The Berlin Airlift, running from 1948 to 1949, is a classic Cold War event. But not the only cause of the conflict, certainly it did help to exacerbate tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Here, we analyze the context in which the Berlin Airlift took place and discuss the Berlin Airlift’s part in the whole development of the Cold War.
The Post-World War II Landscape
After World War II, Germany was divided into four military occupation zones controlled by the Allied forces: the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France. Deep within the Soviet zone Berlin was also divided into four sectors. In relation to this division, resentment and mistrust developed between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies, sequencing the Cold War.
Tensions Rising in Berlin
In 1948, the Soviets concluded that their presence in Germany could be used to their advantage and acted to cut off all road, rail and water access to West Berlin in order to force the Allies, like Britain, to leave their sectors. The idea was to force a weakening of the West position in Germany and perhaps even put the whole of Berlin under Soviet rule. But a supply cut to the city presented a large humanitarian quandary.
Enter the Berlin Airlift.
The Berlin Airlift Begins
To counter the Soviet blockade, the United States and its allies initiated an unprecedented operation: the Berlin Airlift. Airlift was the flying of food, coal, medicine and other supplies and resources into West Berlin. The enormous logistical effort was intended to sustain the city’s population and show that the Allies still intended to protect their sector.
Relentless sorties by planes — from iconic C-47s and C-54 Skymasters — around the clock flew planes to Tempelhof and other Berlin airports, delivering supplies. The airlift brought hope and resilience to the people of West Berlin, but it also increased the Cold War tensions between the superpowers.
The Cold War Intensifies
By raising the temperature of the Cold War, Berlin Airlift took sides between the United States and the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. In its decision to blockade West Berlin, the Soviet Union challenged Western Allies’ authority and its aim was to expand the influence in post war Europe.
When given the opportunity, the United States responded decisively, and the Berlin Airlift was used as a means of protecting their interests and defying Soviet aggression. By having the United States and its allies successfully supply, through the airlift, West Berlin, America and its allies demonstrated that they were able to keep the principles of democracy.
The Legacy of the Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift not only saved West Berlin but it was a big component in resolving the Cold War. The operation underlined the gulf, for ideological reasons, between the two superpowers and the continued determination of the United States to contain Soviet expansion.
The airlift had nothing to do with causing the Cold War, but it was a major event in the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Rather, it further cemented a divided Germany and eventually its legalized formation into West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German Democratic Republic) in 1949.
Conclusion
The Cold War would not have been possible without the Berlin Airlift. Its commitment to democratic values was demonstrated by the United States, while the Soviet Union’s blockade seemed a clear and planned effort to extend its influence in postwar Europe. Simultaneously, the airlift was not only crucial to the survival of West Berlin from economic disaster, it also represented a world signal towards the gulf between the two superpowers. As a result, the Berlin Airlift came to symbolize the resoluteness and determination of the Western Allies in the first years of the Cold War.