The early Cold War had its prime event: the Berlin Blockade, which involved the blockades by the Allies, and the Soviets from June 1948 to May 1949. It overlaid itself so much onto the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, and their respective allies, that it played a big role in how the United States, the Soviet Union, and those around them perceived one another. In this blog post, I am going to talk about how the Berlin Blockade changed the whole game of the Cold War.
1. Berlin Blockade Background
The Berlin Blockade was an attempt by the Soviets to cut off Western access to West Berlin, which had been located behind lines deep in Soviet controlled East Germany. It came in response to what the Soviet Union considered a threat to its influence in the region from the creation in West Germany by the Western Allies of a new currency not backed by their own currency.
1.1 The Divided City of Berlin
After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones: French, British, American and Soviet. Finally, the capital city, Berlin, also divided into four zones, even though the whole city was subject to the Soviet zone. But, according to the Western Allies, West Berlin offered a symbol for democracy and prosperity, and the Soviet Union wanted to control it.
1.2 The Deutsche Mark: Its Creation
In 1948, the Western Allies’ zones of occupation introduced a new currency, the Deutsche Mark, including West Berlin. An attempt to stabilize the economy and promoteeconomic recovery in their territories, this move went with trying to establish neighbourly, friendly relations both by word and deed. But this troubled both the Soviet Union, who regarded it as a challenge to their own hold over East Germany.
2. The Berlin Blockade
In June 1948 the Soviet Union closed all road, rail and canal routes to West Berlin in response to the introduction of the Deutsche Mark. They wanted to disentangle themselves from the Western Allies and to compel them to abandon the city. In effect, the blockade made West Berlin a cut off supply line from food to fuel and other essential goods.
2.1 The Airlift Operation
In response to the blockade, the Western Allies mounted a massive airlift operation called the Berlin Airlift. Cargo planes flew supplies into West Berlin around the clock, picking up food, fuel and whatever else was required. It had been a daring logistical achievement by the meaning of which Western Allies were determined to defend West Berlin.
2.2 The Symbolic Importance
The Berlin Blockade and its comedy of errors airmail, a.k.a. the airlift, was hugely symbolic in the cold war’s hardscrabble first days. It contrasted East from West and called attention to Western Allies’ will to protect their interests and support democracy. But the Soviet Union seemed aggressive, wouldn’t budge.
3. The Berlin Blockade Ends
After a year of tension and negotiation, the Berlin Blockade ended in May 1949. Realizing that the blockade wasn’t getting the result the Soviet Union hoped for, it ended it. It saw the Western Allies scored a victory, and a major blow for the Soviet Union.
3.1 East and West Germany: The Creation
After the end of the blockade, even the distance between East and West grew wider. Formed in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany for short, was joined later in East Germany, which was formed under the thumb of Soviet control.
3.1 Cold War tensions reach an Escalation
The Berlin Blockade and other events just increased the rancor between the United States and the Soviet Union. This helped make Europe a two ideological bloc and led to a future of conflict during the Cold War.
Conclusion
The Berlin Blockade had a large role during the beginning of the Cold War. This helped spread the divide between East and West, and show the Western Allies’ wish to defend democratic values. But the Berlin Airlift proved they were determined and willing to drive towards their aim. End of the blockade entailed: formal division of Germany and rise in the ongoing Cold War. Knowing how the Berlin Blockade affected gave us some idea of the complicated way the world worked and perhaps it still works.