The Crisis
The Berlin Crisis was a complex diplomatic conflict between the Soviets and the United States of America concerning the status of Berlin and another example of Soviet authorities trying to remove Western influence from the city. Slusser, an American Professor of Russian and Soviet History supports the importance of the divided city in the context of the Cold War conflict; “In the period from November 1958 to October 1961 the divided city of Berlin served as the focal point of a continuing international conflict” (Slusser, R. 1978.) This Crisis, which occurred as a result of the ongoing opposition and underlying ideological differences between the Communist and Capitalist states was exacerbated by the fact that Berlin was the only passageway between East and West Germany. Chicco, et al, Coleman, and O’Brien state that during the 1950s over three million East Germans had fled the Communist country to West Germany, who enjoyed capitalist freedoms and a consumerist economy through Berlin’s “porous border” (Vadney, T. 1998.) Unresolved diplomacy and mass emigration weakened the East German economy resulting in the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 at the climax of the crisis.
A Diplomatic Solution?
Khrushchev, the Soviet leader during this period of the Cold War wanted to diminish Western rights to occupy the city of Berlin, which was located far inside Soviet territory, (Vadney, T. 1998) He demanded the United States and their Allies leave Berlin to create a ‘free, demilitarised city’ by signing a peace treaty within six months (Carmichael, N. 2011) otherwise he threatened to resolve the treaty with the GDR (German Democratic Republic) which would effectively remove Western influence from the city. Khrushchev’s intentions are outlined in a letter he writes to East German politician, Walter Ulbricht in 1961, during the height of the crisis: “the occupation regime in West Berlin must be resolved on the basis of a peace treaty with both German states, and if this cannot be achieved, on the basis of a peace treaty with the GDR.” This diplomatic solution to the German problem, which aimed to relieve tensions between Berlin’s occupying powers was unsuccessful because US President Eisenhower refused these demands, arguing that a ‘free’ Berlin without Western Occupation would become controlled by Communist Germany (Britannica, online).
The Berlin Crisis is another example of Soviet expansionism attempts, which was met with a response by the Western Allies that was similar to their attitude towards the Berlin Blockade. “The United States, United Kingdom, and France replied to the ultimatum by firmly asserting their determination to remain in, and to maintain their legal right of free access to, the entirety of Berlin.” (Carmichael, 2011.) This firm Western response further solidifies the argument that these powers acknowledged the inherent value of Berlin in the context of the Berlin Crisis and the Cold War, in that each power made every effort to hold their occupation in the divided city. The argument is supported by a speech made by American President Kennedy (who succeeded Eisenhower in 1961) during the Berlin Crisis where he stated that “We cannot and will not permit the Communists to drive us out of Berlin” (Kennedy cited in Jones, 2004) which endorses the well founded argument that the city of Berlin the ‘centre’ of the Cold War, played a pivotal role in American and Soviet foreign policy.
The Berlin Crisis is another example of Soviet expansionism attempts, which was met with a response by the Western Allies that was similar to their attitude towards the Berlin Blockade. “The United States, United Kingdom, and France replied to the ultimatum by firmly asserting their determination to remain in, and to maintain their legal right of free access to, the entirety of Berlin.” (Carmichael, 2011.) This firm Western response further solidifies the argument that these powers acknowledged the inherent value of Berlin in the context of the Berlin Crisis and the Cold War, in that each power made every effort to hold their occupation in the divided city. The argument is supported by a speech made by American President Kennedy (who succeeded Eisenhower in 1961) during the Berlin Crisis where he stated that “We cannot and will not permit the Communists to drive us out of Berlin” (Kennedy cited in Jones, 2004) which endorses the well founded argument that the city of Berlin the ‘centre’ of the Cold War, played a pivotal role in American and Soviet foreign policy.
Brain Drain
To understand Brain Drain, a significant issue associated with the mass emigration of East German citizens to West Germany, it is important to compare the fundamental differences between Communism and Capitalism. An excerpt from the comparative info graphic below, comparing Capitalism and Communism shows that a classless society is a fundamental feature of Communist ideology, which was practiced in East Germany, therefore skilled workers, including doctors, engineers, nurses and teachers (O’Brien, 2010) were equally rewarded for their work as unskilled labourers. This prompted a phenomenon known as Brain Drain, in which thousands of skilled professionals fled across the German border to seek greater social and economic recognition for their work. “The number of people fleeing the GDR for the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) highlight how big of a problem this “brain drain and the resulting labour shortages were becoming” (O’Brien, 2010). O’Brien’s argument regarding the economic effects of Brain Drain corroborates with Honseler et al, who state that “Many of the refugees were skilled laborers, professionals, and intellectuals, and their loss was having a devastating effect on the East German economy.” (Honseler et al, 2009) Migration of intellectuals, coupled with the mass migration of the general population had profound impacts on the East German economy. Brain Drain and the exodus of people from East to West Germany contributed significantly to heightening tensions between the Soviets and the United States because of the growing economic disparity between their occupied zones, and was a significant contributing factor to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, which stemmed the flow of migrants.
Lead up to The Wall
The Berlin Crisis was a major turning point of the Cold War (Carmichael, N. 2011) and positioned Berlin as the centre of the war because it resulted in the construction of the Berlin Wall, which would physically and symbolically divide the Communist and Capitalist blocs for over 28 years. Slusser, an American Professor of Russian and Soviet History argues that “in the period from November 1958 to October 1961 the divided city of Berlin served as the focal point of a continuing international conflict” (Slusser, R. 1978.) because the ongoing tension between the powers was evident in Berlin, which as a divided, occupied city, created many political and diplomatic issues whilst also disrupting the lives of the citizens of the city.
In August 1961 this conflict reached a climax (Coleman, D. 1995 and Britannica, online) when Walter Ulbricht, the Mayor of East Germany, signalled orders to close Berlin’s border by constructing a wall. On the 12th August 1961, the GDR council of ministers announced that “in order to put a stop to the hostile activity of West Germany’s and West Berlin’s revanchist and militaristic forces, border controls of the kind generally found in every sovereign state will be set up at the border of the German Democratic Republic, including the border to the western sectors of Greater Berlin.” (GDR Council cited Berlin.de, online.)The erection of the Berlin Wall was the result of Khrushchev’s attempt to solidify his Communist Sphere of Influence in East Germany, and stop the flow of migrants leaving the country which was creating severe labour shortages in the German Democratic Republic.
Click here to learn more about the Berlin Wall.
In August 1961 this conflict reached a climax (Coleman, D. 1995 and Britannica, online) when Walter Ulbricht, the Mayor of East Germany, signalled orders to close Berlin’s border by constructing a wall. On the 12th August 1961, the GDR council of ministers announced that “in order to put a stop to the hostile activity of West Germany’s and West Berlin’s revanchist and militaristic forces, border controls of the kind generally found in every sovereign state will be set up at the border of the German Democratic Republic, including the border to the western sectors of Greater Berlin.” (GDR Council cited Berlin.de, online.)The erection of the Berlin Wall was the result of Khrushchev’s attempt to solidify his Communist Sphere of Influence in East Germany, and stop the flow of migrants leaving the country which was creating severe labour shortages in the German Democratic Republic.
Click here to learn more about the Berlin Wall.