What was checkpoint charlie

After the refusal of the GDR border guards to let representatives of the allied forces enter East Berlin freely, 16 hours of direct confrontation between American and Soviet tanks took place, leaving the whole world fearing the threat of a new war. If President Kennedy's diplomacy fortunately allowed the worst to be avoided, Checkpoint Charlie would become a true symbol of the 30 years of Cold War that would follow.

Since the fall of the Wall in , the site has attracted many tourists who come to visit the Museum of the Wall and take photos of themselves among the uniformed figures in front of a reproduction of the first Allied guardhouse. The third of three crossing points between East and West in and around Berlin, the name Charlie comes from 'C' in the Nato phonetic alphabet. The other points were Alpha and Bravo Connected the American Zone, one of three allied zones in West Berlin, with Soviet-occupied East Berlin First came to prominence during a standoff between US and Soviet tanks in October , shortly after the Wall was constructed Became a famous symbol of the Cold War and the divided city Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, it has become one of the city's prime tourist attractions, combining some remnants of the border crossing with reconstructions.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Archive: Brian Hanrahan reports on the rapid developments that led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Related Topics. Germany Berlin Wall Berlin. Published 26 November Checkpoint Charlie. Information wall at Checkpoint Charlie. Wall memorial at Checkpoint Charlie.

Nearby to the former border crossing at Checkpoint Charlie you can find out more about the Berlin Wall: in the informative museum, in the panorama of an autumn day in or with a fast-paced tour in a Trabant along where the wall used to be. I agree to have maps from Google Maps displayed to me. Details can be found in our privacy policy. Both American and Soviet tanks were lined up here, ready to fire at each other.

It happened following a dispute as to whether the GDR guards were permitted to examine the travel documents belonging to an American diplomat, Allan Lightner. The gridlock lasted for six long days and attracted international attention as the Cold War was briefly on the brink of turning hot. Luckily for everyone involved, it was peaceably diffused. In , the death of the year-old East Berliner Peter Fechter occurred at the Checkpoint as he attempted to climb over the wall and was subsequently shot by GDR guards before making it to the other side.

This incident caused much protest and controversy. Since reunification, it has been possible to visit the Checkpoint where an adjoining museum was created following the fall of the Wall.