"Asses the role of the Berlin wall inintensifying the cold war?Table of contents: Plan of investigationIdentification and evaluation of sourcesEvaluation of sourcesAnalysisConclusionAppendix PLAN OF INVESTIGATIONThe focus of this investigation will be “ To access the role of the Berlin Wall in intensifyingthe cold wa r? ” We will also analyze to what extent Berlin Wall contributed to the tensions ofcold war. The issue of the Cold War is of course much wider and encompasses other areas,but for the purposes of this investigation we will focus solely on the role of the Berlin Wall inintensifying the Cold War. The speech given in West Berlin by President John F.Kennedy on26 June 1963 and Martin Walker, The Cold War (Vintage Press, 1994) are sources ofparticular value to this investigation. On the other hand source B is a secondary source as itprovides a perspective of a third person who gives his views from the soviet perspective onthe outcome of the Berlin Wall on the Cold War. Both the sources add value to myinvestigation.IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUTATION OF SOURCES Source: From a speech given in West Berlin by President John F. Kennedy on 26 June1963th Source A is a speech delivered by John F Kennedy and its origins lie in West Berlin on 26June 1963. Germany was divided in two zones at the end of World War II by the main Alliedpowers that are, the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. Therefore,East Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union and installed a rigidly controlled communiststate. While the West Germany was shared by the other three Allies and helped rebuild thecountry as a capitalist democracy. Again, the city of Berlin was also divided in two and the West Berlin was the part of West Germany. President Kennedy visited Berlin in the 1963summers as he was greeted by the ecstatic crowds.Hence, after two years of the Berlin wallsconstruction President Kennedy visited Berlin in order to challenge the Soviet oppression aswell as to give hope to the people. Thus, he gives a speech where he criticises the repressivemeasures taken by the Soviet Union by building a wall.Source: From Martin Walker, The Cold War (Vintage Press, 1994) Source B originates from an extract of a book which was published in 1994 by Martin Wakerin which he explains his views from the Soviet perspective. The purpose of the source is togive a message that “ The Soviet Union was satisfied with the results of the Berlin w a ll .” F orthem building the wall was a solution to their problem of protecting East Germany from theinfluence of capitalism and West Berlin and the Wall closed the biggest loophole in the IronCurtain, and Berlin went from being one of the easiest places to cross from East Europe toWest Europe to being one of the most difficult. Moreover the purpose of the source is toshow a contrast how the Wall changed their living style and standard between West and EastBerlin as it clearly mentions “ their citizenship was now…imprisonm e nt” This phrase showshow the East Berliners were living like slaves in their own city compared to West Berlinerswho had the freedom and the advantages of capitalism. Krushchev's Cold War: The Inside Story of an American Adversary "Ambitious, aggressive, and impatient, Khrushchev intended to leave his imprint on theworld. This is the story of how he went about in doing it." (Fursenko, Naftali 9). The purposecan be defined in the first few lines of the book itself. The authors mostly talk regarding theCold War from Nikita Khrushchev's perspective.Alexander Fursenko as well as TimothyNaftali, are the authors of this secondary source.The significance of this source is how theauthors keep their objective in mind in telling the story with all the evidences possible butagain also tries to manage as well as maintain a solid thesis. The value of this work lies in thegreatest positive element of this particular source and that is author's access to Sovietarchives, which disclosed very valuable information of the meetings of Presidium of theCentral Committee of the Communist Party. However, Fursenko and Naftali experienced theCold War and life in Russia to its fullest before and after. This is the reason why it may affecttheir objectivity on this matter. Therefore, as they have come together to write this book itshows a certain elimination of any possible biases.EVALUATION OF SOURCESBerlin Wall was a tangible symbol of suppression. During the Cold War Berlin Wall was atangible symbol of how the human rights were suppressed by the Eastern bloc. Along withthis it also symbolized Cold War as well as the division in Europe and the World as well.Between the years 1948 and 1960 there were high possibilities another World war couldhappen on the disagreements over the city of Berlin. The main purpose of Berlin Wall whichwas built in 1961 was to separate East as well as West Berlin. However, a question was askedby Frederick Taylor; was Berlin Wall more convenient to the Western democracies ratherthan their rhetoric suggested. Many families as well as neighborhoods were divided after theBerlin Wall was built in 1961. After the World War II this wall represented very unique squalid, violent as well as very futile episodes. The relationship between the USSR and USAafter the end of World War II was named as the Cold War. Thus, Berlin Wall played asignificant role here as it showed different ideologies between the government systemsregarding the way they worked what were the views of people about them. It also symbolizedthe difference between the western democrats as well as the eastern communists. Again theinner conflict of Germany was also symbolized. Cold War came after the over – mighty Germany was freed from Kaiser and Hitler. An ironcurtain that ran through Germany between the two Cold War Germans states with a fortifiedborder. The result was that the country was losing the cream of skilled workers as well aseducated professionals. A time came when this reached to a very critical level. `nd From the year 1961 to 1989 the Wall remained erect. On 2 May 1989, Hungary took downits iron curtain after the declaration of Mikal Gorbachev that Moscow no longer wanted toth use the force in order to prevent the democratic transformation of its satellites states. At 40th anniversary celebration of East Germany on 7 October 1989 the celebration turned intoriotous protest against the current communist regime. Gorbachev had been invited in theceremony as a guest who was then asked for help. Hence, he responded as “ whoe ve r comestoo late is punished by li f e ” . This was kind of a warning which encouraged SED leaders toget rid of Honecker. Million of pe ople’ s demonstration on Alexanderplatz called for the basicfreedoms from SED which ultimately led the party leaders to resign on 8th November.th Finally on 9 November it was announced that the East Germans could move freely intoWest Germany. Hence, the Berlin Wall would separate them no longer. ANALYSISThe fall of Berlin Wall had a very vital role as well as dramatic impact on Cold War. Publichad different views on it. It was known earlier that few important changes were been done in the Soviet Union before but still the Wall between the East and West Berlin snatched Theirhome in a very convincing as well as dramatic way. According to a nationwide surveyconducted in November 1989 by Gallup/ Times Mirrorfew people did not pay any attentionto the upcoming news of opening the Berlin Wall but about fifty percent of people paid veryclose attention to each and every news of the story. The role played by Berlin Wall was veryvital in Cold War. Again the fall of Berlin Wall was also very dramatic. The then Vicepresident Larry Hugick on analyzing a national survey that he himself had conducted wrotefew lines as such: “ The political and social changes that have taken place so swiftly in Eastern Europe arebeing embraced by Americans with few reservations. Most see the democracy movement inPoland, Czech, and East Germany continuing for the foreseeable future … and … Americanspredict a better life for the people of Eastern Europe and a more peaceful wor ld.”This acted as a game changer for the public. According to Pew Research Center surveys donefor several years out of ten six Americans aged eight and above said they remember the placethey were or what were they doing when they heard of the end of physical divide between theEast and West Berlin. The Wall acted to be like an epitome of the Cold War. One of the most important factors that led to the construction of the Berlin wall thatultimately intensified the Cold War was economic. The chaos reflected between East andWest Berlin were the outcome of the contrast between East and West Germany. The wholecountry was going through this tough situation but West enjoyed its democracy and hence theperiod was known as the “ Golde n Hun g e r” . People were paid four times than in the East.Therefore, many people tried to move to the West to “ make decent wa ge s” in which manysucceeded and many failed.Political issue was the second most important aspect that pavedthe way in constructing the Berlin Wall.Reflection: The process of this investigation has certainly allowed me to use a variety of researchmethods and hence I experienced some of the challenges that are mostly faced by theHistorians. Firstly, through the primary sources, I came to appreciate that of the role of BerlinWall was very significant in the Cold War but I appreciate the difficulty of gaining accuratehistorical knowledge. The primary sources are very useful to us and it also brings us closer tothe past incidents but we should not fully rely on this in order to suggest how as well as whythe things were such at that time which brings us questions like how accurate this historicalknowledge can be. Another most important aspect that played a role in the road towards therole of Berlin Wall in Cold War was a military one. By the year 1949, Russia as well as theUnited States both had successfully detonated a nuclear bomb. "The USA was building uptactical (short-range) nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles which could reach the SovietUnion."(McCauley 53). Therefore, arms race becomes one of the key components of theAmerican-Soviet conflict. Thus, this kept both the nations constantly on their toes. Theeconomy of Russia was also threatened because of Khrushchev's re-allocations of spending.He thought, “Russia's security held the key even if the greater defense spending the lessinvestment there would be for the civilian economy and for raising living standa rds.”(McCauley 53) Therefore, it was very clear that the tension over the arms race was had to beexploded somewhere.Thus, the Berlin crisis had great potential to become a disaster. Whatwas the alternative to a nuclear wall? Khrushchev ordered the construction of a wall onBarbed wire Sunday. Conclusion Khrushchev once mentioned "in his down-to-earth language" that Berlin is “ the 'West'sba ll s” . Every time I squeeze them, the west squeals'. Throughout the Berlin crisis, the mainmessage was the battle for influence and supremacy between the Soviet Union and America,which basically dominated the Cold War. By analyzing the events that came before theconstruction of the Berlin wall, the main catalysts can be identified. Economic, political andmilitary factors ultimately led to the construction of the Berlin wall. These factors developedand evolved into a crisis that threatened to explode in one way or the other. It is generallyagreed that this was for the greater good of the world. The Speech given by PresidentKennedy is considered as one of the primary source as it escalated cold war tensions."