Reaction the reaction of the western world john

Reaction
The reaction of the Western world
John Kennedy who was the president of the U.S.A made a speech, and he indicated that
every person who is free regardless of the place they stay are Berlin citizens and hence, because
he was a free man he took pride in the phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner” which meant I am a Berliner.
The building of the wall came as a shock to the western world, as nobody had any expectation of
them building a wall isolating West Berlin. The president stipulated that the states would not
have to use military action if people were allowed to transit goods to western Berlin freely. His
speech which was made on 25
th
July was intended to condemn how the Soviets were oppressing
and also to tell the people in the city that was too divided to have hope. He was saying he was a
Roman citizen and was I freedom and hence was tasked with telling the people about living as
free individuals. The building of the wall meant a violation of postwar Potsdam Agreements; it
also indicated that Soviet Union was holding power over France, United Kingdom, and the
U.S.A 5 .
4
Taylor, Fred. The Berlin Wall: a world divided, 1961-1989 . Harper Collins, 2006.
5
History.com Staff. "Berlin Wall." History.com. 2009. Accessed April 21, 2018.

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The reaction of the Soviets
13
th
August 1961 was the date the wall was established. GDR began on that morning,
which was led by Erich Honecker who was the Secretary-General, its intent was in blocking the
GDR and East Berlin from getting to West Berlin by using antitank obstacles and barbed wire.
German demonstrators who were very angry came together with the intention of
destroying the barbed wire and bringing it down, but they were not able. For 28 years there were
numerous attempts to cross to the other side of the wall to escape the tragedy which was destined
for them. At one point Peter Fechter who was a citizen of Berlin was shot by border patrol of
East Berlin while attempting to go through the wall in 1962 August. People were to be shot if
they attempted escaping but due to the need to be free people got passionate to take numerous
risks to cross over the wall.
Reaction of Germany
The unexpected wall had an enormous impact not only by dividing Berlin into west and
east but also creating to different worlds of capitalism and communism.
All those years more than 5000 people defected and joined West Berlin. People came up
with numerous ways to go through the wall, and others even dug tunnels under it while some on
top but they never stopped trying. Some even waited for strong winds, and they created air
balloons which enabled them to fly over. Others made flying ultra-lights and at one point driving
a speedy sports car through the initial fortification. The first German who was called Conrad to
have managed to escape jumped over the wall and into West Berlin 6 . Ida Siekmann was among
6
Doornbos, Martin. "'Good governance': The rise and decline of a policy metaphor?." Journal of
Development Studies 37, no. 6 (2001): 93-108.

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