Berlin / Cold War escalates Flashcards
Why was Berlin so important at the end of World War II?
Heart of Nazi power – Berlin was the symbolic capital of Germany and Nazism.
Geographical location – the USA and USSR were keen to have central European military bases.
Power and prestige – both the USA and USSR wanted exclusive influence in Berlin.
There had been a race between the USA and USSR to reach Berlin at the end of war.
Berlin was a city where the Cold War had the potential to become extremely hot: neither the USA nor the USSR were prepared to allow the other to gain control of Berlin.
Division of Berlin
Berlin was deep inside the Soviet sector, yet it was divided between the four Allied powers (USA, USSR, Britain and France).
Initially, Germany was run by a joint Allied Control Commission, and Berlin was run by a joint Allied Kommandatura.
The countries differed as to how they felt Germany should be governed. The USSR wanted to keep Germany weak, but the USA and Britain wanted to rebuild the German economy.
Division of Germany
After World War II, Germany was divided into four sectors under control of each of the Allies – Britain, France, the USA and the USSR. Berlin was deep inside the Soviet sector, yet it was divided between the four Allied powers.
What lead to there being a crisis in Berlin?
The introduction of a new currency was a step too far for Stalin. It was seen as a real threat.
West Berlin was a ‘window into the West’
Creation of Bizonia & Trizonia:
In 1947, GB & US sectors of Germany (& Berlin) merged = Bizonia, then Fr sector merged as well = Trizonia.
Creation of West Germany: Br & US announced they would create a separate country of West Germany in June 1948. They created a West German assembly & constitution.
Window to the West + problem
West Berlin was a ‘window into the West’ for those living in the Soviet sector.
The Western Allies had invested heavily to help West Berlin recover. This showed East Germans behind the Iron Curtain the standard of living in the West.
West Berlin was thus a potential embarrassment to Stalin – with Marshall Aid it was being used as a showpiece of capitalism. This, together with his determination to prevent a West German state, meant Stalin had to do something…
Berlin crisis =
In June 1948, Stalin blocked all routes in and out of Berlin. Road, rail and canal routes were all cut – all surface transport links.
What were the Western Allies’ options (Berlin Blockade)
Give in to Stalin’s demands – hand over control of West Berlin. This would prevent 2 million people starving.
Invade the Soviet zone – blast through the blockade. This would start an armed conflict, but show Stalin who has most power.
Fly food, fuel and all other supplies into West Berlin. A massive undertaking, requiring much organization and immense cost.
How were the Berliners kept alive during the Berlin Airlift?
For eleven months food and other supplies were flown into Berlin by British, French and US planes.
Inhabitants of West Berlin depended on these flights for everything. In the winter of 1948 they lived on dried potatoes, powdered eggs and cans of meat, with just four hours of electricity per day.
275,000 flights carried in 1½ million tons of supplies. At its peak, one plane landed every 3 minutes.
The airlift cost over $100 million, together with the lives of 79 servicemen who died in accidents.
What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift??
In May 1949 Stalin called off the blockade. The impact of the blockade should not be underestimated. It highlighted the divisions between East and West – and made these divisions more permanent. They lasted until the early 1990s.
Germany would now be split up into West and East.
GDR = East;
FDR = West
Cold War intensified: war had almost broken out.
Arms race – both sides now focused on building more conventional and nuclear weapons.
NATO and the Warsaw Pact: the airlift meant that defensive alliances were set up.
BUT POSITIVE IN THAT ARMED CONFLICT HAD NOT OCCURRED!
After the blockade
Using the Berlin blockade as ‘proof’ of Stalin’s intentions to take over Europe, the Western Allies set up NATO in 1949. This ‘North Atlantic Treaty Organization’ was a military alliance that offered mutual support in case of attack.
The Warsaw Pact (the USSR equivalent) was set up in 1955.
- In May 1949 the Western Allies set up the new Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) – West Germany.
- In October 1949, the USSR responded by creating the German Democratic Republic (GDR) – East Germany.
Did USSR’s problems continue in Berlin after the airlift?
Berlin was a massive problem for East Germany. It was an escape route through to the West. Between 1945 and 1961 nearly one-sixth of the East German population had fled to the West.
These were young, well qualified people – exactly those that East Germany didn’t want to lose!
The new leader of the USSR, Khrushchev, like Stalin, wanted the West out of Berlin.
Both sides accused the other of spying (which was entirely accurate!) and the Soviets continued to see Western influence in Berlin as dangerous and troublesome.
Khrushchev hoped that the issue would be resolved at the Paris Summit of 1960, but this collapsed due to the U-2 spy plane incident. Tensions thus again rapidly grew between East and West …
