These Photos Of History Will Change How You View The World

Berlin: A Capital Divided

Following the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones between the U.S., France, Britain, and the USSR. The German capital of Berlin was thus divided into occupation sectors, although it was located in the Soviet zone. Eventually, the U.S., France, and Britain united their occupation zones into the Federal Republic of Germany in 1948. The Federal Republic of Germany made up West Germany, while the remaining eastern side was still under Soviet rule. The Soviets responded by putting up a land blockade between east and west with the hope that the Allied forces would abandon Berlin. They did not and many eastern Germans escaped to the more liberal West Germany through West Berlin, causing Nikita Kruschev to put up a wall to prevent more people from crossing over.