Unit 1 Peace and War: International Relations 1900-1991
Khrushchev's fence- 13th of August 196 soviet workmen arrived at the border and by the end of the day the city was split by the fence that they had constructed, armed with bored guards to shoot anyone who tried to cross over. Nine months later the fence had turned into a concerte wall with watch towers. No one knew why Khrushchev built the Berlin wall, but it was likely that he had wanted to stop East Berliners leaving East Berlin and also wanted to prevent the capatilsts who controlled West Berlin for interfering in East Berlin's buisness.
The reaction of the Berliners- Many paniced and tried to get into West Berlin. West Berliners thought that the Soviet Union wanted to start a fight. West Berlin held a huge rally asking the American president, John F. Kennedy to keep his troops in Berlin, in response to this Kennedy sent in an extra 1500 troops.
War?- Things got tense when Soviet and American tanks pulled up on their repective sides of the wall. However, no shots were fired. Khrushchev said 'Its not a very nice solution, but a wall is a hell lot better than a war'.
The wall come tumbling down- In 1989 Communism in Eastern Europe and the USSR came to an end. In November thousands of East Germans marched on the Berlin Wall and started smashing it with sledge hammers. The border guards were ordered to shoot the protestors but they refused.
- Created by: Lauren
- Created on: 01-05-13 09:45
Comments
No comments have yet been made