How Did Stalin Build The Berlin Airlift

Thirdly, in order to address the issue of post-war European recovery and reconstruction, the U.S., Great Britain and France held a series of discussions in London from February through June of 1948 known collectively as the London Conferences. The result of these discussions was the London Program, the main goal of which was to establish a West German government through a combination of the three western occupation zones and currency reform. Therefore British and American zones were joined, followed by the French zone in June 1948 to form one Western zone and a single economic unit. Stalin watched these events with mistrust. In mid-June, the West issued a new currency in their merged zones (although they did not extend it to their zones in Berlin), and the Soviet Union issued a

The tensions begin to mount after Germany and Berlin were divided among the victorious countries of the Allies and three major power blocs formed. The countries that had been newly formed in the

After the wars ended, the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain and France were all able to coexist peacefully. Germany was separated into four occupational zones and divided Europe into levels of influence. From there tension grew between the United States and the Soviet Union, because of differences on communist one party systems and capitalism democracy. The last thing that they wanted was another break out of war. Both sides created allies that agreed with their ideologies. As a result, the Soviet Union created an alliance with the communist nations such as japan, North Korea, and Germany and the United States joined forces with the democratic nation. Both nations and their allies united against the enemies and it became very difficult

After World War II the Allied Forces (United Kingdom, France, USA and USSR) were the main occupants of Germany and Berlin. The Wall built in August of 1961, was erected because of a long lasting suspicion among the Soviet

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 West had previously announced in a March 6 London conference, that the West German economy would become integrated with Western Europe, therefore combining the three sectors. The Allies wanted Germany to be united so its economy might have a chance of recovering. A new form of currency was to be introduced (Heater 16).

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

On May 8th, 1945, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel surrendered the German armed forces to the allies in Berlin, thus ending the war for Germany. The German people were then confronted by a situation never before experienced. All of Germany was occupied by foreign armies, their cities and infrastructure lay in ruins, and millions were homeless and starving. Following the unilateral surrender by Germany, the country was divided into four zones, governed by each of the allied powers: Britain, France, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. As diplomacy between the West and the Soviet Union began to deteriorate, each zone became more self-sufficient and independent of the others. Tensions between the West and the Soviet Union also began to rise as it became apparent that the two super powers, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. would vie for dominance throughout the world, each seeking to spread its ideology and stop the spread of the other’s. The first real exacerbation of this conflict came when the Soviet Union blockaded the divided city of Berlin, which lay in is zone of control. The U.S.S.R. wanted to test the Western resolve to hold Berlin and maintain control. The response the U.S. chose was to keep Berlin supplied by air, through constant resupply by aircraft, a feat never before accomplished. The airlift lasted for nearly eleven months and kept the Western controlled sectors of Berlin adequately supplied, and showed the Soviet Union the U.S.’s resolve to hold out against the spread of

Stalin saw this as a threat, and immediately blocked Berlin, deep in the Soviet zone, from the rest of West help. As a result, Truman was determined to keep ensuring his policy of containment, and flew in supplies to Berlin by air. Neither the USA or USSR wanted to attack each other, as they both did not want a 'hot' war to break out. By May 1949, Stalin decided to reopen communications, as the blockade had little effect with the supplies being flown into Berlin. The Berlin blockade caused major tension and rivalry between the West powers and the USSR, and set out a pattern for Cold War confrontations.

In June of 1948, the Western allies introduced a new currency to the American, British, and French zones called the Deutsche mark without consulting the Soviets. This is considered the last straw, and the Soviet Union announces their plans to introduce a new currency in their zone and subsequently block off Berlin before the Western allies can implement their currency. However, the west had already smuggled in around 250 million Deutsche marks to West Berlin without the Soviet Union finding out.

The Berlin Crisis of 1948 began on the 24th of June and lasted around 11 months. During this time, Soviet personnel stopped supplies being transported through road, rail or canal links to West Berlin. There is no doubt that the order to impose this blockade came from Stalin but there are many more compelling arguments to show that the responsibility of this crisis lay with the western allies: America and Britain. The reason for this is that historians such as Offner say the Truman’s simplistic views meant that he misunderstood Stalin’s intentions, in regards to the USSR’s sphere of influence over Europe, and therefore America’s foreign policies such as Marshall Aid caused tension in the US-Soviet relationship. This as well as Churchill’s iron curtain speech evidentially led Stalin to implementing the blockade. Other

The main events of the Berlin Blockade was beginning out in June 1948 when France, Britain and the USA had combined their zones into a fresh country named West Germany. June 23 1948, they announced a new currency that they said would help trade. The following day Stalin changed all rail and road links to West Berlin. The west had seen that this is an attempt to starve Berlin until surrender, so West Germany decided to supply West Berlin through air. The Berlin blockade lasted around 318 days. During

The Berlin Blockade and Airlift began on the 23rd of June 1948 and ended on the 12th of May 1949. It was the first major conflict to occur during the Cold War between USA and the USSR. During this conflict Western Berlin who was under the control of the Western Allies was blocked off from the West Germany by the USSR. USA decided to airlift goods between West Berlin and West Germany. The causes of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift we the Yalta Conference, the American policy of containment and the growing mistrust and tension between the USA and the USSR. The consequences of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift were the major disruption to the everyday life of the people living in West Berlin, NATO and Warsaw Pact created and the further decline

only way to reach it. Hundred of aircraft were used to fly in a wide

“On June 24 the Soviets responded to the implementation of the new currency arrangement in the western zones by halting all western land traffic into the city.” The United States placed a counter blockade on the goods from the Western Zones into Eastern Germany which would effect the Soviet economy. The government of the United States was prepared to