Why was the war called the cold war
American and Soviet tanks took up position and faced each other with weapons primed. Once the checkpoint was designated a crossing point for members of the Allied armed forces, a month later in October 1961 it became the scene of a tank confrontation. On 22 September 1961, Allied guards began registering members of the American, British and French forces before trips to East Berlin and foreign tourists could find out about their stay there. What happened at Checkpoint Charlie in 1961?Ĭheckpoint Charlie became the most famous crossing point between East Berlinand West Berlin. The Soviet Union as allocated to the whole of the eastern part of Berlin. 1945 the allies divided Berlin into four sectors - France controlled the north-western, England the western and the USA the south-western parts of the city. After the border crossings at Helmstedt-Marienborn (Alpha) and Dreilinden-Drewitz (Bravo), Checkpoint Charlie was the third checkpoint opened by the Allies in and around Berlin. The name Checkpoint Charlie comes from the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie). Where did Checkpoint Charlie get its name? It’s no wonder that Checkpoint Charlie is one of the sights of Berlin that you really should see.
The barrier and checkpoint booth, the flag and the sandbags are all based on the original site – and are a popular subject for photos. Located on the corner of Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße, it is a reminder of the former border crossing, the Cold War and the partition of Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie was the setting for many thrillers and spy novels, from James Bond in Octopussy to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.