Editing Inner German border (section)

===1945–52: the "Green Border"===
In the early days of the occupation, the Allies controlled traffic [[interzonal traffic|between the zones]] to manage the flow of refugees and prevent the escape of former [[Nazi]] officials and intelligence officers.<ref>[[#Stacy|Stacy (1984)]], p. 6.</ref> These controls were gradually lifted in the Western zones, but were tightened between Western and Soviet zones in 1946 to stem a flow of economic and political refugees from the Soviet zone.<ref>[[#Stacy|Stacy (1984)]], p. 9.</ref> Between October 1945 and June 1946, 1.6&nbsp;million Germans left the Soviet zone for the west.<ref>[[#Stacy|Stacy (1984)]], p. 8.</ref>

The east–west interzonal border became steadily more tense as the relationship between the Western Allies and the Soviets deteriorated.<ref>[[#Stacy|Stacy (1984)]], p. 31–32.</ref> From September 1947, an increasingly strict regime was imposed on the eastern Soviet zone boundary. The number of Soviet soldiers on the boundary was increased and supplemented with border guards from the newly established East German ''[[Volkspolizei]]'' ("People's Police"). Many unofficial crossing points were blocked with ditches and barricades.<ref>[[#Stacy|Stacy (1984)]], p. 40.</ref> The West Germans also stepped up security with the establishment in 1952 of the Federal Border Protection force of 20,000 men;&nbsp;– the ''[[Bundesgrenzschutz]]'', or BGS&nbsp;– however, Allied troops (the British in the north, the Americans in the south) retained responsibility for the military security of the border.<ref>[[#Stacy|Stacy (1984)]], pp. 67, 69.</ref>

The boundary line was nonetheless still fairly easy to cross. Local inhabitants were able to maintain fields on the other side, or even to live on one side and work on the other. Refugees were able to sneak across or bribe the guards, and the smuggling of goods in both directions was rife.<ref name="Berdahl">[[#Berdahl|Berdahl (1999)]], p. 144.</ref> The flow of emigrants remained large despite the increase in East German security measures: 675,000&nbsp;people fled to West Germany between 1949 and 1952.<ref name="Cramer-15">[[#Cramer|Cramer (2008)]], p. 15.</ref>
<div class="center">{{Gallery
|title=Phases of development of the inner German border
|width=176
|height=154
|Bundesarchiv Bild 183-N0415-365, Grenze zwischen Thüringen und Bayern bei Asbach.jpg|The border before fortification: inter-zonal barrier near Asbach in Thuringia, 1950
|Innerdeutsche Grenze Priwall 1961.jpg|Inner German border at [[Priwall Peninsula|Priwall]] ([[Baltic Sea]] [[coast]]), July 1961
|East German border 1962 full.jpg|The newly strengthened border in 1962 in the [[Borderland Museum Eichsfeld|Eichsfeld]] region, with barbed-wire fences, watchtowers and minefields
}}</div>