Berlin_Airlift

The Berlin Airlift & Blockade


What was the Berlin Airlift?


Gen. Lucius D. Clay, a senior U.S. Army officer, described the Soviet's action plan of blockading Berlin as "one of the most ruthless efforts in modern times to use mass starvation for political coercion."

Source: Gov.UK

Source: The Guardian

Post World War II initiated a whirlwind of disagreements creating a major international crisis. Germany was divided into four various "occupation zones" in 1945. Each zone specifically occupied by one of the following countries: Great Britain, the United States, Russia (the Soviet Union), and France. Most of Eastern Germany was occupied by the Soviets while most of Western Germany was occupied by the other countries. Berlin, being apart of Eastern Germany where the Soviet's were monopolizing, was also split up into four quadrants.



Shortly after, the U.S. began to express their differing viewpoints compared to the Soviets. They did not believe splitting Germany up would be necessary in terms of Germany's recovering economy. Josef Stalin, the Soviet Union dictator, was not willing to make accommodations to what the U.S. had in mind. In response, the U.S. decided to stop shipments to the Soviet controlled zone, therefore outraging the Soviets  and causing them to create a blockade to West Berlin on June  24, 1948. 


                                                                                                                                                                               Josef Stalin, 1937



    As resources ran low and the shortages of food, water, and medical aid                  became more apparent, the United States realized their involvement was                necessary. United States President, Harry S. Truman, and his                                  administration were very cautious when deciding in what ways the U.S. could      get involved. Soon, they came up with the greatest "logistical" idea in the              Cold War yet: to have a massive airlift of supplies delivered                                    by plane, sustaining over two million people in the isolated West Berlin.


           President Harry S. Truman, 1947


The first planes took off on June 26, 1948 from bases in England and Western Germany. Although this huge undertaking was daunting, it proved rewarding. About one year later, Russia realized their plan was not well thought out due to the immense success the American Airlift had and decided to end the blockade on May 12, 1949.