The Berlin Blockade and Airlift was the event that occurred at the Cold War period of the years 1948- 1949. After the Second World War, Germany was occupied by four powers; United States of America, the United Kingdom, France and the USSR. The Soviet zone contained all of Berlin which was also divided into four sectors.

The Berlin Blockade

The Cold War started in June 1948 when the Soviet Union put up a blockade against the Western Allies. They sealed off all routes – roads, railways, and canals – that provided access to West Berlin in the belief that the Western allies would quit their sectors of the city and relinquish control of the whole to the Soviets. This blockade was to ensure that the Soviet gained full control of the whole of Berlin.

The Initial Impact

Due to the Berlin blockade food supplies in particular as well as many other necessities were in critically short supply in West Berlin. Meals, gasoline and any other essentials were hard to come by. It looked like doom for the people in West Berlin who looked into the Western Allies as their source of basic needs in life.

The Response: The Berlin Airlift

Instead of giving in to Soviet pressure the Western Allies came up with a rather smart and daring strategy – the Berlin Airlift. This operation meant the air dropping of food and other necessities to West Berlin. For over a year the supply air transport planes delivered food stuff, coal and other necessities to West Berlin.

The Outcome

The Successful Airlift

The Berlin Airlift could be looked at as an astounding success. Nonetheless, the Western Allies were able to constantly deliver supplies and make sure the people of West Berlin remained fed and alive. Thus it was evident that the Western Allies were willing and able to stand up to the threat posed by the Soviet union.

Soviet defeat and the AB end of the blockade

The position of the Soviet became weaker after the success of the Berlin Airlift. The Soviets ana recognized that their blockade was not serving the intended purpose as the western Allies had found a way of overcoming it. Thus the blockade was finally lifted on May 12, 1949 – it took nearly a year to solve this problem.

Cold War Implications

The result of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift had a profound influence on the activities of the Cold War. The ability to carry out this form of airlift showed the determination of the Western Allies and the United States most especially. It also added to the ideological differ also between the Soviets and the Western Allies in terms of methods, goals and agendas.

Furthermore the Berlin Blockade and Airlift was also a significant event which lead to the division in Germany. It led to the formal establishment of two separate German states: These two states were the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) that established the physical division of the two that existed until 1989 and the breaking down of the Berlin Wall.

Conclusion

The West, in general, claimed the victory in the Berlin Blockade and Airlift as a tactical achievement. Despite much odds, Marshall and his allies were able to unseat the Soviet blockade and guarantee the existence of West Berlin. This event was not only pointing a fighting between two super powers during the cold war period but also paving way for a Germany to be divided into East and West Germany. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift for ever stands as a symbol of the Resilience of the human spirit.