The Berlin Wall - Lessons Learned V4.0 Extended Version 1/4

Tags:
Berlin, Walls, Iron, Curtain, Germany, History, Society, Politics

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This is an all new, entirely redone extended version of my video "The Berlin Wall - Lessons Learned". It is a bit over 30 minutes in length (which forced me to make 4 instead of 3 parts out of it for all video sharing sites except Google Video) and covers the history of the Iron Curtain from 1961 to its wall in 1989.

Supplemental to this video is my blog post at my personal blog, titled "The Berlin Wall and the Walls between Us" from August, 2008 and my post about the updates from September, 2008.

#[http://www.roysac.com/blog/2008/08/berlin-wall-and-walls-between-us.html The Berlin Wall and the Walls Between Us]
#[http://www.roysac.com/blog/2008/09/berlin-wall-history-lessons-learned.html The Berlin Wall History Lessons Learned]

The 282 MB large video in 640x480 resolution and H.264/AC3 .AVI format can be downloaded
[http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey

  1. By: Cumbrowski
  2. Categories How To
  3. Views 5,947
  4. Added :22-Nov-08
Comments on The Berlin Wall - Lessons Learned V4.0 Extended Version 1/4
Other comments on this video
  • Nice documentary film

    but pardon my ignorance, what was the main reason for putting up the wall?

    By jowhitee 1227612955
    • Why the Wall? Here is Why

      Ulbricht (the East German boss) were running the people away, over to West Berlin, the only stretch between the Western controlled part of Germany and the Soviet controlled one.

      The border to West Germany was shut years earlier. It was not that easy with Berlin, since the "sector" borders between the US, French, British and Russian sectors of the city were running right through the middle of the city.

      West Berlin had a special status, ever since WW2 ended. until the reunion in 1989. It was never officially part of West Germany.

      So the sector borders were like a giant leak where mostly young and well educated people where leaving East Germany through o start a new life in the western part of Germany.

      The economy in East Germany was heading towards total collapse because of that. They had to shut that door or bleed to death. I hope this makes sense.

      By Cumbrowski 1227825088
    • think

      of it as a really BIG jail.

      By gtcruiserman 1227633503
    • Prevent th escape of its citizens and

      deter the west from infiltrating or invading

      By DAMANINMIAMI 1227623366
    • Oh please!!!!!!!!!

      the first part is correct....it was designed to keep people in becuase it was such a horribl;e system of govt. If the borfders were open, there would be no one left in east germany so there would be no reason to invade...correct?

      By gtcruiserman 1227633471
    • Since they were keeping the people in

      East Germany was worried the west would get involved to liberate them. Even though that would never have happened because the USSR was there to back them up and nobody wanted to start an incident.

      By DAMANINMIAMI 1227638235
    • Dude,

      I really don't tihink there's anyone who thinks the wall prevented the west from invading E. Germany. Troops and tanks would've done that not to mention the threat of nuclear retaliation on western europe. The wall was put up for one reason, to keep people in. All the defenses were designed to keep people in..from the dogs, watch towers ansd barbed wire fences. And, think of it logially, if the west wanted to get throught the wall, there really wasn't much that could stop artillary or tanks.

      By gtcruiserman 1227638540
    • Dude! a road works both ways.

      They wanted to stop people from leaving and they wanted to control the border (I'm not talking about a full scale invasion) They wanted to prevent the infiltration of supplies and people from West to East to aid in a possible rebellion of the people. Such as Iran is doing in Iraq.

      By DAMANINMIAMI 1227639323
    • I'll

      concede that to some extent, a wall will have an effect on both sides. But you really have to look at the way the defenses were set up, there were progressive deterrents from inside E. germany towards the west, not the other way. The wall's primary function was to keep people from defecting to the west a side benefit of that was keeping westerners out.

      It would be like saying there are bars up on prison walls for two reasons one to keep the prisoners in and the other to keep the public from giving prisoners weapons. Both are true but the main reason for the bars is to keep the convicts in, not the public out.

      By gtcruiserman 1227639612
  • Late response, sorry!

    The border to West Germany was already shut by 1961, only the border to West Berlin (which had special status) was still open and people fled East Germany by the thousands. Not elderly, the young and bright. This had severe impact on the East German economy. East Germany was bleeding out more every day .. and East German leader Walter Ulbricht was trying to get the OKAY from the soviets to get his Wall and closing the only remaining exit route for East Germans. He got it in 1961 and since then was any attempt to cross to West Berlin or West Germany an undertaking where you were risking your life.

    By Cumbrowski 1252267228
10 Comments
 

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