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The Berlin Wall was erected between West and East Berlin. During the summer of
1961, a substantial number of East Germans had fled to the West through East
Berlin. In August, the Soviet Union closed the Brandenburg Gate and sealed off
the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin to stop the flow
of refugees.
Partly because of the tense Berlin situation, President Kennedy asked Congress
for a major increase in the U.S. defense budget. Kennedy requested more
intercontinental ballistic missiles, more nuclear submarines, and more funds
for civil defense.
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