BERLIN: TEST FOR THE WEST

[Music] West Berlin is not only a problem child of world politics not only a city confronted with serious difficulties not only a city divided by a Wall of Shame and of Tears West Berlin is also an active City a vital city which uh tries to uh develop this Center of Economic and cultural activities until one day artificial division of this city and this country may be overcome [Music] Communists on the Brandenburg gate in the heart of Europe along this grotesque border there is a continuous alert what does this mean for all of us and how did it happen in the 192s the Brandenburg Gates stood at the crossroads of one of Europe's busiest capitals the Temple of Berlin's life in those days famous and not unsuited to the sightseeing pace of the average tourist even then Berlin was not only the capital of the viar Republic it was the Athens of the north a center of Arts and Sciences on the continent but in the late 20s came the worldwide depression and hit Germany terribly hard no facade of normaly could hide the misery and despair that fed on mass unemployment the days of Germany's tender young Republic were numbered its enemies were already preparing to seize power the history of that tragedy is too well known so is its evil architect the man who promised his people a new order but who brought them in the entire world the chaos of [Music] War he talked of Victory when all thinking Germans knew the war was lost [Music] [Applause] by Spring 1945 Berlin was a rubble Heap on May 2nd the German forces surrendered for the first time in weeks the berliners dared to venture into the open what they saw was almost more horrible than the darkness of their sellers the Sun that spring Shone on a dead City the aid Sirens had stopped the children could play again for them peace had already come the war was won but what of the peace the victors met at Potsdam atly Great Britain Truman the United States Stalin the Soviet Union The Big Three what was to become of Germany and what of its capital Berlin 1/4 of Germany in the East was split off and put under polish and Soviet Administration until a peace treaty could be signed the rest of Germany was to be treated as an economic unit agreement on the occupation had previously been reached by the big three in the London protocol of September 1944 that agreement divided Germany into three occupation zones and into a special Berlin territory later France joined the occupation Berlin was clearly excluded from the Soviet zone on the official map that is part of the London protocol two was signed by the Soviets as well as the protocol Berlin had been conquered by Soviet troops but British and American Arms took almost half of what is now the Soviet zone a territory of 8 million people which they handed over to the Reds in accordance with the London protocol while the Soviets in turn gave up West Berlin Berlin was divided into four sectors which were however to be administered jointly access routes including three air corridors were agreed on leading through 110 Mi of the the Soviet zone four Flags flew over one nation over one city the Allied Covenant Tura governed Berlin while the Allied Control Authority concerned itself with all of Germany but the Soviets vetoed many for power actions with their net it soon became apparent that the Soviets wanted no four power responsibility in Berlin in March 19 1948 they left the Control Authority still Berlin was reborn it was the women who started the painful work they hoped their men would return from the prisoner of war camps to build a new with those bricks others comb the countryside looking for food but there was never enough to eat the Soviets refused to supply Berlin from their [Music] when the West issued a new stable currency in its sectors the Soviets blockaded all access to West Berlin the West took up the challenge General clay ordered an airlift in the next 11 months every ounce of food every pound of coal was supplied from the air there was little heat or power but where there's a will there's a way every patch of green was used to grow food though the winter was dark and cold and the berliners froze they did not give [Music] up the distinction of Victor and vanquished began to disappear that winter in the common cause of fighting the Soviet blockade the airlift continued 77 men lost their lives 41 Britain 31 Americans and five Germans at Christmas time American Airman found time to bring candy to Berlin's youngsters and then the blockade was broken the iOS were lifted the Soviets promised free even improved access to Berlin daring and persistence had saved the freedom of West Berlin by peaceful [Applause] means but during the blockade the Soviets had divided the city further communist Ries stormed the greater Berlin City Hall located in the East [Music] sector the strong armed tactics achieved their goal non-communist deputies were forced to establish their government in West Berlin where they could meet without being molested and elections could be free Not only was the city Administration split but street car lines Gas Light and Power Systems were cut in two the Reds even prohibited telephone calls between East and West Berlin June 17th 195 53 the red flag was torn down from the brandenbur gate the workers of East Berlin rose up against their communist masers as did workers all over the Soviet zone without weapons or organization with their bare fists alone the East berliners faed the heavily armed soldiers of the red regime only Soviet tanks could crush the revolt [Music] it is clear the entire Soviet zone regime rests on these tanks meanwhile free West Berlin began to rebuild with the city cut off from its natural Hinterland help had to come from the Free World America's Marshall Plan provided $1 billion West Germany supplied more billions the berliners themselves worked hard and efficiently they remade their City today West Berlin is once again Germany's most important industrial center it now produces more each year than do half the member State United Nations the most Modern urban highways in all Europe were cut through West Berlin Cur first and D is a combination of Fifth Avenue and Broadway this is C first and D the main stem of the Metropolis more typical for the Berliner are the streets of his own neighborhood the organ grinder is still a part of that scene fortunately there are many beautiful areas within the Island City woods and Fields lakes and rivers in summer the berliners flock to these spots hungry for Sun and Air but what do they find more berliners they cannot go too far just a few yards and there are the borders again only a few miles away in East Berlin is the center of communist power on German soil women in arms communist Factory brigades trained for civil war perhaps not a very Dependable Army but then there are the Russian comrades The Great Dictator Embraces the little dictator but the Germans have had enough of dictatorship they fled by the thousands to West Berlin leaving behind their homes friends and possessions an airplane ticket became their passport to a new existence in West Germany since War's end almost 4 million people fled every fourth inhabitant of the Soviet zone August 13th 1961 communist police and militia occupy the entire border around West Berlin the Communists built a wall along the Soviet sector and in violation of existing agreements split the city in two Church entrance were walled up while the street entrances in West Berlin the church itself stands in the Soviet sector witnesses to these events were unwanted the so-called people's police made every not to be photographed talking across the wall was prohibited the massive weapons on the Communist side of the sector border made armed protection on the western side essential watchtowers and death strips cut through the woods Mark where communist rule Begins the Communists surrounded the entire city with barbed wire to seal off West Berlin as an escape hatch at first one could still wave between east and west east berliners who live near the border were forcibly driven from their homes in this task too the communist s disliked Witnesses but not even tear Gast could hide the truth many dramatic last minute flights took place from houses that border on West berin territory for the mass of East berliners and East Germans there is no way out of their giant red prison even for the wedding of their daughter in West Berlin the parents could only wave from a distance there were last good buys across the barbed wire under the eyes of the Communist guards and then double and triple walls were built to prevent the last contacts the guards were also forced to watch each other even for them Escape is not easy at a border cemetery West berliners encouraged this young guard to follow his conscience at first he was afraid then he saw his chance and took it every flight is at the risk of death and sometimes death is the winner to call attention to their plight and that of their brothers in the East the people of West Berlin gathered soon after August 13th in a mass demonstration the people of the Free World heard the call Vice President Johnson came and assured the berliners that to the survival and the creative future of this city we Americans pledge Our lives our fortunes and and our sacred honor General clay came too the father of the airlift the next day American and British reinforcements came for their garrisons in Berlin it was more a symbolic reinforcement but the berliners saw that they were not to be abandoned the berliners know that Western strength is their only protection [Applause] the West knows this and is united in its determination to defend freedom in West Berlin and throughout the [Music] world it isn't enough us to sign agreements it is absolutely essential to have the assurances that these agreements will be rigorously adhered to there is a dangerous crisis in Berlin and there is it is because of threats against the vital interests and the Deep commitments of the western powers and the freedom of West Berlin we cannot yield these interests we cannot fail these commitments we cannot surrender the freedom of these people for whom we are responsible for there is no need for a crisis over Berlin threatening the peace and if those who created this crisis desire peace There Will Be Peace and Freedom in Berlin [Music]