For thirty years an Iron Curtain stretched across Germany. This Iron Curtain was called the Berlin Wall and represented the divide between East and West Germany. It also represented East Germany's loss of freedom and democracy. The Berlin Wall separated families and friends. This led to children growing up fatherless and wives losing all communication with their husbands. The Berlin Wall seriously affected many people and businesses and caused a bad mark in the history of Germany. After the end of World War II, Germany was in a horrible state. America would transport all types of supplies at an average of one plane every three minutes (Levy 11). America, Great Britain and France created three zones with democratic governments in Germany. In each area, officials will work to help govern and rebuild. In Russia, the Soviet Union also wanted a piece of Germany. The Soviet Union was an extreme communist government and had a dictator named Joseph Stalin. The Soviet Union had pushed communism to European countries such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary and other small countries. In 1947 the Soviet Union began to take control of Germany. They took control of about half of Germany, including half of Berlin. West Germany not only relied on East Germany for economic supplies and aid, but also relied on West Germany. Joseph Stalin believed that if he severed all connections between the now divided Germany, America, Britain and France would be expelled. Therefore, on June 23, 1948, Stalin ordered all land roads to Berlin from the west to be cut off (tax 13). This was known as the German blockade. However, less than a year later, Stalin ended the blockade because he was unable to push the Western government... middle of paper... a million people protested in the streets across Germany. Krenz no longer thought the Berlin Wall was necessary and planned to allow freedom of travel on November 10. Shortly before midnight on November 9, the gates of the Berlin Wall were finally opened after nearly thirty years. East Germans passed through the gates, and East Germans were granted exit visas free of charge and upon request (Taylor 312). Families and friends were finally disbanded and Germany was free. It took about a year and a half to finally remove the entire Berlin Wall. The demolition of the Berlin Wall was like the representation of the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, its end has become a sign of freedom and democracy. Almost twenty years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the event remains imprinted in history books around the world.