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The
Berlin Blockade
The
USSR had already disagreed with Britain and the USA at Potsdam
(July 1945) about what should be done with Germany.
Germany had been split into four
zones. There had been particular disagreement about
reparations: Britain and America had wanted Germany to recover
economically, but the Russians had gained the right to take 10% of the
industrial equipment of western Germany, and as whatever they wanted from
their own zone in eastern Germany.
Berlin,
in Russia's zone, was also split into 4 zones. But
Berlin was entirely within - and surrounded by - the Russian zone.
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New Words
Blockade: a siege.
Bizonia
Currency: money.
Berlin
Blockade web sites:
Germany in
the Cold War - basic overview
Basic chronology of events
Airbridge
to Berlin (excerpts from a book)
Airlift
Veterans' stories
A
student essay
Tribute by Warren Christopher, American Secretary of State
Flim clips and YouTube:
 Film
clip
Berlin Airlift -
American newsreel
Berlin Airlift -
British newsreel (excellent narrative account)
Spidergram:
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The
Berlin Blockade
 What
Caused The Berlin Blockade, 1948–49?
One
of the first events of the Cold War was the Berlin blockade and airlift of
1948–49.
Describe what happened.
Extra:
1. Think
of as many reasons as you can why, in the period 1945-49, Germany was
often at the centre of the Cold War.
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Cold War
was
just getting started (e.g. Czechoslovakia, March 1948)
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Aims
Stalin
wanted to destroy Germany – Britain and the USA wanted to rebuild
Germany.
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Bizonia
The
Russians were taking German machinery back to the USSR. In January 1947,
Britain and the USA joined their two zones together to try to get German
industry going. They called the new zone Bi-zonia (‘two zones’).
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American
Aid
Congress voted for
Marshall Aid on 31 March 1948.
Immediately, the
Russians started searching all road and rail traffic into
Berlin.
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New
Currency
On 1 June, America and France announced that they wanted to create the
new country of West Germany; and on 23 June they introduced a new currency
into ‘Bizonia’ and western Berlin.
The next day the Russians stopped all road and rail traffic into
Berlin.
Stalin
said he was defending the east German economy against the new
currency, which was ruining it. The western powers said he was trying to force them
out of Berlin.
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Source A
Britain
and America tried to restore German prosperity in their sectors, but the
Russians systematically looted their zone. This cartoon of 1946
shows Britain and America trying to get the 'lorry' (representing the
German economy) going, while the Russian sits smugly on his motorbike,
having stolen the wheels.
Source
B
[The Americans had
introduced a new currency into Berlin.]
Old money flooded into the Soviet Zone. Some
restrictions were placed on links between Berlin and western zones, but
the Soviet side was ready to supply food to all Berlin.
Yet every day 380 American planes flew into Berlin. It was simply
a propaganda move intended to make the cold war worse.
From a Russian history book.
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What happened?
The
American Army wanted to fight its way into Berlin – that would have
caused a war. Instead, Truman decided to supply Berlin by
air.
The situation was bad at first, but things
got better as the
blockade went on. On 12 May 1949, Stalin re-opened the borders.
Airlift Facts
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The
blockade lasted 318 days (11 months).
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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.
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275,000
flights carried in 1˝ million tons of supplies. A plane landed every 3
mins.
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On 16 April
1949, 1400 flights brought in 13,000 tons of supplies in one day –
Berlin only needed 6,000 tons a day to survive.
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Some pilots
dropped chocolate and sweets.
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The USA
stationed B-29 bombers (which could carry an atomic bomb) in Britain.
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The
American airmen were regarded as heroes.
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In
this British cartoon from 1948, Stalin
watches as the storks fly coal and food into Berlin, but he dares not
shoot them down.
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Cold
War got worse
It
almost started an all-out war.
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East
and West Germany
Germany
split up. In May 1949, America, Britain and France united their zones into
the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). In October 1949, Stalin
set up the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) .
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NATO
and the Warsaw Pact
In
1949, the western Allies set up NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
as a defensive alliance against Russia. NATO countries surrounded Russia;
in 1955, the Soviet Union set up the Warsaw Pact – an alliance of
Communist states.
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Arms Race
After
Berlin, the USA and the USSR realised that they were in a competition for
world domination. They began to build up their armies and weapons.
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This 1961
cartoon shows Russia and America in an 'arms race'.
The caption read: 'If we go on with this race, there won't be a
winner!'
Extra:
2.
Working as a whole class,
draw a spidergram to show all the reasons why the Berlin blockade
failed.
3.
What were the results of the Berlin Blockade.
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