Following World War II, Germany was occupied by France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States - otherwise known as the "Allies." However, the Allies faced many challenges in working together. Specifically, the former Soviet Union had a very specific idea of how Germany would be rebuilt after the war, which began to conflict with the Western Allies. Thus, Germany was split in two: with the Soviets spearheading the Deutsche Demokratischer Republik (GDR) and France, the UK, and the U.S. leading the Bundesrepublik Deutschlands (BRD). Each state established their own government, currencies, and social systems as a result. However, it became clear only a few years after 1945 that Germans favored life in the West, as many began moving out of the Eastern Bloc in mass numbers.
In 1961, a hard wall was put up between East and West Germany and the Soviet Union began strictly enforcing travel between the two states. As a result of this buildup in tensions and numerous deflections to the West, the new (Soviet controlled) government in East Germany set up armed military guards at the border wall, who were instructed to shoot anyone caught trying to cross.
