Shortly after World War II, the Allies split up what was left of Germany into four zones, one controlled by each of the Allies who had participated: US, UK, France, and the USSR, per the Potsdam Agreement. The city of Berlin was also divided into these same four zones even though it was within the USSR’s zone of Germany. Basically, the allies all raced to Berlin in order to be able to shape the way this new country (and influence how all of Europe) would be built after the war.
It’s interesting that the Soviets were the first to suggest walling any of these zones off, specifically Berlin. In fact, they quickly constructed barriers and sent their military to enforce them leading to the Berlin Blockade in the hopes that preventing food and supplies from reaching the non-communists in West Berlin might cause them the rethink their occupation. Of course, as history tells us, the blockade was easily defeated by the Berlin Airlift, further proving that walls can’t stop airplanes …or ladders …or anyone determined to seek freedom.
The Soviets were a bit embarrassed by the fact that many of their people decided to flee the Soviet zone of this new Germany. They were probably a little embarrassed by the Berlin Airlift as well, so they decided to build a more formidable wall in Berlin to try to prevent their people from seeking freedom in the West. In 1961, the Berlin Wall, as it was known for almost 30 years, was completed, to include a “death strip” down the middle, manned by machine gun towers and constantly patrolled. This at least slowed their best and brightest from defecting to the west. (slowed, but it did not stop them)
Thirty years ago this year, (demolition began on June 13, 1990) that embarrassing failure of statesmanship finally fell. Turns out the only folks who wanted it in the first place were socialist communists trying to inflate the benefits of a culture that has failed them to this day.
So, what did the Berlin Wall teach us?
1. Only communists think walls will preserve their “treasured lifestyle”
2. That “treasured lifestyle” was so great, thousands of people risked their lives to flee it before the wall was finished, (and more continued to do so after – see also “Brain drain”)
3. Walls don’t work
4. They’re a waste of time, money, effort, all of which distracts from the real work of nation building/growing
That concludes this holiday history lesson about walls.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Luth
Out
