The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall

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Topic spans: 1948 - 1999

The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall

In the ideological struggle that was the Cold War, East Germans voted the only way they could: with their feet. By the thousands each month, they escaped communist rule by slipping into the West through Berlin. In 1961, the East German government built a wall to keep them in. The Berlin Wall became both a barrier and a symbol of the differences between West and East, between democracy and communism. On Nov. 9, 1989, after floods of East Germans had left via third countries, the Berlin Wall came down, paving the way to German reunification.

Berlin Wall photo from United States National Archives.

9 television clips

6 radio clips

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Berlin Blockade begins

Broadcast Date: June 25, 1948

To the victors went the spoils in postwar Germany, and Berlin is the biggest prize of all. Split between the Soviets and the Western powers of Britain, France and the United States, the city itself is also surrounded by Soviet-occupied territory.

In June 1948, as the Cold War raises new tensions, the Soviets impose a blockade on all food and fuel supplies coming into Berlin in an effort to push out their Western rivals. In this CBC Radio clip, correspondents Matthew Halton and Wilson Woodside describe the Western powers' reaction to this Soviet power play.

Berlin Blockade begins

• The Soviets imposed the Berlin Blockade after a series of conferences held by the occupied powers to settle the future of Germany. Keen on establishing economic stability, the Western powers sought to reform Germany's currency - a move the Soviets strenuously opposed.

• Under the blockade, the Soviets cut off all railways, roads and canals into Western-occupied Berlin so food and fuel could not reach the two million Berliners who lived there. Electricity to the area was also cut.

Berlin Blockade begins

Medium: Radio

Program: CBC News Roundup

Broadcast Date: June 25, 1948

Reporter: Matthew Halton, Willson Woodside

Duration: 4:57

Last updated:
May 14, 2008

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