All About - History - Nero - Rome's Deadliest tyrant
All About History offers a energizing and entertaining alternative to the academic style of existing titles. The key focus of All About History is to tell the wonderful, fascinating and engrossing stories that make up the world’s history.
All About History offers a energizing and entertaining alternative to the academic style of existing titles. The key focus of All About History is to tell the wonderful, fascinating and engrossing stories that make up the world’s history.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Germany, 1960s<br />
In the dark, looming shadows of World War II<br />
Germany has been bu<br />
<strong>All</strong>ies – a corner for th<br />
Americans and Russia<br />
a portion of Berlin. Divid<br />
and West Germany face<br />
different fates. The West<br />
grown and prospered, w<br />
the East – under the USS<br />
communist regime – spi<br />
into concrete oblivion. E<br />
Berlin has fallen victim<br />
communism too. Howev<br />
with direct access to the<br />
capitalist West mere<br />
footsteps away, East<br />
Berlin has become an<br />
escape route for millions<br />
As the amount of<br />
migrants continued to ri<br />
tempers of the German<br />
leaders. Infuriated, they<br />
wall. In total secrecy, 10<br />
has been erected, blocking the path from East to<br />
West. As of 12 August 1961 – and until the wall’s fall<br />
on 9 November 1989 – free movement is illegal.<br />
FIG<br />
Checkpoint<br />
Charlie<br />
Did you know?<br />
The West Deutsche<br />
mark is worth five<br />
times as much<br />
as the Eastern<br />
Deutsche mark<br />
East Berlin<br />
West Berlin<br />
The Berlin Wall<br />
Keep up appearances.<br />
Whether you’re plotting<br />
againsttheGDRornot,keep<br />
going to work daily and don’t grumble<br />
– the Stasi are everywhere.<br />
Sign up for your Trabant<br />
immediately. The popular<br />
GDR car has waiting lists of<br />
up to 15 years long, so don’t leave it<br />
too late.<br />
Keep your eyes peeled for<br />
escape tunnels. There are<br />
about 71 to be found along<br />
thewall,and20percentofthosewill<br />
lead to freedom.<br />
Applyforapassifyou<br />
needtovisitfamilyin<br />
West Berlin in an<br />
emergency. Nopass,noaccessto<br />
West Berlin.<br />
WHERE TO STAY<br />
You will be relatively safe in most parts of<br />
East Berlin, but if you’re plotting your escape,<br />
then be sure to take up residence in a tall<br />
building near the wall. That way, you’ll be<br />
able to observe the guards and organise your<br />
plan. From here, you might even be able to<br />
FIG.02<br />
take inspiration from Horst Klein, an acrobat<br />
inEastBerlinwhotightrope-walkedhisway<br />
tofreedomin1963.Youmightneedtoget<br />
yourself an ally on the other side of the wall,<br />
butplentyofWestBerlinersarehappytohelp<br />
their escaping Eastern counterparts.<br />
Expect to be allowed into<br />
West Berlin, even if you do<br />
have a pass. Entryisatthe<br />
whim of the checkpoint guards.<br />
TrytoescapeEastBerlin<br />
by climbing the wall.<br />
Sandwiched between the<br />
two barbed-wire fences is the ‘death<br />
strip’, a gauntlet with snipers, trip<br />
wiresandtrapstokillyou.<br />
Whinge about your<br />
situation. The Stasi are<br />
always listening, so be sure<br />
towatchwhatyousay.<br />
Leave without provisions.<br />
Even if you are let into<br />
West Berlin as a pensioner,<br />
you probably won’t be able to afford<br />
anything when you’re there. You’re<br />
only allowed to exchange a very small<br />
amount of money.<br />
58
Change language