Early in the Cold War, however, the Berlin Blockade and Airlift was a decisive event. After World War II, tensions arose between the United States and its Western European allies (and the Soviet Union). Let’s see what happened when and why and how a blockade and airlift took place and the consequences of this were in the late 40s.

The Origins of the Berlin Blockade

1. World War II aftermath: As defeated Nazi Germany was divided into four zones of occupation by the Allies — the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France — in 1945. Likewise, the capital Berlin was divided into four sectors. The idea when this division was created was for it to be temporary, in order to eventually reunite the German states.

2. Political ideology clash: Ideological differences between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union became ever more evident as the post war years passed. Capitalism, democratic principles, Soviet Union reach for communism, authoritarian rule: The United States and Western European countries adopted capitalism, the Soviet Union pursued communism — and authoritarian rule. As a result, these opposing powers were becoming more and more tense.

3. Creation of separate German states: The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is a socialist state, under Soviet control, and in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) is a democratic state. Futher this divide between Western and Eastern Europe.

The Berlin Blockade

4. Soviet response: The Soviet Union was frustrated by the setting up of a democratic West Germany, and wanted to hold all of Berlin. In June 1948, they surrounded West Berlin with cut off all land and water access to the city. It was the start of the Berlin Blockade.

5. Blockade impact: It was in the midst of a blockade meant to force the Western Allies to abandon or see Soviet control of West Berlin. This led to a food, fuel and other necessary things shortage in West Berlin, which includes about 2.5 million people. Surely the Berlin people faced implacable challenges, but they withstood them.

The Berlin Airlift

6. Western response: In answer to the blockade, the United States, joined by its allies, launched the Berlin Airlift. Thousand of tons of supplies were flown from cargo planes into West Berlin from June 1948 to May 1949. The operation of this massive airlift proved the commitment of the Western Allies to support the West Berlin’s freedom and contrasted the West and East ideologies.

7. Operation Vittles: Operation Vittles — the codename for the airlift — needed rigorous sensitive planning and coordination. An airplane took off or landed every few minutes, keeping a flow of essential supplies coming. The supplies were quickly distributed and delivered to West Berlin people as the airplanes landed at Tempelhof Airport, Gatow Airport and Tegel Airport.

The End of the Blockade

8. Soviet realization: But as the Berlin Airlift raged onward, the Soviet Union began to understand that its blockade wasn’t working as planned. That their efforts were itself a thing in vain, was clear from the determination and resilience of the Western Allies, as well as the Berliners themselves.

9. Lifting the blockade: The blockade was lifted by the Soviets on May 12, 1949. The Berlin Airlift had worked, resupplying West Berlin with all the supplies it needed, and the Western Allies came out of it ahead.

Long-Term Impact

10. Cold War escalation: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift only made Soviet relationships less with the United States. That cemented the line between East and West, which would not only remain in place but which would be the line of division between Europe and Germany for decades to come. Great things had happened in the walkway of the Cold War.

11. Symbol of resistance: By the same token the Berlin Airlift became a symbol of hope, resilience, and transatlantic unity. It demonstrated the will of Western Allies against the Sovietness and that of the West Berlin as a symbol the resistance to Soviet aggression.

12. NATO formation: A key part of the birth of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was also the Berlin Blockade. In 1949, the Western Allies took what steps they thought were necessary to defend themselves collectively against Soviet expansionism and created NATO.

The Berlin Blockade and Airlift was the result of a deeply developing divide between the Soviet Union and the democratic Western Allies in Berlin, and concluded. The blockade was meant to exert Soviet control over West Berlin, and they chose to fail. Besides enabling the supply of many badly needed goods to the people of West Berlin, the Berlin Airlift also symbolized the determination to accept the stand against the Soviet aggression. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift had enormous effects within the Cold War and ultimately on the forming of NATO.