The Division of Germany as a symbol of the Cold War

LESSON 1

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YOUR GOALS:

-The Post – War Agreement in Germany 
-The Berlin Crisis and the Creation of the FRG and GDR
-The economic, political and social situation in the FRG and in the GDR
-The Autumn of Nations in Germany and fall of the Wall

Before the lesson:

Ask your family members about the Berlin Wall and division of Germany (personal stories of parents/grandparents, memories about The East and The West Germany).

Go to https://www.1989.centropa.org Get a look, do some research.

The World War II and bipolar world.

Look at the maps.
Do you remember the agreements of the Potsdam Conference?
What was a situation of Germany after the WWII?
Why Berlin was 'the island in the red Sea’?

WORKING GROUPS:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Present your answers and conclusions during the next lesson.

LESSON 2

SHORT REVIEW

POST-ITS!
Write short information related to life in Germany States and put them in right places. Discuss.

LET’S PRESENT YOUR TASKS

CONCLUSION

Is the division of Germany a symbol of Cold War?

Why wall is the symbol?

What does it symbolize?

The wall:
-separated families, friends, and lovers.
-was built to prevent people from the Eastern Bloc from escaping to the West.
-was not only a physical barrier but also a psychological one (people lost their homes and their jobs) .
-was a result of political tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western powers, which had been growing since the end of World War II.

For this reasons, the wall became a symbol of the Cold War and the division of Europe. The fall of the wall was a significant moment in history and marked the end of the Cold War. The fall of the wall also led to the reunification of Germany, which had been divided for almost thirty years.

HOMEWORK

Write an essay on one of the following topics:

1. Did the Berlin wall divide or unite the inhabitants of Berlin? Take a side on the problem. Give political, social and economic arguments.
2. Why could the division of Germany be considered as a manifestation of the Cold War? Justify your answer. Give political, social and economic arguments.