Starter quiz
- Complete the sentence: By 1958, over three million people had left ______ Germany via Berlin to live in West Germany.
- 'East' ✓
- Which keyword describes someone who has been forced to leave their home country because of war, persecution, natural disaster, or violence, and seeks safety in another country?
- 'refugee' ✓
- Put the following events in chronological order.
- 1⇔Geneva Summit
- 2⇔Camp David Summit
- 3⇔Paris Summit
- 4⇔Vienna Summit
- Complete the sentence with the same keyword: By the late 1950s, West Germany was a ______ country with a high standard of living in comparison to East Germany which was far less ______.
- 'prosperous' ✓
- Which statement correctly describes Khrushchev's demand in the Berlin Ultimatum (1958)?
- Khrushchev demanded that the Western powers leave West Berlin completely
- Khrushchev demanded that the Western powers remove their troops from West Berlin ✓
- Khrushchev demanded that the Western powers recognise East Germany
-
- Match the country to its later name.
- The German Federal Republic⇔West Germany ✓
- The German Democratic Republic⇔East Germany ✓
Exit quiz
- Complete the sentence: Escalating tensions after the ______ led to an increase in people attempting to leave East Germany.
- Geneva Summit
- Camp David Summit
- Paris Summit
- Vienna Summit ✓
-
- Which keyword describes someone who makes sure that rules are followed when people and goods cross from one country to another or someone who protects the borders of a country?
- 'border guard' ✓
- Complete the quote using a keyword: Khrushchev claimed that the Berlin Wall was “guarding the gates of ______ paradise”.
- 'socialist' ✓
- How much did Kennedy increase US military spending by following the Vienna Summit?
- $1.5 billion
- $2.5 billion
- $3.5 billion ✓
-
- What do Conrad Schumann, Waltraud and Erika Kopp and Hans-Peter Dünnhaupt all have in common?
- They all attempted to escape East Berlin before the Berlin Wall was built
- They all attempted to escape East Berlin as the Berlin Wall was being built ✓
- They all attempted to escape East Berlin once the Berlin Wall had been built
-
- Which of the following were consequences of the Berlin Wall?
- Khrushchev was forced to accept that West Berlin was under Western control ✓
- East Germans were still able to move freely between East and West Berlin
- West Berlin became a symbol of freedom and defiance against communism ✓
- Meant that the superpowers were more likely to go to war over Berlin
- Meant that the superpowers were less likely to go to war over Berlin ✓
-
Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Escalating tensions after the Vienna Summit (June 1961) led to an increase in people attempting to leave East Germany.
- In August 1961, to stop people leaving East Berlin, East Germany began to build what would become the Berlin Wall.
- The Berlin Wall made it extremely difficult and dangerous to move between East Berlin and West Berlin.
- The Berlin Wall confirmed the division of Berlin and Germany between East and West until it fell in 1989.
- The Berlin Wall reduced the chance that the superpowers would go to war over Berlin and temporarily reduced tensions.
Common misconception
Some people underestimate the length of the Berlin Wall and believe that it only divided the city of Berlin.
The Berlin Wall divided the city of Berlin but it also encircled the city. The iconic stretch of wall that divided Berlin was approximately 26 miles in length. The total length of the Berlin Wall was approximately 96 miles.
Keywords
Summit - a meeting between leaders to discuss significant issues or make important decisions
Refugee - someone who has been forced to leave their home country because of war, persecution, natural disaster, or violence, and seeks safety in another country
Border guard - someone who makes sure that rules are followed when people and goods cross from one country to another; someone who protects the borders of a country
Socialist - relating to a system of government where all property is owned by the community and resources are shared equally
Symbol - something that is used to represent something else