In what way did Berlin symbolize the USSR's ideology during the Cold War?

Berlin, particularly during the divide into East and West, served as a powerful symbol of the USSR's ideology because it was a focal point of the struggle between communism and capitalism during the Cold War. After World War II, Berlin was split into East Berlin, which became the capital of East Germany and operated under a communist regime backed by the Soviet Union, and West Berlin, which was governed by the Western Allies and represented capitalist ideals.

The presence of a strictly controlled East Berlin with its state-owned industries, planned economy, and significant suppression of personal freedoms underscored the USSR's vision of a communist society. The Berlin Wall, erected in 1961, further manifested this conflict by physically dividing the two ideologies and preventing people from fleeing the oppressive conditions of the communist regime. Therefore, East Berlin symbolized the USSR’s commitment to spreading and maintaining communism in direct opposition to the capitalist West, making it a pivotal representation of Soviet ideology during the Cold War.