November 9 celebrates the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, aka the Iron Curtain, which was erected in order to divide Soviet-occupied East Berlin from the Allied West and its accused "fascism". After World War II, the West did not impress the machine of Communism; the Soviet movement of which believed that riches of aristocracy and democratic hierarchy were a threat to their freedom, with capitalism being precursor to imperialism and specifically U.S. Capitalism being a uniquely powerful threat.
Before long, many Berliners of the socialist East would flee Communism, via Berlin's last gate, in defection from new leadership of the Soviets. The capitalist, democratic West simply offered greater promise of livelihood to these people who would only experience greater restrictions over a decade of increasing blockades to their freedom. Ultimately, the Berlin Wall was fully enforced and all movement Westward was stopped in an effort to maintain the working and productive populations of communist East Berlin.
After approximately 30 years of post-World War II strife that often resulted in death to those who would attempt to flee East Berlin, the Iron Curtain was taken down in the Revolutions of 1989 and the Fall of Communism. Spurred in part by the Chernobyl disaster, Caucasus, Baltic and other Eastern Bloc states desired autonomy from Russia and its single-party Soviet focus. Such social changes in politics eroded the power of the Soviet influence and, whether via the people or the system itself, the wall was brought down.
Writing Prompt Questions:
- Was there victory in communism with the erection of the Berlin Wall?
- Had the threat of communism faded at the time that the Berlin Wall was deconstructed in 1989?
- Is there a threat of communism today?
- How would you exemplify World Freedom Day?
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