The Split of Germany
The Line is Drawn
Germany, once a powerful reich, repeated its own defeat on May 8, 1945, ending the War in Europe. To punish the doomed country, it was split into 4 different sections. Three parts that lie on the west were controlled by American, British, and French forces, while the eastern part was controlled by the Soviet Union. Later, in 1949, the American, British and French sections would be joined into West Germany.
The Berlin Wall is Built
Due to the fear of living in oppression, about 2.5 million East Germans emigrated to the Western Bloc. Because most of the emigrants were laborers , the East German government feared a loss in the economy. As a result, citizens were banned from leaving, with the 27 mile long Berlin Wall, being built on 1961.