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Special edition of “BZ” about the construction of the Wall

© Archiv Bundesstiftung Aufarbeitung

The world held its breath. Would the West tolerate the massive operation at the most sensitive point of the “Iron Curtain”? Indeed, Willy Brandt was publicly criticising the closing of the border and referred to it on 13^th August as an “outrageous injustice”, but could do little more than to call the protecting powers.²⁷

The break with the Four-Power-Agreement by the Soviet Union was also a blow to Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the FRG. He made sure not to lose sight of the goal to reunify.²⁸

Adenauer, however, came under criticism for his restraint, especially since he assured the Soviet Union that he would not take any steps that might further strain relations between the Federal Republic and the USSR and worsen the international situation. The situation was tense and fears grew that the outbreak of war was imminent. 300,000 citizens of Berlin gathered in front of Rathaus Schöneberg (in the West) on 16^th August 1961. They called for serious action to be taken by the western powers and safeguards for West Berlin. The Allies had hardly reacted and anything they had done in reaction was only by means of verbal protest. The people’s discontent was evident on the banners: appeals such as “70 hours without action – doesn’t the West know what to do?” or “Paper protests don’t stop tanks”²⁹ made clear the fears of having been abandoned by the West. Willy Brandt wrote a letter to the American President in which he wrote “Berlin expects more than words, Berlin expects political action”. Addressing the East, “all functionaries of the zonal regime, all officers and enlisted men”, Brandt appealed in his speech: “Don’t be made fools of! Display human behaviour wherever possible and above all do not shoot at your own people!”