Causes Of The Berlin Blockade Flashcards
How was Europe divided up at the time?
Two distinct political and economic camps (soon to be two military camps)
What did the Grand Alliance agree to do with Germany at Potsdam?
Divide Germany, and Berlin into four separate occupation zones controlled by USA, Soviet Union, Britain and France (1945)
What was the division of Germany and Berlin meant to be?
Temporary but lasted for years
Who was the central organisation for the four zones?
Allied Control Commission (ACC). Had soldiers on the streets and, in Berlin, military checkpoints between zones
What were the disagreements between the occupying powers of the divided Germany?
The three Western countries and Soviet Union had different ways of looking at Germany:
. Soviets wanted to take as much material as possible to rebuild Soviet Union
. Western countries wanted to build up German’s economy
Due to the differences on how Germany wanted to be ruled, what happened in December 1947?
Talks between the foreign ministers of the occupying powers broke down and the Soviets stormed out
Without Soviets cooperating, what did the remaining allies have to do?
Had to decide how to run their part of Germany
What was ‘Bizonia’?
When British and Americans combined their zones in 1947
How did ‘Bizonia’ become ‘Trizonia’?
In 1948, France added their zone
Unintentionally, what was the consequence of Trizonia?
Germany and Berlin were now split into western Trizonia and eastern Soviet-controlled Germany
What did the three allies do in June 1948?
Created their currency, the Deutschmark, to give Trizonia economic unity
When was the decision to introduce the Deutschmark made?
At an ACC meeting in Berlin
Why were the Soviets furious about the creation of the Deutschmark?
. Created a separate economic unit from East
. Acknowledged there were effectively two Germanys: West and East
What did Stalin see Deutschmark as another example of?
The west ‘ganging up’ on the USSR
What did Stalin see the formation of Trizonia as?
A means of developing the three zones more effectively and deliberately forcing the Soviet Union into poverty
