The Berlin Blockade

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The Berlin Blockade

• 1945- 1949

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Background Information

• WW2 ended in August 1945, in Japan, with the
  bombing of Hiroshima
• The fighting ended in Europe in May of 1945
• The 4 allied forces Britain, USA, Russia and
  France had to decide what to do with Germany
• They all agreed that Germany had to be
  denazified by destroying Nazi propaganda and
  holding the Nuremburg Trials

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Great Britain
Soviet Union- Russia
France
USA
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• Their plan after this was to divide the country
  into four zones of occupation, each country
  controlling a zone
• Each unit was to be administered through a joint
  committee called the Allies Control Council (ACC)
• ACC formed by the commanders-in-chief of each of
  the occupying armies and their headquarters were
  in Berlin
• Germany was to be treated as a single unit so any
  decisions about it had to have unanimous support
  from the ACC
• As soon as the 4 zones were established each
  Allie power began establishing their own rules
  going against this policy

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• Berlin, Germanys capitol, was situated in the
  Soviet Union zone
• It was granted separate status, and was divided
  into 4 zones again for each Allie power
• Each Allie power had to appoint a commander for
  this section of Berlin
• The western part of Germany had no access to
  Berlin
• In June 1945 the Allies agreed to have one main
  road, one main rail line and two air strips into
  the city

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Berlin- 1945
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• There began to be disagreements between the
  Allies as to what their mission was in Germany
  and how long they would stay there
• This caused a lot of tensions between the US and
  Soviet Union
• President Truman finally decided to take a stand
  and released the Truman Doctrine on March 12,
  1947
• The second step came through the Marshall Plan

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• Sept 22, 1947- Soviet Union fought back by
  rejecting the Marshall Plans European Recovery
  Program
• Tensions after this point escalated between the
  Western powers (US, Britain and France) and the
  Soviet Union
• Feb. 1948- Western powers met in London to
  discuss uniting their zones into a single
  economic unit with the same currency
• The Soviet Union wrote letters to each government
  on February 13, 1948 stating that any decisions
  that were reached at this meeting would not be
  considered legitimate in their eyes

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• To protest the London conference the Soviet Union
  withdrew from the ACC and the 4 powers never met
  together again
• Soviet Union began putting restrictions on
  traffic to Berlin from Western Zones (March 30,
  1948)
• US personnel traveling through the Soviet zone by
  rail and highway had to present evidence of
  identity
• Shipments from Berlin to Western zones had to be
  cleared through Soviet check points
• All baggage had to be inspected at Soviet check
  points with the exception of personal belongings
  of US personnel

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• The US protested, but the Soviets did not listen
• In the spring of 1948 more restrictions were put
  into place
• Soviets explained them as technical
  difficulties such as repairs to railways
• Western zones restricted exports to Soviet zone
  that were crucial to their economy
• June 18, 1948- Western zones proceeded with a
  common currency (Deutsche mark)
• This currency spread to Western zones of Berlin 4
  days later
• All residents of Berlin had no choice but to
  exchange their Russian currency into Deutsche
  marks to buy all goods they needed

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• This was the last straw for Soviets
• In June 22, 1948, they established their own
  separate currency that would be used in the
  entire Soviet zone, including all of Berlin
• Two days, June 24, 1948, all land and water
  traffic to and from Berlin was stopped- this
  fully began the Berlin Blockade
• Tensions and a war of words continued between the
  US and the Soviets- a fully blow war was
  inevitable

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• The US had to figure out the intentions of the
  Soviets
• Before they could do this, West Berlin was
  running out of food and supplies
• The Western zones had no way of getting these
  supplies to their people, except by air
• The airlift began on June 26, 1948, delivering
  food and fuel to West Berlin
• By the fall these supplies had run out, and
  another airlift had to be done
• The airlifts continued until Sept. 1948

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• The Soviets soon saw that the blockade was not
  going to halt the Western powers
• March 1949- they entered negotiations with USA,
  UK and France to lift the blockade. Results were
  a 3 point plan
• Restriction on communications, transportation and
  trade between Berlin and Western zones will be
  removed May 9, 1949
• Restrictions the Western zones imposed will be
  removed May 9, 1949
• On May 23, 1949, the 4 powers will meet in Paris
  to discuss questions surrounding Germany and the
  currency

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• The final results were to keep Germany divided
  between East and West
• The Federal Republic in Western Germany was
  created on Sept. 21, 1949, New capital was Bonn
• Democratic Republic in Eastern Germany on October
  7, 1949, capital remained East Berlin
• There was still fear about a military build up in
  Eastern Europe, therefore a Western alliance
  formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

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• NATO treaty signed on April 4, 1949 in Washington
  DC by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great
  Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands,
  Norway, Portugal, US (Greece, Turkey in 1952)
  (Western Germany 1955)
• Treated stated that an armed attack against one
  or more will be considered an attack against
  all of them

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• At the same time Eastern Europe was signing
  similar agreements
• The Warsaw Treaty Organization was signed by
  Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary,
  Poland, Romania and Soviet Union
• This began the Cold War- Western world armed lead
  by the US against the Eastern world lead by the
  Soviet Union