New
New
Year 11
AQA

Construction of the Berlin Wall

I can explain the causes, events and consequences of the construction of the Berlin Wall.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

Construction of the Berlin Wall

I can explain the causes, events and consequences of the construction of the Berlin Wall.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. East Germany suffered from a 'brain drain'.
  2. Khrushchev produced the Berlin Ultimatum in 1958.
  3. The USSR constructed the Berlin Wall in 1961.
  4. The USA did not attempt to block the construction of the Berlin Wall.
  5. The USA used the Berlin Wall as a symbol in its propaganda.

Keywords

  • 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

  • Propaganda - information, especially of a biased nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view

  • Espionage - acts related to spying

  • Ultimatum - a demand that if rejected will bring about an end of peaceful talks and could lead to forceful action

  • Unilaterally - a way of acting or making important decisions alone and without waiting for others to agree

Common misconception

The USA fought to prevent the construction of the Berlin Wall.

The USA believed that the construction of the wall meant they would no longer be threatened in West Berlin and used it as a valuable propaganda symbol.

Ask students: who benefitted most from the construction of the Berlin Wall? You may push students to consider the relative importance of Berlin to each superpower (i.e. whose sphere of influence was it in?) and aims prior to the construction of the wall to help make their judgements.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing word. is information, especially of a biased nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
Correct Answer: Propaganda, propaganda
Q2.
Which of the following countries was communist?
France
UK
USA
Correct answer: USSR
Q3.
Other than the Soviet Union, whcich other country was considered a superpower during the Cold War?
France
Germany
UK
Correct answer: USA
Q4.
Which country was divided and occupied at the end of WW2?
Britain
France
Correct answer: Germany
Italy
Spain
Q5.
Which city was blockaded by the USSR from 1948-49?
Correct answer: Berlin
Budapest
Prague
Vienna
Q6.
Staring with the earliest, sort the following into chronological order.
1 - Potsdam Conference
2 - Berlin Blockade
3 - East and West Germany formed
4 - West Germany joined NATO
5 - U-2 Crisis

6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing keyword. A person has acted if they make a decision by themselves without trying to gain other people's approval first.
Correct Answer: unilaterally, Unilaterally
Q2.
Write the missing word. Germany suffered from a refugee problem and 'brain drain' during the 1950s.
Correct Answer: East, east
Q3.
Which country took the decision to construct the Berlin Wall?
East Germany
West Germany
USA
Correct answer: USSR
Q4.
Write the missing word. In October 1961, there was an armed standoff between US and Soviet tanks in Berlin at Checkpoint .
Correct Answer: Charlie, charlie
Q5.
Which statement is most accurate?
The USA supported the construction of the Berlin Wall.
The USA fought to block the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Correct answer: The USA criticised but accepted the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - East and West German states founded
2 - 3 million East Germans fled to the West
3 - Khrushchev issued his Berlin Ultimatum
4 - Summit meetings failed to deliver a diplomatic agreement over Berlin's future
5 - USSR built the Berlin Wall

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