世界史关键时刻·英语30篇（2）

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柏林墙升起：分裂变为 concrete

At midnight on August 13, 1961, East German soldiers began laying barbed wire and bricks along the border inside Berlin.
Within days, a crude barrier evolved into a fortified wall with guard towers, anti-vehicle trenches, and a ‘death strip’ lined with sand to track footprints.
East Germany claimed it was an ‘anti-fascist protection rampart’, but its true purpose was stopping mass defections—over 3.5 million had fled since 1949.
West Berliners watched in shock as families were suddenly separated, and commuters found themselves trapped on the wrong side.
The U.S., UK, and France reaffirmed their legal right to remain in West Berlin but avoided direct confrontation with Soviet forces.
Over 28 years, at least 140 people died trying to cross—some shot, others drowned or electrocuted—while thousands succeeded via tunnels or daring escapes.
Western media broadcast images of the wall globally, turning it into a symbol of ideological division and human longing for freedom.
Diplomats negotiated small openings, like Checkpoint Charlie, where visitors exchanged greetings—and sometimes whispered plans for escape.
When protests grew across Eastern Europe in 1989, East German officials mistakenly announced open borders—triggering spontaneous celebrations that night.
By dawn on November 10, people chipped away at the wall with hammers and joyfully danced atop its crumbling segments.