The Berlin Wall: Symbol of the Iron Curtain Divide - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Berlin Wall measured 12-foot high and over 100 miles in length. The Wall stood tall, figuratively and divided the communist East and the democratic West. The wall remained a tangible symbol representing the demarcation and communism of the Iron Curtain. After the end of the Second World War, the Allied powers-Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, and the United States split Germany into two central regions. The Soviet Union took up East Germany and established its communist state. The others took a share of West Germany and established capitalistic democracy. Berlin, located east of Germany, was also split with its half remaining part of West Germany. Majority of East Germans disliked communist and crossed over to settle in West Berlin. East Germany continued losing its people as more crossed over. When Khrushchev stood his ground to protect East Berlin, the then American President brought forth the idea of the Berlin Wall, a move that changed the history of the world.

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Construction started on the 13th August 1961 to divide the western and eastern and western parts of the city of Berlin. Within 24 hours, armed troops took up the town, and for a long time, the wall came to symbolize the Iron Curtain that divided democratic ideals and communism. Berlin Wall stood as the primary symbol of the Cold War. The Soviet Union added another wall approximately 100 yards from the main wall which guarded the main wall. The big divide between the East and West Berlin symbolized by the Berlin Wall came forth with Kennedy’s famous visit and speech in Berlin. His arrival two years after the construction of the Berlin Wall signified a thawed relationship between East and West Berlin. The big divide between the two regions came evident with the ecstatic crowd who welcomed and filled his entourage with paper, rice, and flowers. Another significant symbol of the Berlin Wall came forth in his address that led to ecstatic rapture from the audience.

The Berlin Wall remained a key feature in his address through which he underscored and invited people to pay a visit to Berlin and understand the true meaning of the free world. According to his speech, the Berlin Wall stood tall as a symbol of a significant ideological divide between a communist society and an open world. President Kennedy took a swipe at the ideology of communism with a clear demarcation of Berlin as the centre of democratic ideals pushing through economic progress. The President’s acknowledgement remained as a clear divide between East and West Berlin with the Berlin Wall at its centre. The Berlin Wall stayed not only as a reference point but also as a symbolic symbol to what democratic ideals stood for and what communism upheld.

The Berlin Wall remained a potent symbol of two different forms of leadership and political standing. Immediately after President Kennedy’s speech, the square was renamed John F. Kennedy Platz. The act of renaming remained a critical symbol, especially in reinforcing the significance of the Berlin Wall. In this case, the Berlin Wall stayed a unique feature and attributed in the people naming the square President F. Kennedy’s Platz. All these continued attempts to signifying the relevance of the Berlin Wall as an ideological symbol in the big divide between East Berlin and West Berlin.The Berlin Wall remained as a useful point of reference and symbol of the Cold War. The WallWall remained a stack reminder of the lack of freedom that came with communism. By keeping the East Germans with no movement, the Berlin Wall came to symbolize the continued deterioration of the relationship between East and West.

The Berlin Wall remained a great symbol of the Cold War, showcasing the deadlock between West and East Germany. Although it led to over 200 deaths, the WallWall played a critical role in the development and spread of capitalism and democratic ideas fronted by the United States and its Allies.

The Stasi

The Stasi was the primary state security service and was also known as State Security Service, code-named SSD. The unit remained the most repressive and productive intelligence agency in East German and the world. The agencies motto was SchildundSchwert der Partei (Shield and Sword of the Party). Stasi’s motto referred to the leadership of the Socialist Party of Germany. Stasi also echoed the themes of KBG with high esteem to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). During the Cold War, Stasi’s main task involved spying on its citizens, fighting those holding opposing ideas and undertaking psychological destruction on the dissidents. The agency had a vast network of informers who kept tab of the intelligence around and with East Berlin. It also had the responsibility of arresting dissidents and any opposing voice. Stasi also undertook covert operations in neighbouring and foreign nations to unearth intelligence secrets on the tension build-up during the Cold War. One of the strategies the agency used to get information remained close cooperation with terrorist groups and allied countries.

Stasi also used prostitutes to get vital information concerning key rivals and dissidents. The agency also trained secret service agents and the police who maintained a secretive lifestyle to operate undercover for state-sponsored missions. The agency also built a secret police unit in various countries across the world including Yemen, Mozambique, and Angola to spy and provide it with vital information about its sworn enemies such as the United States and Britain. Stasi also used funds to sway interest groups, buy out info, and change policies across the world. Agents were planted in Western governments and critical positions in vital organizations and intelligence units. Whores were used against married government officials to get essential information about particular interest groups.

Stasi worked in secretive organizations and businesses as undercover with the primary purpose of discrediting the Western bloc. Throughout its operations, Stasi had a keen interest in various corporations where it could get essential information and influence vital policy enactment in multiple countries. For example, Stasi helped Kwane Nkrumah set up his police unit. Through this, the agency had access to critical information to other countries undercover operations that involved security and intelligence details. At the same time, it operated by provided logistical support to various governments and organizations such as terror groups (Red Army Faction) to instill fear and undertake vital operations across the world in selected countries. Stasi also operated its prisons where dissidents were detained tortured, and even killed.

The operations of Stasi pointed to one primary objective of East Germany. It wanted to control and influence global affairs, countries, and presidents. The agency wanted to remain the primary custodian of vital comprehensive information, a strategy it strategized to manipulate world leaders and achieve its objectives. From its operations, Stasi showed that communism was an ideology that aimed at controlling world events, people, leaders, and governments.

Bibliography

Funder, Anna. Stasiland.Text Publishing, 2003.