On June 15th, 1948, Soviet authorities stated that the Autobahn highway would be closed indefinitely for repairs. They then proceeded to put up a blockade, thus trapping people in the city of Berlin. The Americans, French, and British were trapped on the west side of the city. After being encased in the city for days with many people, no outside trade, and a big, dangerous wall keeping you from leaving, resources began to run low. Many people turned to the black market to get the materials they needed to keep them and their families alive. The US government wanted to help its people, so they came up with a plan to deliver the resources the people in West Berlin needed. This plan became known as the Berlin Airlift. The Berlin Airlift was a military operation that delivered food, fuel, medicine, and other goods to West Berlin. The Airlift began on June 24th, 1948, and ended on May 12th, 1949. The Airlift was supposed to be short
In response to this, the side of Germany under control of the Soviet Union became the German Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany. This was one of the first steps that would divide Germany for almost 30 years.
The Berlin Wall had a major impact on humanity’s views on how society should be ruled. Berlin is the capital of Germany. After the ending of WWII, Berlin was split up into East Berlin, and West Berlin. East Berlin was communist, suffered from the repressions of the Communist Party. West Berlin had a better lifestyle, and had financial aid from the United States. From the years between nineteen forty-nine to nineteen sixty-one, approximately 2.5 million people from East Berlin escaped to West Berlin. This toll included skilled workers, professionals, and intellectuals. Because of the loss of these people, the economy in East Berlin was threatened. On August twelve-thirteen, nineteen sixty-one, the Berlin was built in order to stop the people of East Berlin from fleeing. The Berlin wall was a major point during the Cold War, and many opposed it. It gave another reason to detest communism.
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
After the conclusion of World War II, the city of Berlin was divided into two sections: East and West Berlin. The western section was divided between the three allies while the eastern portion was under Soviet control. Western Berlin had become a small hold on capitalism in a sea of Marxist communism. On 24 June 1948, the Soviet Union cut off all ground routes into the western portion of Berlin. This left approximately 2.5 million Berlin citizens without the United States supplies they had been receiving. It would also leave the roughly 6,500 western troops without ground-level support, surrounded by 16,000 soviets (Owens 70).
In June of 1948 the Soviets blockaded the western section of berlin forcing the other allies to give them the whole city. Unfortunately this did not work out for the Soviets because western allies aired in supplies such as food and coal as this continued foe months after. (PRESIDENTIAL LOST ARCHIVES: Harry Truman (720p)).
To refresh your memory, at the end of World War II, the Allied powers divided Germany into four different zones. Decided at the Potsdam Conference, each separate zone was controlled by The United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. (Rosenburg) But as the relationships between The Soviet Union and the rest of The Allied Powers quickly evaporated, aggression and power became the main focus. The United States, France, and Great Britain combined their zones, creating “West Germany”, and The Soviet controlled zoned turned into “East Germany” (Rosenburg). Being controlled by democratic nations, West Germany’s living conditions and economy were flourishing. Almost Miraculously. On the other
The original conflict that led to the Berlin blockade arose after World War II. As early as 1947, growing problems between western democracy (United States, Britain et al.) and communism (the Soviet Union), started to take definite shape as the
2. After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones. West Germany was occupied by the U.S., Britain, and France. Whereas East Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union. Berlin
A wall. A structure standing 11 feet and 8 inches tall ran through a country torn between two Government systems. A wall separating families, loved ones, neighbors,and friends. A wall is all it took to destroy a country. During the aftermath of World War II Germany was split into two separate parts and not only was the country separated but so was Berlin. Berlin Germany was separated into East and West Berlin. East being the cruel communistic state and West Berlin being a Democratic state. Otherwise known as “the loophole”, West Berlin was an escape from communism. Many people decided that communism wasn’t for them and starting pouring over into West Berlin. This angered the Soviet Union because Communism allowed everything to be controlled by the Government, this in return meant every citizen had to share the wealth upon themselves. Most fled to West Berlin because in a Democratic society you have the opportunity to grow and make your own money. The Soviet Union had, had enough, on August 13th 1961 the border between East and West Berlin has been permanently closed. The next day on August 14th 1961, the Brandenburg gate was closed. From here on, Berlin turned into horrific situation.
On June 24, 1948, the Soviets officially cut all electricity and transportation routes to and from the western zones of Berlin.22 They would remain closed for almost a year. The only reason the United States did not leave and Berliners were not starved into submission was because the United States Air Force, the Royal Air Force, and the French Air Force flew literally thousands of tons of food and fuel into the city daily. The actual events during the blockade are not important to this argument. All the reader need know is that the Soviets continually changed their justification for the blockade and were ever changing their demands for it to be lifted. What is important, was that many in Washington could not believe what was happening. Many
Berlin Crisis started in 1958, as the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev demanded that United States, Great Britain, and France have to leave Western Berlin, giving them six months to pull their forces. This comment started the Berlin Crisis that continued for the next three years. One of the major problems for Berlin was its location. It was a Western city, but it was located in the Eastern part of Germany where communism was thriving. The Soviet Union and United States kept negotiating in their highly tense relation as things turned worse and worse every day. August 13, 1961 became one of the major turning points in the Cold War. East-German leader Walter Ulbricht had given orders to separate the two sides of Berlin by building a wall
The end of World War II in 1945 had Germany Divided Four Allied occupation zones. The eastern part of the country went to the Soviet Union, and the western part goes to the United States, Great Britain and France. Each section was under the control of a different country. The United States, Britain, and France each joined their sections to form a democratic state on May 24,
The aim of this investigation is to assess the main factors that ultimately led to the failure of the Berlin blockade, giving the Soviets