In 1961, Berlin was in chaos. About 3 million East Germans, which was about 20% of the population at the time, fled into West Berlin in fear of Communist rule. These refugees advertised the failure of East Germany's Communist government. Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, wanted to stop people from leaving East Germany. In a meeting at Vienna, Austria, Khrushchev threatened to close all access roads to Berlin, however, President Kennedy still refused to back down. President Kennedy later told the nation that Berlin was "the great testing place of Western courage and will." President Kennedy pledged to stay in Berlin, saying, "[W]e cannot and will not permit the Communists to drive us out of Berlin." Khrushchev, with nothing left to do, started the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961. In days, an enormous Berlin Wall was erected, separating East Germany from West Germany. The Berlin Wall served many purposes. It successfully reduced East Germans from escaping west, but at the same time, the Berlin Wall increased tensions as well as becoming an ugly symbol of Communist oppression.
-Lawrence
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