Berlin Airlift Dbq

During the cold war, the United States engaged in many aggressive policies both at home and abroad, in which to fight communism and the spread of communist ideas. Faced with a new challenge and new global responsibilities the U.S. needed to retain what it had fought so strongly for in World War II. It needed to contain the communist ideas pouring from the Soviet Union while preventing communist influence at home, without triggering World War III. With the policies of containment, McCarthyism, and brinkmanship, the United States hoped to effectively stop the spread of communism and their newest threat, the Soviet Union.

On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea (doc c). Communist North Korea wants to reunify with South Korea. The United States pledged to help them because they didn’t want communism to spread. General Douglas MacArthur staged a risky yet successful counter-attack at the port of Inchon. North Korean forces are routed and pushed back all the way to the Yalu River, the border of North Korea and China communist. (Doc C). Communist China than enters the war and in November of 1950. The war lasts many years and at the end of the war, there were more than 2 million deaths. This is an example of containment because Soviet power and communism were kept from

A war does not necessarily require a physical weapon to fight. From 1947 to 1991, military tension and ideological conflicts held place. Cold War is defined as a state of political hostility existing between countries, characterized by threats, violent propaganda, subversive activities, and other measures short of open warfare, in particular. The causes of the cold war between United States and the Soviet Union were the mutual distrust that had taken place in World War II, intense rivalry between the two super powers, and conflicting ideologies. The two superpowers differed in views of political and economic principles and were eager to spread their ideologies to many countries. United States were in favor of democracy and capitalism while

At the long awaited end of World War 2, Germany was divided into two pieces, one for capitalists and the other for communists. Berlin, the stronghold city of Germany at the time, was split into two pieces as well, one part for capitalists and one part for communists, all separated by the infamous Berlin wall. West Berlin was a pro-american island in a soviet sea, and when the soviet union decided to blockade any shipments into West Berlin, the United States had to take immediate action. America shipped in supplies to West Berlin by air! If it hadnt been for America and its allies supporting West Berlin, it could have easily been conquered by the surrounding communists. The Berlin Airlift displayed the fight that America put into containing communism and how hard they were willing to work to keep the red water as far away from them as possible. These diplomatic tactics saved Berlin and eventually led to the Berlin walls’ downfall, allowing the city to come together and live peacefully. This was one of the first major steps in stopping the spread of communism through

North Korea was supported by the Soviet Union while South Korea was supported by the United States. Northern korea was greatly influenced by the Soviet, “fearing that the Soviets intended to seize the entire peninsula from their position in the north, the United States quickly moved its own troops into south Korea” (National Archives). This caused the US to help South Korea from the influence of communism, but the “forces are nearly pushed off the Korean peninsula” (document C). China got involved by helping North Korea since they share a border with them, feeling aligned. This war proceeded to happen for several years until 1953. This demonstrates containment because they are trying to keep communism in only these

After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two new superpowers and as archrivals. The United States wanted to keep the Soviet Union from spreading communism by force so the United States came up with a plan of containment, which was to block the Soviet Union wherever possible to contain the spread of communism therefore beginning the Cold War. (Davidson et al., 2005)

Despite its beginnings as a logistical nightmare for the aircrews and aviators, the Berlin Airlift was effective in the role of containing the spread of communism into Berlin, while ensuring the survival of capitalism for its millions of citizens.

The Berlin Airlift was an important historical event. At the end of World War II, the United States, Great Britain, France, and Russia took control of Germany, splitting it into four zones. The U.S.S.R. took control of the East. The U.S., Britain, and France took control of zones in the West which they later combined into the Trizone. The capital city of Berlin was located in the section controlled by the Soviets, so the four powers agreed to split Belin into two sections. Just like the rest of the country, the Western Allies took control of West Berlin and the Soviets took control of East Berlin. Because the city was in the middle of the territory controlled by the Soviets, the city of West Berlin was only accessible by selected roads and railway lines. The Soviets set up checkpoints

Despite its beginnings as a logistical nightmare for the aircrews and aviators, the Berlin Airlift was extremely effective in the role of containing the spread of communism into Berlin, while ensuring the survival of capitalism for millions of its citizens.

They started to bring more goods by air then they were by ground. Now stalin is was starting get annoyed because the allies are trying to keep containment while Stalin is trying to spread communism. So he decided to build a wall in between to make sure the people of east berlin don't get influence by the allies and what they are doing. The United States launched “Operation Vittles” on June 26, with the United Kingdom and two days later with “Operation Plainfare.” Despite the desire for a peaceful resolution to the standoff, the United States also sent to the United Kingdom B-29 bombers, which were capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The beginning of the airlift proved difficult and Western diplomats asked the Soviets to seek a diplomatic solution to the impasse. The Soviets offered to drop the blockade if the Western Allies withdrew the Deutschmark from West Berlin. Even though the Allies rebuffed the Soviet offer, West Berlin’s position remained precarious, and the standoff had political consequences on the ground. In September 1948, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), the German Communist Party of the Soviet zone of occupation, marched on the Berlin City Council and forced it to adjourn. Fearing that the Western Allies might halt the airlift and cede West Berlin to the Soviets, 300,000 West Berliners gathered at the Reichstag to show

The Berlin Airlift was the result of an unexpected breakdown of alliances of the nations after World War two. Berlin was split between France, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Great Britain. The four zones joined together to form West and East Berlin. On June 25th, 1948, the Soviet Union set up a blockade around Berlin to try and force the Allies to give up their democratic government in the western part of Germany. President Truman tried to stop the blockade without violence, so he made the Truman Doctrine to lessen the chance of war.

“But there was always the risk that Russian reaction might lead to war. We had to face the possibility that Russia might deliberately choose to make Berlin the pretext for war. . .”- Harry S. Truman.

After World War II, the Allies apportioned the crushed Germany into a Soviet-possessed zone, an American-involved zone, a British-possessed zone and a French-possessed zone. Berlin, the German capital city, was found somewhere down in the Soviet zone, yet it was additionally isolated into four areas. In June 1948, the Russians closed all parkways, railways and waterways from western-involved Germany into west Berlin. This made it unimaginable for the general population who lived there to get nourishment or whatever other supplies and drove Britain, France and the U.S. out of the city for good. Rather than withdrawing from West Berlin, its partners chose to supply their segments of the city from the air. The Berlin Airlift went on for over a

The Cold War was a geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle mainly between the two superpowers, The United States of America and the USSR. Although the USSR and US were the two superpowers that initiated the conflict, other countries such as Vietnam, North and South Korea, and Cuba had major involvement in the Cold War. The US was a capitalist country while the USSR was a communist country. There are many reasons, that when combined caused the Cold War to start. Some of the most important reasons were the fear of the USSR’s expansion of communism into Eastern Europe

They wanted to drive The United States of America, The United Kingdom and France out of the city. So, in 1948, what came to be known as the Soviet Blockade was an event that aimed to starve the western Allies out of the city. The United States could have retreated and started a war. But they did not. In fact, they themselves sent food to the city of Berlin and wanted to bring it back to normal. This is because they did not want Soviet Union to gain full control over the city. They could not see this part of the city turning totally communist. This effort, known as the Berlin Airlift, lasted for more than a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin. 300,000 Berliners demonstrated for the international airlift to continue. In May 1949, The Soviets lifted the blockade, permitting the resumption of Western shipments to Berlin.