Source Analysis
Part 2
The Berlin Wall was not only a physical barrier between East and West Germany, it was also symbolic of the division between 2 worlds with conflicting ideologies.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
This statement is true to a large extent. This is evident in the way that after the Second World War, the USSR and the Western Powers cut all ties, and the Iron Curtain was formed; in the way that unhappiness was evident in communist countries throughout the world (not only in East Germany) and how the sense of injustice was felt before the wall was even built; in the way that the Western Powers and Soviet Union voiced their support for East and West Germany respectively and how propaganda was used to mock alternative …show more content…
In East Germany, there was a great sense of injustice and this resulted in the migration of many East Germans to West Germany before the Berlin Wall was even built (Source 3). This sense of injustice was rooted from advertisements from West Germany and in rumors about West Germany which caused longing and envy among the East Germans. Because of the beliefs of communism and the lack of aid, East Germans’ standards of living were a lot lower that the typical West German’s. They felt that their government had failed them because they had not adequately been rewarded for their commitment and hard work. They saw the rise in income of West Germans and the progress taking place in West Germany while there were constant shortages in East Germany and many consumer goods that West Germans were able to afford, were out of reach due to the equal sharing of money which was a part of the Communistic belief. They felt that their government was unwilling to improve matters and anger grew. This did not occur because of the wall, instead it is attributed to the beliefs of communism. This unhappiness did not only occur in East Germany. Other events in history prove that these complaints occurred in all communist countries. These problems occurred due to the different ways in which Communist and Capitalist states were …show more content…
Because of this, innocent people suffered who were not concerned about the power struggle between communism and capitalism. This suffering was captured in photographs. Among these photographs, was a moment captured when the Berlin Wall was first erected. It is a heartbreaking photograph showing a young soldier helping a boy illegally cross the Berlin Wall to be reunited with his family (Source 5). This was not the only child who was unjustly separated from his family during event. The soldier was punished because he had a compassionate heart. This is an example of only two innocent people who suffered due to conflict. Separation occurred between many communist and capitalist countries and many more innocent people suffered due to this division and hatred between the two ideologies. This photograph shows that many people were not concerned about the fight between the conflicting ideologies but instead were forced into the fight because of stubborn people in authority that wanted their influence to be more powerful than their opponent’s
Part 2
The Berlin Wall was not only a physical barrier between East and West Germany, it was also symbolic of the division between 2 worlds with conflicting ideologies.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
This statement is true to a large extent. This is evident in the way that after the Second World War, the USSR and the Western Powers cut all ties, and the Iron Curtain was formed; in the way that unhappiness was evident in communist countries throughout the world (not only in East Germany) and how the sense of injustice was felt before the wall was even built; in the way that the Western Powers and Soviet Union voiced their support for East and West Germany respectively and how propaganda was used to mock alternative …show more content…
In East Germany, there was a great sense of injustice and this resulted in the migration of many East Germans to West Germany before the Berlin Wall was even built (Source 3). This sense of injustice was rooted from advertisements from West Germany and in rumors about West Germany which caused longing and envy among the East Germans. Because of the beliefs of communism and the lack of aid, East Germans’ standards of living were a lot lower that the typical West German’s. They felt that their government had failed them because they had not adequately been rewarded for their commitment and hard work. They saw the rise in income of West Germans and the progress taking place in West Germany while there were constant shortages in East Germany and many consumer goods that West Germans were able to afford, were out of reach due to the equal sharing of money which was a part of the Communistic belief. They felt that their government was unwilling to improve matters and anger grew. This did not occur because of the wall, instead it is attributed to the beliefs of communism. This unhappiness did not only occur in East Germany. Other events in history prove that these complaints occurred in all communist countries. These problems occurred due to the different ways in which Communist and Capitalist states were …show more content…
Because of this, innocent people suffered who were not concerned about the power struggle between communism and capitalism. This suffering was captured in photographs. Among these photographs, was a moment captured when the Berlin Wall was first erected. It is a heartbreaking photograph showing a young soldier helping a boy illegally cross the Berlin Wall to be reunited with his family (Source 5). This was not the only child who was unjustly separated from his family during event. The soldier was punished because he had a compassionate heart. This is an example of only two innocent people who suffered due to conflict. Separation occurred between many communist and capitalist countries and many more innocent people suffered due to this division and hatred between the two ideologies. This photograph shows that many people were not concerned about the fight between the conflicting ideologies but instead were forced into the fight because of stubborn people in authority that wanted their influence to be more powerful than their opponent’s