1961 Berlin Crisis

The 1961 Berlin Crisis was a significant conflict during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union over the status of Berlin, which was divided into East and West. Tensions escalated when East Germany built the Berlin Wall in August 1961 to stop East Germans from fleeing to the West. This wall symbolized the division of Europe and the ideological struggle between communism and democracy. The crisis highlighted the dangers of the Cold War, as both superpowers faced off, but ultimately it ended without direct military confrontation, solidifying the divide in Berlin for decades.