Editing Demon: Berlin (section)

====What Has Gone Before====

1163: Berlin founded by Albert "The Bear".

1902: Berlin Subway starts operations.

1923: Tempelhof Airport constructed on former Knights Templar site

1926: The Berlin Radio Tower (Funkturm) is built to transmit radio and later television signals.

1930: Pergamon Museum built.

1933: The Reichstag is burned and remains a burnt-out shell throughout the war and after.  

1936: The Berlin Olympics are held.

1937: Albert Speer becomes Chief Architect for the city and goes on a building spree.

1939: Don't Mention the War.

1940: Bombing of Berlin begins and the rest of the city begins to catch up to the Reichstag. 

1945: War ends. Victory parades.  Berlin is divided into four zones of occupation: American, Russian, British, and French.  Each zone is occupied by armed forces of that nation; it soon becomes clear that Berlin is really divided into two zones, the West and the East.  The West gets the best neighborhoods, the zoo, the train station, and the Ku'Damm shopping street. The East gets a lot of slums, the Museum Island, and Alexanderplatz, formerly the busiest town square in Europe, now a lonely and closely monitored open space.  The West gets the Brandenburg gate, but only by a hair. Berliners start to call their city "Bizonia", although there is nothing separating the zones in most places but a street and some bored soldiers.  

1948: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift: The Russians, for their own reasons, block every access point to Berlin except the airport.  West Berlin is kept alive through the heroic effort of the "air bridge" bringing in all the requirements for daily life.  After a year, the siege is lifted without comment and closely monitored roads are designated for entry into West Berlin.  The crisis leads to the Western powers merging their sectors under a unified command. 

1953: Stalin dies, Kruschev takes over as General Secretary of the Soviet Union, gives the famous "Secret Speech" on the hidden history of Stalin's reign.  

1961: Berlin Crisis.  Kruschev issues an ultimatum to the West to withdraw their troops from West Berlin.  On 12 August, the East German security service moves to close the border around the Western zone by tearing up the street, stopping pedestrians,and setting up barbed wire fences.  In downtown Berlin, there are face-to-face confrontations between Russian and American tank commanders, moving the Russian commander to exclaim "We have tanks too!"  Secret negotiations establish a new agreement: the USA will give the Soviets a free hand in East Berlin, and the Soviets won't harass West Berlin.  The tanks are withdrawn and the Cold War kicks into high gear. 

1962: The primitive barriers of the summer of 1961 are replaced with breezeblock walls and guard patrols.  Established checkpoints are built around the city with guard posts, watch towers, and dogs. 

1962: Funkturm Berlin ceases broadcasting, remains a city landmark.