Timeline: From World War to Cold War

1 Nov 2009, 6:31 pm   -   Source: Bryony Jones, SBS
0 Comments
Share This
+ Comment
0
The Berlin Wall went up overnight on 12-13 August 1961, shocking those on both sides of the divide (AP/AAP)

The Berlin Wall went up overnight on 12-13 August 1961, shocking those on both sides of the divide (AP/AAP)

The Berlin Wall divided a city and a country for three decades, from 1961, but its roots go back much further, to the final days of the Second World War.

RELATED

The Berlin Wall divided a city and a country for three decades, from 1961, but its roots go back much further, to the final days of the Second World War.

May 2, 1945 – The Battle of Berlin ends when the German capital is unconditionally surrendered to the Soviet army. Much of the city is left in ruins.

May 8, 1945 – World War II ends in Europe (VE Day)

July 16 to August 2, 1945 – The Potsdam Conference: Wartime allies the US, the UK and Russia agree to divide Germany and Berlin into sectors occupied by troops from the three countries, plus France.

June 24, 1948 to May 11, 1949 – A row over the creation of a new German currency, leads Soviet forces to block all road, rail and river traffic into Berlin, halting supplies of food and fuel to the Western sectors of the city.
Watch an old newsreel about the Berlin Blockade
In response, US and UK troops launch the Berlin Airlift, codenamed Operation Vittles, shipping in thousands of tons of food, coal and petrol in by plane and helping to save Berliners from starvation.
Watch an old newsreel about the Berlin Airlift

October 7, 1949 – The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is declared.

Early 1950s – More and more citizens of the GDR opt to move West, leading to fears of a 'brain drain', and prompting authorities to restrict emigration.

April to May, 1952 – The GDR begins fortifying the 'inner German border' after Stalin declared "the demarcation between East and West Germany should be considered a border – and not just any border, but a dangerous one".

May 26, 1952 – In an attempt to keep out "spies, diversionists, terrorists and smugglers" the GDR ploughs a 10m strip along the entire inner German border.
A 5km wide restricted zone is established next to it, in which only those with special permits are allowed to live and work. Whole communities straddling the border are divided.
Guards are authorised to use weapons to stop people attempting to cross the border without permission.

June 17, 1953 – A strike by construction workers in East Berlin snowballs into a widespread uprising against the GDR government.
The revolt is violently suppressed by Soviet forces and East German police, with between 55 and 125 people killed in the resulting clashes.

1957 – 'Republikflucht' – fleeing the Republic – is declared a crime, punishable by up to three years in prison and a heavy fine.
Over the following decades, more than 75,000 people (more than seven a day) will be jailed for attempting to escape to the West.

1958 – Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Krushchev pressures the Allies to leave Berlin.

June 25, 1961 – GDR leader Walter Ulbricht insists that despite growing divisions between East and West, "No one has the intention of putting up a wall".

July 1961 – the tide of East German refugees flooding into West Berlin and on to West Germany continues unabated: 30,000 cross this month alone.

July 25, 1961 – US President John F Kennedy responds to the growing crisis with a speech hailing Berlin as "an island of freedom in a Communist sea", "a link with the free world, a beacon of hope behind the Iron Curtain, an escape hatch for refugees". He insists the US will not be force out of the city, either by force, or by attrition.
Listen to JFK's landmark speech

August 12, 1961 – GDR leader Walter Ulbricht signs the order to close the border between East and West Germany.

August 13, 1961 – Berliners wake to find the geography of their city radically altered overnight. Barbed wire coils and brick walls form a hastily-built barrier between East and West, separating families, dividing streets and cutting workers off from their livelihoods.
Watch a newsreel about the construction of the Berlin Wall
Watch a newsreel about the effects of the Berlin Wall

 

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube

Join the Discussion

Name
City / Suburb E.g. Artarmon, Sydney
Title
Comment
You have characters remaining.
Validation
What's this?
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.
All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.