tito was the leader of the soviet union when the berlin wall was built.
who was the leader of the soviet union when the berlin wall was built?
tito
in 1975 he was sent back to berlin where he served a second stint as soviet ambassador to the german democratic republic, remaining in post this time till 1983. his years as ambassador were not without soviet-east german tensions. during the early 1960s the soviet leader, nikita khrushchev was interested in exploring a less confrontational relationship with the west while the east german leader, walter ulbricht, remained uncompromisingly hard-line in his attitude to the west in general and in his country's relationship with west germany specifically. the decision suddenly to erect the berlin wall in august 1961 was naturally taken by the east germans in full consultation with the soviet ambassador. from the east german perspective the wall represented a necessary desperate attempt to save the state which appeared to be in the process of losing its entire working age population. with abrassimov as soviet ambassador in berlin, walter ulbricht, who had earlier enjoyed close relations with soviet leader josef stalin, found he enjoyed far less direct contact with the soviet leadership in moscow. in 1963/64, when ulbricht moved to control air traffic flying into west berlin, it was abrassimov who prevented the move. he actively opposed east german reluctance to conclude a belated post war peace treaty with west germany, and in 1966 set up direct links with willy brandt, then the mayor of west berlin, without telling the leadership of the east german ruling sed (party). abrassimov also participated regularly in meetings of the east german cabinet, something which had never happened when mikhail pervukhin was the soviet ambassador. the relationship between the soviet ambassador and the east german leadership did not improve with the appointment of a new east german leader, erich honecker, in 1971. during the 1980s abrassimov's growing propensity to meet regularly with western ambassadors to berlin without reference to his east german host government did not help matters. in 1983 he was seen to be becoming ever more paternalistic and autocratic in his ambassadorial office, and following the death of leonid brezhnev at the end of 1982, honecker managed to persuade moscow to replace abrassimov because of the extent of his "interference in east german domestic politics".
peter abrassimov
berlin wall monument (chicago)





















































the berlin wall monument in chicago is an exhibit on display at the western brown line cta station. the monument contains a large segment of the berlin wall and a plaque describing its dedication to the city. the berlin wall represented one of the great political, economic, and ideological divides of the twentieth century between two major powers: the united states and the soviet union.





















































section::::background.





















































"see also: world war ii, the cold war, berlin wall"
berlin wall monument (chicago)