In 1952, the East German government closed the border with West Germany, but the border between East and West Berlin remained open. In 1949, Germany formally split into two independent nations: the Federal Republic of Germany (FDR or West Germany), allied to the Western democracies, and the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany), allied to the Soviet Union. (Over time, another wall was built to secure West Berlin's external border with the GDR. Initially, the Wall sealed off the Soviet sector of the city (i.e., East Berlin) from the three Western sectors (West Berlin). Germany became a focus of Cold War politics and as divisions between East and West became more pronounced, so too did the division of Germany. This map shows the impact of the building of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961. The relationship between the former wartime Allies, although tense from as early as 1942, became increasingly strained as they struggled to reach agreement on the shape of post-war Europe.īy 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union had begun to emerge as ideologically opposed 'superpowers', each wanting to exert their influence in the post-war world. (Over time, another wall was built to secure West Berlins external border with the GDR. Franais : Carte du mur de Berlin avec les points de contrle. This photograph shows British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, American President Harry Truman and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at the Potsdam Conference on 23 July 1945. This map shows the impact of the building of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961. English: Map of the Berlin Wall, showing checkpoints.

Berlin wall map