Transcript Lesson 4: Eastern Europe and Germany Divided

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Divided Amongst the Victorious Allies
 (4 sections)
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Berlin Divided Amongst Allies As well
 4 sections as well
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By 1948, ideological division of Europe
(Physically represented by ____ ______)
Great Britain and US wanted Germany
Economy Revived (helping with Europe’s
economy) through industrial production,
monetary reform and new gov’t
France and Russia wanted massive
reparations
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It was accepted that reunification would be
impossible, yet the West could influence its
own sectors
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West Germany- Industrialized
East Germany – Agricultural
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Iron Curtain (Churchill’s Speech)
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Bombed day and night and attacked during
the final battle in Europe
Entire blocks of the city were destroyed
Food perpetually in short supply
Inflation, Black Market (Cigarettes) Barter
Economy
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The four powers agreed that there would be
access to Berlin through specific RR, roads,
air ways and canals
West needs to supply West Berlin
Lasts for three years…
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Assembly created
Yet there were fear tactics (blackmail,
intimidation, kidnapping) throughout all
Berlin by Communist Agents
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1948, June – Constituent Assembly
authorized in W Germany
US and GB have a new German currency
formed (secretly)- Announced June 18th
Want to integrate West Germany into
Western Europe (w/o USSR consent)
New currency would kill black market profits
and help to end inflation
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Control of Money = Power
Soviets create their own currency in response
June 22nd – East only accepted Currency
 Western currency forbidden in all of Berlin
 West stamps their currency with a B
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While supplying West Berlin, the Western
currency was also distributed.
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Immediate blockade
around Berlin
Electricity to W Berlin
(from E) was cut off to
factories and offices
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2.3 Million Berlin Citizens (west) were cut off
from supplies
 Only 36 days of food left
 Remember: Agreements between the 4 powers
stated that the West would supply its sectors
 Only enough electricity for 4 hours a day
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If Russia would cut off Berlin, the West
refused shipments to East Germany
 Remember:
▪ West Germany – Industrial
▪ East Germany – Agricultural
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No longer would the West ship Coal and Steel
 Importance??
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Berlin NEEDED supplies or they would starve
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Exercise Restraint
 Air lift?
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OR
Charge In
 Fire if fired upon!
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It was proposed in Germany, but not on the
mass scale that would be needed for the
Survival of Berlin
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It was authorized without Washington’s
consent
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Estimated only 500 tons per day
West Berlin was supplied 12,000 tons per day
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June 26th
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 80 Planes, 2X a day (3 tons/plane)
▪ US added 50 more planes (carrying 9 tons each)
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W Berlin built a new airport
Supplies: Coal, flour, Petrol, Potatoes and
Med Supplies
By December 1948 – 4500 tons/day
By Spring 1949 – 8000 tons/day
 Easter record 13000 tons (1398 flights)
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No restrictions within the city
 Working on the other side
 W went to E because the E had heat and
electricity
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People registered for food rations with
Soviets
1/10 got Coal and food from the East
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To lose Berlin to the Russians would be a “loss
of Western Europe”
Western Berlin is symbolic as the last
democratic outpost inside of Communist
Germany!
West had to confront communism at agreed
political points in order to contain it, one
being Berlin!
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It was a test to see how far the US could push
the Soviets.
It was a moral battle
 If the US launched an attack, the US would be the
Aggressor
 If the USSR attacked planes carrying supplies to
Berlin, USSR would be the aggressor
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West seized upon propaganda opportunity
 Western Technological superiority
 “Us versus Them” polarization
▪ Soviet are now the New Enemy!
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West also in Diplomatic flurry
 Prevent war! But not abandon Berlin!
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Soviets were willing to starve over 2 million
people!
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May 1949- Both the US and Soviets drop their
blockades…
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August 1949 – Russia detonates their first
Atomic Bomb…
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Stalin dies 1953
 Brain hemorrhage?
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Nikita Khrushchev takes power 1955
 Humble origins,
 Spontaneous, Shrewd, unpredictable
 “Human face on socialism”
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Nov 1958 – Berlin would be Free of the West
German Democratic Republic (GDR) formed
(East Germany)
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A unified Germany Scared Russia
 Would potentially be backed by Nuclear US
▪ Become aggressor again?!
 Germany and Poland Uniting
▪ Eliminating the buffer zone!
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East Germans were fleeing to W in thousands
900 mile boundary between E and W
 With watchtowers, barbed wire, minefields and
armed patrols
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Free movement between the sectors in Berlin
Refugees
 Could settle in Western Berlin
 Or go to refugee points to be flown to W Germany
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By 1961 – 2.8 Million refugees fled to West
Germany
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More than 50% were under 25
75% were under 45
Skilled Laborers
 Industrial Workers, farm Laborers, scientists,
doctors, teachers
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Problems?????
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Socialist World Was failing!
Severe Labor shortage
 Skilled laborers hard to replace
 Asked remaining laborers for even more sacrifice!
▪ Stricter Economic Discipline
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1957 – illegal to flee to West (prison sentence)
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Khrushchev forceful with Kennedy
Proposed a peace treaty
 East Germany recognized as country
 Berlin would remain neutral
▪ Only with approval of East Germany could West access
Berlin
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Any violation of the East German territory
would mean an assault on Russia
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“We seek peace, but we will not surrender.”
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US will protect West Berlin
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August 1961
 Barbed wire barricades set up in the middle of the
night
 The border was closed.
 Soviet tanks positioned to deter protesters
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Became 5-6 feet high (12 feet at peak)
 Concrete, topped with barbed wire and gun posts
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Literally divided city in half—Impassable!
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Held breath when Washington heard of the
Wall…
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BUT since the Russians were only walling off
Berlin—and not attacking—Washington and
the West did not have to respond
aggressively….
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7 access points
 Germans could travel West and East with special
permits
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1 Access point for Westerners
 Checkpoint Charlie
▪ Infamous “East Meets West” position
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Passports were unnecessary for diplomats in
Germany.
American stopped, refused to show passport
(Checkpoint Charlie).
Armed US soldiers accompanied the
American diplomat into East Berlin, 10 US
tanks line up.
From then on, pointless US jeeps, with armed
soldiers would drive across the border
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Soviet’s outraged by this
Oct 27th
 33 Soviet tanks at Checkpoint Charlie
 16 hour standoff
 First time US and Soviet Tanks faced each other!
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After 16 hours, a Soviet Tank backs up 5
yards.
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A US Tank follows suite
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One by one all the tanks backed down.
Instructions were given to our tank
commander that he was to roll up and confront
the Soviet tank, which was at the identical
distance across from Checkpoint Charlie. The
tension escalated very rapidly for the one reason
that this was Americans confronting Russians. It
wasn’t East Germans. There was live ammunition
in both tanks… It was an unexpected, sudden
confrontation that in my opinion was the closest
that the Russians and the Allies came to going to
war in the entire Cold War period.
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“Neither side wanted the Wall, but building it
was a way of avoiding direct military
conflict.”
There are many people in the world who really
don’t understand, or say they don’t, what is the
great issue between the free world and the
Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There
are some who say that communism is the wave of
the future. Let them come to Berlin. …All free me,
where ever they may live, are citizens of Berlin,
and therefore as a free men, I take pride in the
words Ich bin ein Berliner.
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The Berlin Wall had become the longest
lasting piece of Cold War Symbolism
Every US President Since its creation had
asked for its removal.
Most Famous probably is Reagan’s “Mr.
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
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Honecker
 Communist, previously Soviet Supported
 Corrupt, repressive and ruthless
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Krenz takes over
 Tries to make amends for Honecker
 Opens Czechoslovakian border
 Fires a majority of the gov’t
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Exit Visas were promised to all Berlin Citizens
 Giving them permission to leave for the West
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Crowds gathered at the Wall that the guards
had never seen before
Without clear instructions, the guards
eventually allowed the people through
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People flooded into West Berlin
Families reunited
Happiness, Camaraderie
 Strangers hugging
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West Berliners cheered as the East Berliners
crossed!
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Once across, people began to take whatever
they could and try to destroy the Wall…
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Internationally, people were excited!
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The Wall had finally Crumbled!
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Pieces of Berlin
 Can still buy on Ebay…
▪ Authenticated $35-$1000
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Pink Floyd
 The Wall Album Nov
1979
▪ Including Another Brick in
the Wall, Outside the Wall
 Toured West Germany
1970-1971, 1973, 19801981, 1988
 Toured Russia in 1989