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[[Image:Berlin Wall patrol.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Wall viewed from the West, showing the so-called "death strip" on the Eastern side. Anybody setting foot here could be shot on sight by the Border Guards, a patrol of whom can be seen just over the Wall.]]

[[Image:Berlin Wall patrol.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Wall viewed from the West, showing the so-called "death strip" on the Eastern side. Anybody setting foot here could be shot on sight by the Border Guards, a patrol of whom can be seen just over the Wall.]]

The '''Berlin Wall''' was a wall in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]] that separated [[Communist]] East Berlin from [[democracy|democratic]] West Berlin. It was one of the most visible symbols of the [[Iron Curtain]]. The wall was built in 1961 by the government of the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany) in order to stop the tide of emigration to West Berlin.  

The '''Berlin Wall''' was a heavily guarded police wall in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]] that separated [[Communist]] East Berlin from [[democracy|democratic]] West Berlin. It was one of the most visible symbols of the [[Iron Curtain]]. The wall was built in 1961 by the government of the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany) in order to stop the tide of emigration to West Berlin. President [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1987 demanded it be torn down, to the astonishment of the world.  To even greater disbelief, it was torn down in November, 1989, thus ending the [[Cold War]]  and bringing freedom to East Germany and (within days) to the rest of the satellites in East Europe which now threw off Communism.  

Because of dissatisfaction with the economic and political conditions (forced collectivization of agriculture, repression of private trade, supply gaps), an increasing number of people left the GDR. From January to the beginning of August 1961, about 160,000 refugees were counted. <ref>http://userpage.chemie.fu-berlin.de/BIW/wall.html</ref>

Because of dissatisfaction with the economic and political conditions (forced collectivization of agriculture, repression of private trade, supply gaps), an increasing number of people left the GDR. From January to the beginning of August 1961, about 160,000 refugees were counted. <ref>http://userpage.chemie.fu-berlin.de/BIW/wall.html</ref>

Armed guards patrolled the eastern side of the wall. In 1962, Peter Fechter was shot while attempting to cross into West Berlin, and slowly bled to death in front of a large crowd, <ref>http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/09/1st.draft</ref> which started a riot and led to Fechter becoming a symbol of resistance against the wall. Onlookers did not attempt to aid Fechter, as they feared the communist guards might fire upon them as well.

Armed guards patrolled the eastern side of the wall. In 1962, Peter Fechter was shot while attempting to cross into West Berlin, and slowly bled to death in front of a large crowd, <ref>http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/09/1st.draft</ref> which started a riot and led to Fechter becoming a symbol of resistance against the wall. Onlookers did not attempt to aid Fichte, as they feared the communist guards might fire upon them as well.

The symbolism of the wall as a representative of the divide between capitalism and communism was not lost on [[United States|American]] President [[Ronald Reagan]], who, in a famous 1987 speech, urged [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] President [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] to "tear down this wall!" These words proved prophetic, on November 9, 1989 the German Democratic Republic announced that the border would be re-opened. The wall was promptly destroyed. In the following year the parliament of the German Democratic Republic voted for reunification and became new states (Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of [[Germany]].

The symbolism of the wall as a representative of the divide between capitalism and communism was not lost on [[United States|American]] President [[Ronald Reagan]], who, in a famous 1987 speech, urged [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] President [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] to "tear down this wall!" These words proved prophetic, on November 9, 1989 the German Democratic Republic announced that the border would be re-opened. The wall was promptly destroyed. In the following year the parliament of the German Democratic Republic voted for reunification and became new states (Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of [[Germany]].