Berlin Airlift, 1948-49

What did the western powers do in response to the Berlin Blockade?

Western powers responded to the blockade of West Berlin by organising an airlift. Supplies were flown into West Berlin every day.

When was the Berlin Airlift?

The Berlin Airlift saw supplies flown into Berlin every day from 26th June, 1948, to 12th May, 1949.

Why did the Berlin Airlift happen?

There were 3 main reasons the Berlin Airlift occurred:

• ❖ The West did not want to be forced out of West Berlin because Stalin would be able to take over.
• ❖ The USA wanted to contain communism, as promised in the Truman Doctrine.
• ❖ It was a way to get around the blockade without starting a war.

What happened during the Berlin Airlift?

There were 3 key events during the Berlin Airlift:

• ❖ Britain, France and the USA flew in supplies of food, medicine and fuel throughout the Blockade.
• ❖ By the end of the Blockade, approximately 8,000 tonnes of supplies were being flown in every day.
• ❖ A new airport called Berlin-Tegel was built, along with a new runway at Berlin-Tempelhof, to cope with the number of planes flying in supplies.

What were the consequences of the Berlin Airlift?

There were 4 key consequences of the Berlin Airlift:

• ❖ Two Germanies were created; The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) in May 1949 and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in October 1949.
• ❖ It led to the USA creating a military alliance called NATO in April 1949.
• ❖ Europe was even more divided: politically (capitalism versus communism), economically (Marshall Aid versus Comecon), and now militarily.
• ❖ The balance of power became more unstable when the USSR conducted its first successful atomic bomb test in August 1949.