East Germany's answer to people attempting to escape the regime (officially known as flight from the Republic, Republikflucht) was to build the Berlin Wall and inner-German border.
Although imposing and deadly, the Berlin Wall was crossed successfully during the 28 years of its infamous existence, although it is assumed today that at least 136 people died whilst attempting to flee. Over 1000 people are believed to have died trying to cross the inner-German border
The wall started as a "simple" barbed wire fence but went through 3 further development stages until its demolition in 1989/90.
In its final stage the wall was a forbidding structure that contained several elements:
Starting on the East German side, the "wall" consisted of:
1. 2-3 m (6'6"-9'10" high concrete wall or expanded-metal fence (Hinterlandmauer)
2. ground-based trip wires to alert border guards
3. signal Fencing, made of expanded-metal and covered with barbed wire and alarm wires. (Signalzaun)
4. fierce dogs on free-running lines
5. vehicle ditches and tank traps (Flächensperren)
6. 302 watch towers (Beobachtungstürme)
7. spotlights to illuminate no-man's land
8. vehicle patrol strips (Kolonnenweg)
9. control strip that was continually harrowed in order to detect tracks of would-be escapees. Border guards/soldiers who inadvertently left tracks in the strip faced disciplinary action.
10. Vehicle ditch (Kfz-Sperre)
11. the "wall" proper. 3.75 m (12'4") high. The top of the wall was lined with a smooth pipe, intended to make it more difficult to scale.
The width of the "wall" varied between 30 m (98') at its narrowest point and 500 m (1,640') at its widest point
The layout of the wall evetually came to resemble the inner-German border in most technical aspects, except that, unlike the Berlin Wall, the inner-German border also included landmines and spring-guns. Another difference was that the hinterland of the border was strictly controlled by East Germany. The land on the East German side of the border was divided into zones with special permits specifying how close an individual could approach the border. Villages within a 5 kilometre (3.1 mile) wide area running parallel to the border (known as Sperrzone, restricted area) were also subject to heavy restrictions. Inhabitants could only enter and leave using special permits, they were not permitted to visit other villages within the zone, and were subject to nighttime curfews. Although the Sperrzone was not fenced off, access roads were blocked by checkpoints.
Click on the links below for diagrams of the Wall and the inner-German border.
Well, to be honest, they didn't really try anything. After World War 2, they gained control of it because Germany and Berlin were split. The only real procaution to keep people in was to build a wall; now known as the infamous Berlin Wall.
They were trying to keep the West out and their own people in. They didn't want people to escape to the West so they did everything they could to keep people behind the wall and the East Germans did everything they could to escape.
In 1961 the government built a wall between East and West Berlin to stop people from escaping.
they tried to starve them and cut off supplies
East Berliners and West Berliners now peacefully co-exist. When the Communist Party was attempting to drive the Allies out of Berlin, they used various tactics such as intimidation and staged rallies to try to control the city. When that failed, they simply walled off that part of the city under occupation by the Soviets, and set up their own city government. A number of people were killed trying to escape to West Berlin from East Berlin.
We didn't "let" them take Berlin; the Russians (Soviets) were RACING for it! They had a vengence against the Germans. Germans were desparately trying to surrender to British/US troops before the Russians (Soviets) could get their hands on them. ...Are you kidding me? the German forces weren't trying to surrender at all. And no there was no race. British/US troops wouldn't dare to enter Berlin. If it weren't for the Soviet's, Adolf Hitler would rule the world. Answer 2: It's not that we "allowed" the Soviets there first. They did have a chip on their shoulder from Germany violating the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, however, that did not make their claim to Berlin any more valid than British or American's. Where the first answer is wrong, is that given the chance, Hitler would have rather surrendered to the allies. He knew we would at least give him a fair shake. Would he have been executed? Yes. But the allies would have tried him, let him make a statement, etc. The Soviets would have undoubtedly tortured him before executing him in what would most likely be a barbaric way.
The Soviet Union was hoping to drive the western allies out of Berlin, so they could occupy the whole city which was located 128 miles deep inside East Germany. The Soviet Union never like the arrangement after World War II to have the city of Berlin divided among the allied governments. I also think that the Soviets felt they deserved to occupy the entire city because of the tremendous losses they suffered taking Berlin from the Nazis. Over 300,000 Russians were killed taking the city.
The surrounding and blockading of a city, town, or fortress by an army attempting to capture it. This is in hopes of having the opponent surrender, as their resources wane.
1000000000 people were killed
American foreign policy was semi-successful in Europe from 1947 to 1949. While America, England, and France were able to establish a post in West Berlin, they could not prevent the Soviets from taking over East Berlin and East German for that matter. Like Europe, America was busy trying to economically and financially recover from the war. Even though the Allies won, they paid a hefty price when it came to casualties, deaths, and trying to get back to normalcy.
East Berliners and West Berliners now peacefully co-exist. When the Communist Party was attempting to drive the Allies out of Berlin, they used various tactics such as intimidation and staged rallies to try to control the city. When that failed, they simply walled off that part of the city under occupation by the Soviets, and set up their own city government. A number of people were killed trying to escape to West Berlin from East Berlin.
We didn't "let" them take Berlin; the Russians (Soviets) were RACING for it! They had a vengence against the Germans. Germans were desparately trying to surrender to British/US troops before the Russians (Soviets) could get their hands on them. ...Are you kidding me? the German forces weren't trying to surrender at all. And no there was no race. British/US troops wouldn't dare to enter Berlin. If it weren't for the Soviet's, Adolf Hitler would rule the world. Answer 2: It's not that we "allowed" the Soviets there first. They did have a chip on their shoulder from Germany violating the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, however, that did not make their claim to Berlin any more valid than British or American's. Where the first answer is wrong, is that given the chance, Hitler would have rather surrendered to the allies. He knew we would at least give him a fair shake. Would he have been executed? Yes. But the allies would have tried him, let him make a statement, etc. The Soviets would have undoubtedly tortured him before executing him in what would most likely be a barbaric way.
Yes - shot, killed by land mines, trip wires attached to explosives, beaten to death. At least 125, perhaps as many as 500, people were killed trying to escape.
170
Containment
The Soviet Union was hoping to drive the western allies out of Berlin, so they could occupy the whole city which was located 128 miles deep inside East Germany. The Soviet Union never like the arrangement after World War II to have the city of Berlin divided among the allied governments. I also think that the Soviets felt they deserved to occupy the entire city because of the tremendous losses they suffered taking Berlin from the Nazis. Over 300,000 Russians were killed taking the city.
you would be killed
The allies raced (trying to beat the Russians) for Berlin.
The surrounding and blockading of a city, town, or fortress by an army attempting to capture it. This is in hopes of having the opponent surrender, as their resources wane.
scientist are trying to find out ways to prevent it.
Takuto and Meroko.