Berlin Wall collection [Washington, D.C. : Central Intelligence Agency, Historical Collections, 2011]
Erected literally overnight, the building of the Berlin Wall was the culmination of over a decade of escalating confrontations and contentious blockades contrived to encourage the west to abandon Berlin to the Communist Bloc. The wall was East Germany’s ultimate attempt to isolate and destroy an island of freedom. Instead of expelling the west, Berlin became ground zero in a contest of tit-for-tat brinksmanship with a serious risk of erupting into nuclear war. War was averted, but the wall dividing Berlin became a corrosive global symbol of bitter oppression that would last for nearly three decades. Includes documents, essays and overviews from the eleven U.S. Government organizations that provide the background and the political ramifications of the Wall’s construction.
Additional library resources:
Credo Reference Online - Berlin Topic Page (provides snap shot information)
World History in Context – Berlin Wall (provides in-depth information about the history of the Berlin Wall).
