The Berlin Airlift-June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949
June 27, 1948 to May 12, 1949
 
Introduction
Following          World War II, a delicate balance of power had surfaced between the once          united Allies: Great Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet          Union. The opposing economic structures of capitalism and communism emerged          triumphant at the end of the war. The two blossoming superpowers, the          United States and the Soviet Union, sought to ensure their permanence          by negotiating territorial claims throughout the globe. At the Yalta and          Potsdam Conferences, Europe and the Far East were partitioned off as spheres          of influence to their respected Ally governments. Germany was divided          into fourths allowing each Ally to run its division by a military government          until a suitable national government could be devised and the country          put back together. This divided Germany, under direct supervision of the          Council of Foreign Ministers (Allied Control Council or ACC) and the Kommandatura,          was to become the first battleground of the emerging Cold War between          the United States and the Soviet Union.
The year of 1948 was          a critical turning point in the presidency of Harry Truman. He was staring          down the barrel of a re-election campaign, presented with his lowest approval          rating to date, and faced with the threat of a possible World War III          with the Soviet Union over a developing situation in Berlin. Furthermore,          Truman's record against the Soviets, up to this date, had been ineffective          in keeping them from occupying Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania,          and Bulgaria. Republicans were calling him soft on communism and Senator          Joseph McCarthy was at his prime on his communist witch hunts in Washington.
In regards to the          German situation, General Clay remarked that the mood in the western zones          was "more tense than at any time since surrender." British and American          staff were leaving Berlin for the expanding administration of Bizonia,          giving Berliners reason to believe the Western powers were leaving. Food          rations in some parts of Germany were being cut to 900 calories a day,          far below the recommended daily allowance for adequate nutrition. Labor          unrest was prevalent throughout all the regions of Germany. Communist          groups on all sides of Germany were gaining followers because they offered          hope and prosperity in the future. American, British, and French authorities          were facing their worst fears....a beleagured German people searching          for drastic solutions.
In early September          1947, the United States had, along with Great Britain, combined their          zones into one military province called "Bizonia," hoping to bring security          back to the German people. This formal joining helped to provide economic          stability to a cash strapped British zone. Soon after, France followed          suit and annexed its section to Bizonia. The new Trizone leadership now          looked to secure some economic stability in the midst of the German recession.          In February 1948, the United States and British proposed to the ACC that          a new four-power currency be created. The Soviets, however, hoping to          continue the German recession, refused to accept the new currency, in          favor of the overcirculated Soviet Reichsmark. By doing so, the Soviets          believed they could foster a communist uprising in postwar Germany through          civil unrest. In a March 1948 meeting of the ACC, it was evident that          no agreements could be reached on a unified currency or quadpartite control          of Germany and an infuriated Marshal Sokolovsky and his Soviet delegation          stormed out of the meeting. Both sides waited for the other to make a          move. Trizonia, finally, in an effort to stabilize the economy, established          its own currency on June 18, 1948.
The Soviets, trying          to push the west out of Berlin, countered this move by requiring that          all Western convoys bound for Berlin travelling through Soviet Germany          be searched. The Trizone government, recognizing the threat, refused the          right of the Soviets to search their cargo. The Soviets then cut all surface          traffic to West Berlin on June 27. American ambassador to Britain, John          Winnant, stated the accepted Western view when he said that he believed          "that the right to be in Berlin carried with it the right of access."          The Soviets, however, did not agree. Shipments by rail and the autobahn          came to a halt. A desperate Berlin, faced with starvation and in need          of vital supplies, looked to the West for help. The order to begin supplying          West Berlin by air was approved later by U.S. General Lucius Clay on June          27. President Truman, wishing to avoid war or a humiliating retreat, supported          the air campaign, against many advisors wishes. Surviving a normally harsh          German winter, the airlift carried over two million tons of supplies in          270,000 flights. The blockade of Berlin was finally lifted by the Soviets          on May 12, 1949. Berlin became a symbol of the United States resolve to          stand up to the Soviet threat without being forced into a direct conflict.
Issues          for Discussion
Consider some of these          questions with your class.
Do you agree or            disagree with President Truman's handling of the Soviet Blockade of            Berlin? Why or why not? Was it effective in solving the crisis?
In what ways did            President Truman's handling of the blockade lead to greater Cold War            tensions?
Winston Churchill,            Prime Minister of Great Britain during most of World War II, once described            Russia as a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." What does            he mean by this? How does this statement apply to the Soviets during            the Berlin blockade?
Should the Western            powers have left Berlin to appease the Soviets?
In what ways did            President Truman's airlift support the foreign policy of containment?
Donovan, Frank. 1968. Bridge in the Sky. New York: David McKay Inc.
Man, John. 1973. Berlin          Blockade. New York: Ballantine Books Inc.
Nelson, Daniel J.          1978. Wartime Origins of the Berlin Dilemma. Alabama: University          of Alabama Press.
Tusa, Ann and John.          1988. The Berlin Airlift. New York: Atheneum.