Berlin Wall Drama

Following World War II, the victorious Allies divided Germany into four zones, administered by the U. S., Britain, France (which became West Germany) and the Soviet Union (which became East Germany). Located within the boundary of the Soviet Zone, Berlin was similarly divided into four zones. The British, French and U. S. zones became known as West Berlin and the Soviet Zone as East Berlin. During the 1950s, more than three million East Germans avoided their country s emigration restrictions by crossing from East Berlin to West Berlin. By 1961, as many as 1, 000 people a day fled to the West. To prevent East Germans from escaping to the West, the East Germans constructed a wall encircling West Berlin in August, 1961. The wall completely cut off by land West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed atop concrete walls.