Two, the newly formed countries of East and West Germany were struggling to create new national identities in the aftermath of the destruction caused by the National Socialist German Workers party and the war. A parallel of the country as a whole, the capital city of Berlin was also split into an East and a West portion controlled by the Soviet Union and the Allies respectively. The close proximity of the East and the West in the same city—a political, economic, and cultural center—allows historians to look closely at the similarities and differences between East and West Germany and their attempts to mold a new German identity. Countering these attempts, however, was the strong influence of American consumer culture…
The German Democratic Republic (East Germany), was comprised of the territories, that had been administered by the Soviet Union. Berlin, the former capital of Germany, remained divvied. “East Berlin” became the capital of East Germany. While “West Berlin” aligned itself with West Germany. Contrary to popular belief, West Berlin was actually not part of West Germany. Under international law, it was illegal for either of the two Germanys, to declare Berlin its capital. For 41 years, no…
On October the 3rd 1990, the reunification of both East Germany and West Germany was finally made official, almost a year following the fall of the Berlin wall on November 9 1989. As two states became one, the treaty of unification caused many people to face economic dilemma. East Germany faced an insane amount of unemployment, while the more prosperous West Germans had to deal with the heavy taxation and were angry at the economic cost. This resulted in a very unhappy society where racism and…
division of Germany after the Second World War has often been recognized as providing a unique opportunity to evaluate a natural experiment in history, one in which a homogenous population had been artificially separated for 45 years. The possible consequences for the healthcare reforms of the two very different social models have, however, received relatively little attention in modern literature. In particular, the division of Germany into two states at the conclusion of World War II had…
1. Analyse Cartier-Bresson’s “West Berlin, West Germany” 1962, Gelatine Silver Print. 300 Words. a. Briefly discuss Cartier-Bresson’s historical background, influences and objectives. Henri cartier- bresson was born on the 22nd of august in 1908 in France and died august 3 2004. Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer whose humane, spontaneous photographs helped establish photojournalism as an art form. Cartier- bresson personal influences was his uncle Louis because henri and his uncle spent…
Braden Kelly AP Biology Mr. Boyd September 13, 2015 Thalidomide In 1954, the drug Thalidomide was synthesized in West Germany. The scientist credited with the creation was Chemie Grünenthal. Three years after it was made, Thalidomide was available to be sold to patients between 1957 and early 1960. In the beginning, Thalidomide was a sedative drug that was supposed to be taken by pregnant women to help calm symptoms that come from morning sickness. It was praised by many as a great, new drug.…
What is Germany and is it Truly United? Throughout history Germany has been a changing nation. It has changed so much that many lines in Germany have been blurred, such as who is German and what Germany comprises of. Germany has gone from a series of kingdoms and principalities to one nation, but even today Germany remains divided. Many of these issues of unity stem from what Germany actually is and the change in that definition over the course of the last couple centuries. Germany has almost…
party of economic prosperity in West Germany. His government was conservative and anti communist and it pursued a policy of Western integration and complete hostility to the East. Few of its any members had opposed the Nazis, while some had actively supported that regime. Yet by 1969, Adenauer had many more of his Era were dead, while both the president and Chancellor of the West German state were men who had actively opposed Nazism. 1961 Election The SPD under its new candidate for Chancellor,…
Living in West Berlin vs East Berlin: Thesis Paper The Berlin Wall was built in the August of 1961, when the East German soldiers constructed more than thirty miles of a barbed wire barrier through the center of Berlin, Germany. The citizens of East Berlin were forbidden to pass into the Western side. Soon this barbed wire would be replaced by concrete. (Taylor, 458) East German authorities revealed that this wall would protect their citizens from the wicked influence of sinful capitalist…
build unity among the America’s Allies. One of those nations was Germany. The country had been divided in half; the East Germany was under control of Soviet Russia and the West Germany becoming democratic nation allied with the United States. Due to that division, the city of Berlin was also divided into East Berlin and West Berlin by a wall called “The Berlin Wall”. When President John F. Kennedy arrived in West Berlin, he make a speech offers hope to the city’s residents, who were enclosed by…