According to the theory of- which became popular among european nations in the 15th and 16th centuries, a nation could increase
its wealth and power in two ways: by obtaining as much gold and silver as possible, and by establishing a favorable balance of trade, in which it sold more goods than it bought.
Mercantilism was based on the idea that the wealth of the world is static and in order for a country to be considered wealth it had to possess large amounts of silver, gold and other precious metals
- prevented people from fleeing east Berlin - perfect symbol of the “iron curtain” that separated the democratic western countries and the communist countries of Eastern Europe throughout the Cold War
