Origins of the Cold War: Conflict Over Germany - The Berlin Blockade Flashcards
When did the Berlin Blockade start?
• The Berlin Blockade started on 24th June 1948
• The Soviets blocked all rail and road links to West Berlin
• The Soviets cut the electricity supply from the Berlin’s power stations, which were located in the Soviet sector
Why did the Soviets initiate the blockade?
The Soviets argued these restrictive measures were put in place to prevent the Soviet zone to be overwhelmed with the devalued
Reichsmark
• The Reichsmark was the German currency before 1948, but it had lost most of its value after Germany’s defeat in WWII
• On 20 June, the Western allies introduced the Deutschmark for Western Germany without consulting the USSR
• In response, the Soviets introduced the Ostmark on 24 June and initiated a blockade
Why was it so important for the western allies to do something in response?
• West Berliners would starve if resources did not continue to be
supplied
• Berlin was essential for the reconstruction of Germany’s economy, so the Western powers had to supply food and raw materials to allow economic growth
• Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, saw the blockade as the USSR’s first steps to spreading communism across the whole of Germany - important to protect the future of democracy
•Berlin was the last western island in the Soviet zone - needed to control it to stop the creation of a buffer zone between the USSR and western Europe
• The Western powers saw the Great Depression and poverty as a reason for Hitler rising to power, so they had to prevent poverty in Berlin to stop Nazis from gaining power again
What options did Truman consider?
- American forces could withdraw from West Berlin - shows weakness
- They could stay in Berlin until the starving population forces them out and accepts the Soviet rule out of desperation
- They could send an armed convoy to open the roads - could lead to war
What did Ernest Bevin want to do?
• Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, insisted that the western powers should remain in Berlin
• Did not want to use military force but must keep Berlin supplied with essentials
What did Bevin say in a note addressed to Attlee?
• Note from July 1948
Bevin states the Western powers’ presence has prevented the establishment of a ‘Soviet-controlled German government’ in
Berlin
• They must not leave Berlin because this would:
• ‘Increase Soviet prestige’
• ‘Win over doubtful masses’
•’Depress our friends in each of the free countries of Europe’
How did the US react to Bevin’s ideas?
• US military governor, General Clay, agreed with Bevin
• Clay initially suggested an armed convoy to force their way to West Berlin, but Bevin dismissed this idea as it could start a war
How did the western powers respond to the
Berlin Blockade?
• From 26th June, the western powers began the first flights of the Berlin Airlift
• Aircrafts delivered food and coal to West Berlin
How long did the Berlin Airlift last?
Blockade started on 24th lune 1948
• Airlift started on 26th lune 1948
• Ended on 12 May 1949
What were the purpose of the Moscow Talks?
• The Western allies were unsure that the airlifts could be maintained and were interested in making agreements with
Stalin over Berlin
• On 2 August 1948, the four powers met in Moscow
What happened during the Moscow Talks?
• The Soviets wanted the Deutschmark to be withdrawn from
West Berlin and replaced by the Ostmark
• The Soviets wanted the creation of a West German state to be delayed until all representatives of the four powers had met to negotiate basic questions concerning Germany
• The Western powers would not reverse their decision to create a
West German state, but were ready to agree to the introduction of the Ostmark to the whole of Berlin
• However as discussions progressed, it became clear that the Soviets wanted total control of the currency
• On 7 September, these talks deteriorated
• Stalin thought that the airlifts would not last through the winter and decided to stall
Did the Berlin Airlift fail during the winter?
• By the end of January 1949, the airlifts continued to be successful
What was the New York Agreement?
• In February, Western powers declared the Deutschmark to be the sole currency of West Berlin and stopped all Western exports to the Soviet zone, which weakened the zone’s economy
• Stalin had no other choice but to call for another meeting. Soviet and US representatives met in New York and in early May it was agreed that the blockade would be lifted from 12 May
• They agreed to meet in Paris to discuss the future of Germany and the Berlin currency question, but no further agreements were secured until 1971
How much supplies did the Western powers provide to West Berlin on New Year’s Eve 1948?
• Allied forces delivered over 6000 tons of supplies, which was a new record
How many supplies were being flown to West
Berlin by April 1949?
• By April 1949, this had reached 8000 tons a
day
- By April 1949, 1000 aircraft were able to use the air corridors to Berlin at any one time
