Berlin Wall Facts
Among the many agonies of the Second World War, an often repeated name is that of the Berlin Wall. It shall doubtlessly be stated that the Berlin Wall is one of the most intriguing components of the German narrative. The wall had as much an ideological construct, as a physical divide, with bare fangs of democracy on the west, and those of communism on the east. Upon its inception, the wall was a guarded stretch of barbed wires, which was supposed to keep the east to the west human migration from taking place.
Although, the soreness of separation was equal on both sides of the fence. By the recorded facts, despite all odds, around five thousand people managed to cross over the wall. There were some four hundred people who either died or were injured in an attempt to crossover. The movement of reconciliation came to the wall on the 23rd of August 1989. On this day, Hungary decided to cease its border limitations with its neighbor Austria. This way, around 13000 people managed to escape en route Hungary. As a result of this build up, mobbing started at the gate of the Berlin Wall, where people started to demand an entry into West Berlin. Following this, the Berlin wall was brought down.
The Berlin Wall has a massive wall which divides Germany. It was built in 1961 as a symbol of unification. After the wall came down in 1989, many facts about the fall of the Berlin Wall are still debated. Like Russian and China, the country of Germany played a huge role in international economic and politics in the 20th century.
According to historian Bill Buckley, “One thing is certain, the Berlin Wall fell because the Soviet Union was not powerful enough to withstand the West. And what also seems clear is that the Berlin Wall did not fall because of ‘human nature.'” Other historians have said that the fall of the Berlin Wall was caused by the breakdown of the Soviet system and in particular, the widespread corruption in the Soviet Union.
Fact: Most Western European countries no longer exist. The name of Czechoslovakia was changed to Slovakia and Hungary, which are part of Romania. Yugoslavia was split up into two parts: Serbia and Montenegro. The Russian Empire was dissolved and the Soviet Union became just the Russian Federation.
Fact: People who compare Barack Obama to Ronald Reagan or Winston Churchill are incorrect. They did not follow his example or speak the language.
Fact: Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and so did Hillary Clinton. Both of them also had been born in the US. As for his wife being born in Kenya, she is a dual citizen.
Fact: The Soviet Union had some of the best weapons in the world. They were also the most advanced weapons in the world. Thus, it is impossible that the Soviet Union could have toppled the Berlin Wall because their weapons were more advanced than the others.
Fact: The invasion of Iraq was orchestrated by Saddam Hussein and the Bush administration was involved in a reality TV show for years pretending that the president of Iraq could overthrow the government. Therefore, no other country was in any way able to topple the Berlin Wall. Of course, the fall of the Berlin Wall was caused by the Soviets.
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FAQ
When was the Berlin Wall built?
Construction on the wall started in August of 1961.
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
1991
How long is the Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall was 96.3 miles in length.
Additional Resources:
Berlin Wall and The Cold War: Stanford University
History and Meaning of Berlin Wall: American Institute of Economic Research