The German Airlift operation which took place during the Cold War was one of the major events in history. It was one of the largest tasks to bring food, gasoline and many other items to the people of West Berlin. Let me explain why this is so Let’s learn more about it.

Background: The Division of Berlin

Following World War II, Germany was divided into four occupied zones: There is American, British, French and Soviet. The city of Berlin was also split into four zones despite being in the very heart of a Soviet zone. Decades later the relations between Soviet Union and the Western Allies of World War II gradually deteriorated to the Berlin Airlift.

The Berlin Blockade: A Crisis Unfolds

In June 1948 when the Soviet union aimed at controlling the whole of Berlin which was a region controlled by the west alliance, they therefore sealed all routes of access to water and land to western Berlin. The purpose for blockade was to make the Allies to withdraw and give up West Berlin to the soviets.

Due to this blockade the people of West Berlin were put into a situation where they were very scarce on supplies. Meals for man and beast, coal and other requisites were scarce therefore subjecting the population to extreme levels of need.

The Preimere: How the Berlin Airlift was born

When the Soviets closed the road and rail links to West Berlin in June 1948 to ‘prevent a divided city from becoming a base for espionage and subversion’, the Western Allies plotted to supply this cut-off city by air. Berlin Airlift started in June in 1948 and lasted for nearly one year. It meant moving vital supplies through an army of cargo planes.

This circumstance only made the airlift a logistical undertaking of monumental proportions very soon. Tempelhof Airport and air traffic was operational where daily average of 5000 tons of food, fuel, medicine and other basic necessities were being airlifted.

Why there had to be the Berlin Airlift

The Berlin Airlift was necessary for several reasons:

Maintaining Western Presence

By feeding West Berliners the Western Allies showed that they would not abandon the population to the fate of Soviet-controlled misery. Poor Ivan understood it as a clear signal that they would not let the Soviets take over the whole city.

Humanitarian Aid

It was to maintain and save people’s lives that the airlift was planned and being executed with all the fervour it needed. West Berlin’s population was starving and in urgent need of many other necessities, and the airlift was its sole source of supply.

Political Significance

The outcome of the airlift enhanced the statue of the Western Allies as the providers of freedom and democracy. It demonstrated an appreciation by the west for their strength to stand up to the Soviets without having to go to war. Also, inability to stop the airlift was another Set back for the Soviet Union and this further stretched their image.

The Formation of NATO

The Berlin Airlift and the Soviet blockade that followed also inducted and shaped the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Realizing the objective, the US finally reached the conclusion that a collective and containment based military force was required to confront the Soviet influence.

Conclusion

The Berlin Airlift was one of the significant events in the cold war confrontation between the two super powers. That is how it showed the determination of the Western Allies in defense of the rights and human interest of people of West Berlin. These objectives were met through the huge practical achievement of the airlift which enabled the Allies to sustain its presence, display humanity and make a clear political point. Finally, the experiences and strong practices during the Berlin Airlift also helped in the creation of the NATO thus strengthening the West in its On the other hand, the resistance and determination of west during Berlin Airlit set the pace for Western partnership, known as NATO that was going to oppose Soviet imperialism.