Exploring German History: From the Berlin Wall to the Roman Empire
Germany experienced rapid economic and structural development during the 19th century due to its geographic position; trade opened up quickly through new cities; new political parties emerged to give workers a voice; however, Bismarck, King Wilhelm's Iron Chancellor was opposed. After World War II ended, Germany was divided into Occupation Zones. The Berlin Wall: Symbol of Divided Germany As soon as World War II ended, Britain, France and the Soviet Union held high-level discussions about how best to administer Germany. They decided that it should be divided into zones of occupation: British-French-US zones would become West Germany while Soviet zones became East Germany. Prior to the construction of the Wall, Berliners on both sides could move freely: crossing borders at work or school, attending movies and theater shows and using both trains and buses freely. But once constructed, this access was no longer possible. Beginning as just a barbed wire fence, escapees found ways thr