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The Blockade's Effect on Relations Between the Superpowers in the Years to 1955

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The Blockade's Effect on Relations Between the Superpowers in the Years to 1955

Even before the blockade, there was suspicion and tension. It was a bad time. The blockade then changed relations between the superpowers in many ways. The blockade was a result of difference in opinion regarding the future of Germany. The West wanted a stronger independent Germany and the East wanted a weak and unthreatening Germany. The formation of Bizonia, the British and the American zones joined together, and the Duetsch mark being introduced into the three Western zones, to rebuild the economy. It made the USSR bitter and angry because the big three had agreed at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences that all four …show more content…

The Soviet zone became East Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It was Communist controlled by the Soviet Union and so the people could not elect their governments. With no Marshall aid and the USSR wanting to destroy East Germany West Germany, which was recovering quickly from the war, was a more desirable place and many people from the East wanted to over there.

After the blockade it showed that the USA no longer trusted the USSR and vice versa. The USA no longer wanted to put up with communist tactics while the Soviets were tired of American tactics. It increased tensions between east and west dramatically. The Western Allies had taken a risk that the USSR would not shoot their planes down. If they had, a war may have started. This made the Western Allies realise that they needed a military alliance in Europe to protect them from the USSR. The Soviet Union had a huge army and therefore the countries needed back up if anything did happen. They therefore set up North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which originally had 13 members including the USA, UK, Canada, Belgium and Netherlands. It was agreed that if one member were attacked the others would help. President Truman described it as a shield against aggression. If a war did break out though NATO would be no match for the Red Army and the USSR was in no way

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