepared new laws to lift travel restrictions.

Figure 3: Students who gathered after hearing the news of the lifting of the travel restrictions

o As news of the new laws spread thousands of East and West Germans gathered at the border
crossings.

o The border guards were not given orders what to do.

 They were unable to control the crowds.
 Thousands of Germans from both sides stormed the gates and climbed the walls.
 Huge celebrations followed as people began tearing down the fences and breaking the
walls.

o The East German government collapsed soon after and East and West Germany were reunified.

Figure 4: People started to breakdown the wall themselves.