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The Refugee Problem in Berlin/berlin wall - Coggle Diagram
The Refugee Problem in Berlin/berlin wall
Refugees and workers moving to West Germany
Because West Berlin was a US-controlled haven in East Germany, people could move to East Berlin. Move to West Berlin. And then move to West Germany
Many East Germans were aware that living conditions were better and wages higher in West Berlin
Between 1952 and 1961, it is estimated that 3.5 million East Germans migrated to West Germany
This was a propaganda defeat for the Soviets - people were leaving their territory and moving to American-controlled territory. It also caused a problem for East Germany.
Skilled workers tended to leave East Germany, so East Germany's output, productivity and wealth didn't rise as much. There was a shortage of skilled labour
The Berlin Wall
On the 13th August 1961, the USSR (Soviet Union) began to build the Berlin Wall.
Krushchev's Berlin Ultimatum of 1958 ordered Western troops to leave Berlin, but they did not.
The Berlin Wall was an effort to solve the refugee crisis and keep people in East Germany and East Berlin
Initially, the Berlin Wall was a flimsy fence with razor wire at the top. Over time, it became a heavier concrete border between East and West Berlin
Response to the ultimatum: summits
U2 Spy Plane Crisis undermined all progress at the 1960 Paris Summit. Talks broke down after the USSR shot down an American 'U2' spy plane in Russian airspace
The first summit happened in Geneva and the second summit happened in September 1959 at Camp David. The Camp David summit was led by the US President, Dwight Eisenhower, and Krushchev
living standards in East and West Germany
Wages in West Berlin were higher than wages in East Berlin. The Hans Böckler Foundation has found that wages in areas that were in West Germany were still 17% higher than in East Germany in 2018. The difference was even greater in the 1950s
The living conditions in West Berlin were better than the living conditions in East Berlin
The Berlin Ultimatum, November 1958
Khrushchev threatened that all American, British and French troops should leave Berlin within 6 months
In November 1958, Khrushchev issued a memorandum (written document), claiming that Berlin should be absorbed into East Germany
reaction to the Berlin Wall
Although the Berlin Wall was not great, it was less violent than the events of the Hungarian Uprising and was a peaceful solution to the refugee crisis.
berlin wall
The Allies (Britain, France, and the USA) kept control of West Berlin.
It was far harder for East German refugees to move into West Germany.
The Berlin Wall was a propaganda defeat for the Soviet Union. Having to build a wall to keep your citizens in is not a great look
Crossing the border
Some refugees tried to cross the Berlin Wall anyway. On the 17th of August 1972, a man was shot by East German soldiers firing machine guns. Between 80 and 200 people are estimated to have been killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall
Initially, foreigners were allowed to travel into East Berlin from West Berlin by crossing 'Checkpoint Charlie'. There was a tense stand-off between the Soviet army (including tanks) stopping American citizens from crossing into East Berlin on the 27th October 1961