The Berlin Wall Cambridge IGCSE History revision
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In plain words
On the night of 12 August 1961, East Berliners went to bed in an open city. They woke on Sunday morning to barbed wire across their streets. A wall followed, and for twenty-eight years it stood as an admission by a government that its people would leave if they could.
9 things to know
- After 1949 Berlin remained divided. West Berlin was an island of the capitalist West, deep inside communist East Germany.
- Life in West Berlin was freer and richer. East Germans could see the difference for themselves, since they could cross into West Berlin easily.
- From there they could travel on to West Germany. By 1961 about three million East Germans had left in this way.
- Many of them were young, skilled and educated: engineers, doctors and teachers. East Germany could not afford to lose them, and the flow was an embarrassment to communism.
- Khrushchev demanded that the Western powers leave Berlin. In 1961 the new American president, Kennedy, refused.
- On 13 August 1961 East German soldiers sealed the border with barbed wire. Within days it was replaced by a concrete wall, with watchtowers and armed guards.
- Families and friends were divided. Guards had orders to shoot anyone who tried to cross, and over the years more than a hundred people were killed in the attempt.
- In October 1961 American and Soviet tanks faced each other at the crossing point called Checkpoint Charlie. After a tense stand-off, both sides pulled back.
- Consequences: the flow of refugees stopped, and East Germany became more stable. The Wall became the symbol of the Cold War, and proof to the West that communism had to imprison its own people.
Worked example
Explain why the Berlin Wall was built. This is a 6-mark question.
- The loss of people: about three million East Germans had left through Berlin, many of them skilled workers whom the economy needed.
- The propaganda damage: people were choosing the West, which showed the world that communism was failing.
- The failure to force the West out: Khrushchev could not make the Western powers leave Berlin, so sealing the border was the only way to stop the flow.
Tips and tricks
- The Wall was built to keep East Germans in. It was not built to keep the West out, whatever the East German government said.
- Dates: 13 August 1961, built. November 1989, opened.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
The Berlin Wall: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
When was the Berlin Wall begun?
13 August 1961.
About how many East Germans had left by 1961?
Many were skilled and educated.
What was Checkpoint Charlie?
American and Soviet tanks faced each other there in October 1961.
Why was the loss of people so damaging to East Germany?
It was a brain drain.
Why did the Wall, although a tragedy for Berliners, reduce the danger of war?Stretch
Kennedy himself said that a wall was better than a war.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 16 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
The Berlin Wall
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 16 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What was the Berlin Wall?[4]
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It was a barrier built by East Germany from 13 August 1961. It began as barbed wire and became a concrete wall with watchtowers and armed guards. It cut West Berlin off from East Berlin and East Germany. It stopped East Germans from leaving for the West.
Why were so many people leaving East Germany before 1961?[6]
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Living standards were much higher in the West, with more goods in the shops and better wages. There was political freedom in the West, while East Germany was a one-party state with secret police. It was easy to cross into West Berlin and travel on from there. Skilled workers could earn far more in West Germany.
Why was the building of the Berlin Wall important for the Cold War?[6]
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It ended the flow of refugees, which stabilised East Germany. It removed Berlin as a source of immediate crisis, since Khrushchev stopped demanding that the West leave. It became the most visible symbol of the division of Europe, and the West used it as proof that communism could keep its people only by force.
Answers: The Berlin Wall
- 1. It was a barrier built by East Germany from 13 August 1961. It began as barbed wire and became a concrete wall with watchtowers and armed guards. It cut West Berlin off from East Berlin and East Germany. It stopped East Germans from leaving for the West.
- 2. Living standards were much higher in the West, with more goods in the shops and better wages. There was political freedom in the West, while East Germany was a one-party state with secret police. It was easy to cross into West Berlin and travel on from there. Skilled workers could earn far more in West Germany.
- 3. It ended the flow of refugees, which stabilised East Germany. It removed Berlin as a source of immediate crisis, since Khrushchev stopped demanding that the West leave. It became the most visible symbol of the division of Europe, and the West used it as proof that communism could keep its people only by force.