1941-1991 The Cold War

1948-1949 Berlin Blockade/Berlin Crisis/Berlin Airlift

Summary

The Berlin Blockade (1948 June – 1949 May) was:

1. A reaction to Western developments in Berlin seen as unfavourable to Soviets
2. An economic blockade enacted via military means in protest of Bizonia and other Western actions, on rails and roads

The Soviets hoped that this would lead to:

1. Western capitulation in Berlin, either leaving or surrendering, allowing Stalin to seize Germany in its entirety
2. Western powers forced back to the negotiation table for terms more favourable to the Soviets

It resulted in:

1. Reinforcement & hardening of Western perceptions of the USSR and its expansionist policy → heightened tensions between Western and Eastern Europe
2. Solidified East/West divide → contributing to the formation of Eastern & Western blocs
3. The Cold War gaining a military angle, no longer limited to ideology (involvement of NATO in response to Stalin’s troops)

• a reaction to Western developments in Berlin seen as unfavourable to Soviets
  • 1948 June: introduction of the Deutschmark to West Berlin (currency reform)
    • indicative of economic + political divide of Berlin – East vs West divide
    • indicative of Western attempts to revive German economy
• an ==economic blockade== enacted via military means in protest of Bizonia, on rails and roads
  • targeted resources entering areas in Berlin under Western occupation
• USSR hoped this would lead to:
  1. Western capitulation in Berlin, either via leaving or surrender, allowing Stalin to seize it in its entirety
  2. Western powers forced back to the negotiation table for terms more favourable to the Soviets
• Stalin’s actions threatened the order and security of West Berlin
  • reinforced & hardened Western perceptions of the USSR, that it was expansionist and aggressive → further heightened tensions between East and West Europe → resulted in the creation of NATO (military proven to be a stabilising force in such conflict) → Cold War of contending spheres of influence moves from ideological to military
    • arguably brought the world closer to war & destabilised it
• militarisation of the cold war – involvement of NATO due to Stalin’s use of force
  • it was previously simply geopolitical tension without military involvement
• division in Germany mirrored Europe’s division
  • hastened & solidified Germany’s separatoin
• test of containment – a tentative success?

International response: The Berlin Airlift (aka Operation Vittles)

• the West sought to avoid military escalation → targeted efforts towards supplying W. Berlin with 2.25m inhabitants
  • the airlift delivered essentials – food, medicine, fuel, coal → sustained the city through the winter
• 📈 at its peak, a plane landed at the Templehof & Tegel Airports approximately every minute
• capacity steadily increased until tonnage exceeded what was previously delivered by land → Allies could sustain this operation indefinitely
  • essentially, removing Stalin's leverage
• symbolically, the airlift represented Western commitment to democracy & resistance to Soviet expansionism → winning the propaganda war, bolstering morale of W. Berliners
• 1949 12 May: Soviets lifted the blockade, realizing it was unsuccessful

​Factors (for essay/SBQ)

• disagreements over wartime conferences – 1945 Potsdam Conference, 1945 Yalta Conference
• [] [1947 Truman Doctrine]]
• [] [1947 Marshall Plan]]
• [] [1949 Formation of NAT]