Which barrier was erected by East Germany in 1961 to prevent citizens from fleeing to the West?

• A. Berlin Airlift
• B. Berlin Wall
• C. Bonus Army
• D. Black Codes

Answer: (B)

The barrier built by East Germany in 1961 to stop people from fleeing to the West is the Berlin Wall. It was a concrete, guarded boundary that divided East and West Berlin during the Cold War, aimed at halting mass emigration and demonstrating the political divide between communist East and democratic West. Its presence symbolized the broader struggle between two worldviews and lasted until its fall in 1989. The other options don’t fit this event: the Berlin Airlift was a 1948–49 effort to supply West Berlin by air during a Soviet blockade, not a physical barrier; the Bonus Army was a 1932 U.S. protest by veterans; Black Codes were restrictive laws in the American South after the Civil War.