The World and Its People

"The Cold War"

Introduction
In this chapter, you learned about events in the modern history of Europe, from the Industrial Revolution to two World Wars to widespread political and economic revolutions. After World War II, much of Europe was exhausted and in ruins. The total defeat of Germany, Italy, and Japan left a power gap that would be filled by the United States and the Soviet Union. These two countries engaged in a global competition called the Cold War. The Cold War lasted from the late 1940s to the early 1990s. In this activity, you will take a closer look at one symbol of the Cold War-the Berlin Wall.

Destination Title: The Berlin Wall

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Directions
Start at the Newseum Web site exhibit on the Berlin Wall.

• Click on The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall.
• Click on and read the information under each link on the right of the screen, from Before the Wall to Living with the Wall.
• Use what you have learned to answer the following questions.

1			Why did the communist government build the Berlin Wall?
2			What did the West Germans call the wall?
3			About how many East Germans tried to escape to the West? How many were successful? How many died?
4			Despite the wall, how did East Germans learn about the West?
5			Although people in East Berlin were not permitted even to go near the Berlin Wall, the residents of West Berlin covered the wall with words and drawings that expressed their feelings about the wall, the government, and their friends and family on the other side. Imagine that you live in West Berlin during the period of separation. Decorate a piece of paper or a poster board as you might have decorated a section of the Berlin Wall.