1961: Berlin Border Closed

DATE: August 13, 1961

DESCRIPTION: Just past midnight on August 13, 1691, trucks with soldiers and construction workers tore up streets entering West Berlin, dug holes to put up concrete posts, and strung barbed wire across the border which acted as a temporary border between the two sides. Telephone wires between the two sides of Berlin were also cut.

BLAME: The primary reason why the Berlin was closed was because too many East German citizens were migrating to the West. They did this because life was so much better on the Western side – with help from the Allied powers occupying them, West Germany became a capitalist society and experienced rapid economic growth. The Soviets, on the other hand, treated East Germany as war prize, and raided the country for valuable assets that they could ship back to the USSR. Therefore, we conclude that the USSR is the main reason for the Berlin wall going up.

TENSION INCREASE: The closing of the Berlin border further increased already growing tensions greatly between the West and the East because in a way, it was like saying that the USSR did not want to negotiate or talk to any further with the USA regarding lowering tensions. +1.5

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