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Separation of Germany

Thorsten Alexander Weber. Separation of Germany. Use while following along with the presentation Slides with answers are marked in red Hand in after class. Reminder. Introduction. President John F. Kennedy - Berlin, June 26, 1963.

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Separation of Germany

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  1. Thorsten Alexander Weber Separation of Germany

  2. Use while following along with the presentation Slides with answers are marked in red Hand in after class Reminder

  3. Introduction President John F. Kennedy - Berlin, June 26, 1963

  4. “All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’ (I am a citizen of Berlin)” Kennedy Quote President John F. Kennedy, June 1963 Was Berlin a symbol of freedom ?

  5. The Four Zones of Occupation After World War 2 Germany was divided into four zones. The western zones formed the “Federal Republic of Germany“ (West Germany) The eastern zone became the “German Democratic Republic” (Socialist) Guided Notes – Question 1

  6. DIVISION (Parts) OF BERLIN West Germany was connected to the western sectors in Berlin through a secured road / railway which went through East Germany (inter-zonal traffic)

  7. TWO Separate Countries German Democratic Republic (EAST) Federal Republic of Germany (WEST) May 23, 1949 - today October 7, 1949 – October 3, 1990 Berlin was not legally part of Germany, but under control of the Allied Control Council Guided Notes – Question 2

  8. Political / Economic Differences SED: Unified Socialist Party Guided Notes – Question 3

  9. EasT German Lack of Supplies • It took up to 18 years to get a car !!! • Your parents often ordered one when you were born… • The East German “Standard Car” (Trabant 601)

  10. Political Freedom ? (None) East Germany A special police agency secretly spied on its own people to find opponents of the socialist system • The leading SED Party determined the outcome of the vote (always at least 95%) and the vote was not really secret, if you voted for the wrong party on your ballot, the special police might show up

  11. To make sure that people DON’T (permanently) go somewhere where they can get what they need and can say what they want…. …in the case of Berlin… you would have to build what around them? Reasons

  12. Walter Ulbricht “The builders of our capital are fully engaged in residential construction, and its labor force is deployed for that. Nobody has the intention to erect a wall.” Walter Ulbricht (Chairman of the Socialist Party of East Germany) Surprisingly, two weeks later, the Berlin Wall was erected…

  13. Escape (Many wanted to Leave) East German soldier Conrad Schumann – August 15, 1961

  14. Berlin WALL 1 • Erection began August 15, 1961 • Length between East and West Berlin: 27 miles • Persons killed: 192 • The East German government called it the “anti-facist protection wall”, so their citizens would be protected from facist (Nazi) influences. Guided Notes – Question 4 (Part 1)

  15. Berlin Wall 2 • Separated families • Up to 300 yards of prohibited border zone • More than 300 watch towers Brandenburg Gate in the 1980s

  16. Berlin - Today

  17. Berlin - Today (2)

  18. There was not just the Berlin Wall… IRON CURTAIN

  19. Map West Germany and East Germany had a highly fortified border in between them. It was part of the so called “Iron Curtain”

  20. “Iron Curtain” (synonymous with divide between East and West) Winston Churchill: (British Prime Minister) “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an "iron curtain" has descended across the Continent.” (March 5, 1946) Term

  21. Can you imagine what this “Iron Curtain” looked like? Germany had a major share of the borderline of the Iron Curtain and its border fortification reflects this. Question

  22. Inner German Border 1 The primary purpose of the border was to keep East Germans from leaving the country. It was nearly impossible to get across the border… Guided Notes – Question 4 (Part 2)

  23. Inner German Border 2

  24. Barbed wire followed by mine fields Automatic shooting system Tank blockade system Deadly electric fences Watchtowers Lethal dog areas Trip wires for alarms Features of the Iron Curtain The border was called the “Iron Curtain” because it became so fortified Guided Notes – Question 5

  25. Would YOU want to try to escape? Escape • Balloons made out of bed sheets • Self-built mini-submarines • Traditional tunnels • Self-built light-weight planes painted like Soviet fighter planes

  26. Read article Use the sheet to summarize it Task Instructions

  27. Today • Do you think the US-Mexican border today can be compared to the “Iron Curtain”? • Why / Why not

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