After World War II, communist governments were set up in Eastern Europe,
base on the Soviet political model. From 1945 to 1990, military,
political, and ideological barriers dramatically divided the Soviet bloc
nations from western Europe. This division was referred to as the
"Iron Curtain".
In August of 1961, the East German government built a wall between East
and West Berlin to halt large numbers of defections and to prevent East
Berliners commuting to the West. It was later extended along the
entire border between East Germany and West Germany.
The Berlin wall was one of the most visible signs of the cold war and has
become a symbol of the Iron Curtain and totalitarianism.
Construction of the Berlin Wall - August, 1961
