A powerpoint presentation of the first east-west confrontation in the Cold War. A propaganda victory for the western allies and an example American power in the post-WWII world.

1. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift
1948-1949
Lesson Plan
● Background recap: Yalta and Potsdam
● Western and Soviet views of the future of Berlin and Germany
● Actions and Reactions: events which led to the setting up of
the Berlin Blockade
● How to respond: options open to the western allies
● The Airlift – organization / facts and figures
● The end of the crisis: short and long term consequences

2. The fate of Germany and Berlin
...the outset of the Cold War
Who are the politicians in each photo?
Say where and when they met.
What decisions had they made concerning the future of Germany?
What happens to
Berlin happens to
Germany... What
happens to Germany
happens to Europe.
Molotov

3. The Cold War
The Cold War was NOT a war of weapons …
It was a Clash of Ideologies … a war of words … a war of wits
Free-market economy
Liberal Democracy
Multi-Party system
Free Speech
Freedom of Worship
Individual Rights
State planned economy – 5 year plan
Social Democracy
One Pary System – Marxist-Leninst theory
State controlled press (Pravda)
Freedom of the Proletariat – atheism/opium of
the masses
Social Justice for all
The USA The USSR

4. The western view of the future of Berlin
and Germany
If w e don’t let him work, w ho’s going to keep him ?
“T h e U n ite d S ta te s is firm ly o f th e b e lie f th a t
G e rm a n y sh o u ld b e a d m in iste re d a s a n
ec o n o m ic u n it a n d th a t z o n a l b a rriers sh o u ld b e
co m p le te ly o b litera te d so fa r a s th e e c o n o m ic
life a n d a c tiv ity in G e rm a n y a re c o n c e rn e d .”
S ecreta ry o f S ta te B yrn es, S e p tem b er 1 9 4 6
Describe and analyse the
caricature. How would you
translate « keep » in the
caption?

5. Actions and Reactions … towards the crisis
The western Allies
Aims: restart market-based
economy and maintain western
presence in Germany (and Berlin)
The USSR
Aims: maintain an industrially
weak Germany and eventually
force the western allies out
January 1948: the USA and the UK
unite their zones to coordinate their
economies (« bizonia »)
The Soviet authorities effectively put an
end to ACC government of post-war
Germany
February 1948 the western allies
propose the creation of a new
currency to replace the reichmark
and help stop the illegal
blackmarket
The USSR refuses the offer in an
attempt to keep the German
economy in recession
June 18th-21st
1948 the western allies
introduce the « Deutschmark » into their
zones and also Berlin (Operation Bird
Dog)
June 22nd
1948 the USSR announces
its own new currency in Berlin, the
« Ostmark » and begins to control
allied transport in Berlin

6. The Blockade: the Soviet text
Measures to safeguard the Soviet Zone (June 1948)
In order to protect the interests of the population and the economy of the Soviet zone and prevent
disorganisation of currency circulation, the Soviet Military Administration has been obliged to carry out the
following measures in view of the separate currency reform in the Western occupation zones in Germany :
1. To suspend passenger train traffic between the Soviet occupation zone in Germany and the Western
zones.
2. To bar entry into the Soviet occupation zone to all automobile and horse transport from all zones,
including traffic along the Helmstedt Berlin motor road. Exit from Berlin to the Western zone along the
Berlin-Helmstedt motor road will continue in accordance with previous rules.
3. All means of transport, proceeding along the waterways from the Soviet zone to the Western zones
and vice versa, must obtain a licence from the chief of the transport department of the Soviet Military
Administration and will be allowed passage only after thorough preliminary inspection of cargoes and ships
and personal luggage of ship crews.
4. The passage through control points of demarcation lines of persons proceeding on foot from the
Western zones to the Soviet occupation zone in Germany with interzonal passes issued in the Western
zones is discontinued. Persons proceeding from the Soviet zone to the Western occupation zones in
Germany pass through the control points in accordance with previous rules.
5. Freight train traffic will continue unhindered, but on condition of thorough inspection of all cargoes as
well as of personal belongings of train crews and train guards.
6. All these instructions come into force as from midnight of June 18.
The Soviet authorities effectively put an end to all
« road, rail and fluvial access » to the German capital

7. Options open to the western Allies
The situation:
The USSR cut off all road, rail and fluvial access to the western zones of
Berlin. It also cut off the electricity supply to the western districts. The
western zones in Berlin accounted for some 2 million people in June
1948. The USA army had 140 000 troops in Europe. The USSR had 17
divisions plus thousands of tanks in Germany.
The possible options:
1. Do nothing or retreat from Berlin (political suicide)
2. Smash through the blockade by using a military convoy taking
supplies to West Berlin (General Lucius Clay)
3. Use the atom bomb to attack the Soviet Union and destroy it
before the Soviets developed their own bomb (Churchill)
4. Supply the needs of West Berlin by using planes – the Airlift
The air corridors had been agreed upon at Yalta

8. The Airlift in facts and figures
The blockade lasted 318 days (11 months).
In the winter of 1948–49 Berliners lived on dried potatoes, powdered eggs
and cans of meat. They had 4 hours of electricity a day.
The airlift was codenamed 'operation Vittles'; the first flight was on 26th
June 1948.
The Soviet authorities offered to provide West Berlin with essential supplies
- this offer was rejected.
Over 275 000 flights carried in 2½ million tons of supplies. A plane landed
every 3 mins.
On 16th
April 1949, 1400 flights brought in 13,000 tons of supplies in one
day – Berlin only needed 6,000 tons a day to survive.
Some pilots dropped chocolate and sweets.
The airlift continued until 30th
September 1949, in order to build up a
reserve of supplies.
The USA stationed B-27 bombers (which could carry an atomic bomb) in
Britain.

9. Short and long term consequences of the crisis
- a German tragedy
West
Germany
created
Aug
1949
East
Germany
created
Oct 1949

10. The military division of the world
NATO was created in April 1949
The Warsaw Pact came into
being in 1955 (following West
Germany's entry into NATO)

11. Differing interpretations
One caricature is American, the other is Soviet.
Which is which? Why?

12. Conclusions...
● A diplomatic victory for the western bloc
● The west was in Berlin to stay – it had become a matter of
pride and principle
● The German state was divided into two independent
countries
● The political divide of the bi-polar world became complete:
economic and military
● 1949... China went communist and the USSR exploded its
first atomic device
● The world now ran the risk of atomic and nuclear
destruction... if the two blocs ever went to war!