Berlin Blockade And Airlift Flashcards
What did USA and Britain want for Germany after the war?
- Make Germany strong
- Rebuild the German economy & industries
- A strong Germany will be useful for trade
- This would offer protection from the ‘Domino Theory’
What did the USSR want for Germany after the war?
- Keep Germany weak and vulnerable.
- Ensure its economy does not become strong again.
- Keep industrially weak to limit trading opportunities.
- a weak Germany will be useful for future expansion.
What happened in West Berlin after the war?
- The USA wanted to help Germany recovery, so they didn’t have to keep supporting the German economy.
- In 1947 Britain and USA joined their zones to create Bizonia to further recovery. They also stopped taking reparations and France joined later to create Trizonia.
- By 1948 West Germany was receiving Marshall Aid and starting to recover.
- 23rd June 1948 USA&Britain introduced a new currency called the Deutschmark. This move was made to strengthen West Germany economy.
What happened to East Germany after the War?
- Stalin felt betrayed by Britain and America joining zones. At Yalta they had decided decisions about Germany would be taken jointly. Stalin became suspicious.
- In 1948 when the West was receiving Marshall aid he became more suspicious of their motives.
- the day after Bizonia introduced their new currency on the 24th June Stalin closed all roads, canals & railways to West Berlin. There was also an economic crisis in East Germany due to new currency and people rushed to change their old marks into Deutschmarks.
What were Stains motives on blockading Berlin?
- Trying to weaken West by not trading with them.
- Spreading communism
- to force western allies to pull out of their sector in Berlin and give up their sectors to the soviets.
- Force allies to give up their new currency the Deutschmark.
- To force allies to abandon their plans for a separate West Germany.
What were the allies three options in retaliation to Berlin Blockade?
1- Ignore Russians and drive through blockade using force.
2- Pull our of Berlin entirely.
3- Keep Berlin supplied by some other means than roads, railways or canals.
Advantages and disadvantages of driving through blockade using force:
- It could cause a war
- If was happened more deaths of Western side.
- Expensive
- increased tension would lead to civilian casualties or possibly the play of nuclear/atomic weapons.
- shows Stalin West have power.
- if it works people wouldn’t starve and they wouldn’t surrender to Stalin.
Advantages and disadvantages of pulling out Berlin entirely:
- It would be like surrendering to Stalin.
- Loose some of their power
- lose of money/economy
- No casualties
- People would get resources
- more diplomatic so no increase in tension
Advantages and disadvantages of keeping Berlin supplied by some other means than roads and canals:
- Difficult to find a new way to get food into Berlin.
- Expensive to create a new way
- Stalin may find another way to block other options.
- Avoid war and still standing up to Stalin to show their power.
- People would have access to resources.
What option did the West choose in retaliation to the Blockade?
Option 3 find another way to keep Berlin supplied. (Airlift)
Why did the allies choose to deal with the blockade by an airlift?
Because an airlift was the only way to avoid war without surrendering to Stalin. Also because in 1945 they had granted three assigned air corridors to get in and out of Berlin.
What were the problems of the Berlin Airlift?
- At risk of planes being shot down.
- some soviet troops may have prevented people getting resources from Airlift.
- any not be able to carry allot of resources on one plane therefore a lot of planes and pilots needed.
- potential risks of (eg pilots) engaging in Airlift. If caught prison or death.
- Very Expensive
- people in Berlin may not get what they need and it is all dependant on weather. (Big storm means they can’t fly)
- They only had 12 seconds to get resources unloaded and received by people without being caught.
Consequences of Airlift?
They were that 79 British and American pilots died/killed.
USSR responded by turning its zone into The Germans Democratic Republic with a communist government.
West zones joined to become The Federal Republican of Germany.
The relationship between Germans and Americans improved and there was less tension between them.
When was the Berlin Airlift our into place?
First flight was on 26th June 1948 as people in Berlin only had enough resources to last 6 weeks. The airlift began slowly on average only carrying 600 tonnes a day of fuel, food and other supplies. If Berliners were to survive they needed over 4000 tonnes a day.
By September aircrafts were landing in West Berlin every 3 minutes day and night. By spring 1949 over 8000 tonnes a day were being carried.
What did Stalin ty to do to West Berliners during Airlift?
He cut their electricity supply and offered residents extra rations if they moved to East Berlin. Only 2% of the West population took this offer. Stalin could not shoot planes out of sky as it would be an act of war unless they flew out of their corridor.
Stalin realised that the allies were determined to keep Airlift going and call3d of his blockade of Berlin in May 1949.
