The Berlin Crisis

1
The Berlin Crisis

• How do the US Soviet Union fight their first
  Cold War Battle?

2
Trouble in Berlin

• Potsdam Agreement states Germany must pay
  reparations to USSR
• Marshall Plan giving millions to West German
  zones, Truman says that money cannot be used to
  pay to Soviet Union

• Says US is violating international law

• Installs a communist govt. in Soviet zone, that
  govt forms the country of East Germany, a Soviet
  Satellite

• Soviet section of Berlin becomes E. Berlin, the
  E. German capital. No chance of merging zones now.

Joseph Stalin

• US, Britain France allow their zones to merge
  and form a government, creating country of West
  Germany

• Western sections of Berlin merge to form West
  Berlin

• US/GB will have to travel through East Germany to
  supply City of W. Berlin.

Harry Truman
3
The Berlin Blockade

• Soviets East Germans block roads connecting
  West Germany to West Berlin

• No agreement was signed allowing west to use
  those roads

• Soviets hope US will just give up West Berlin

Berlin Airlift

• US Britain will airlift supplies into the city,
  saying they have a legal right to do so
  (Operation Vittles)

• 278K flights were made (June 26-May 11)

• 2.3 million tons of food and supplies were
  delivered

• Despite threatening military action, the Soviet
  Union ends the blockade on May 11, 1949

4
US Cold War Foreign Policy
Berlin Airllift
Containment Policy
Truman Doctrine
Marshall Plan
5
What is the cartoonists opinion of the Berlin
Blockade?
6
Since roads were blocked into Berlin, US
Britain had to airlift supplies to the city.
7
East and West Berlin and Berlin Airlift airports.
8
A miniature city is used instruct how the airlift
will work and locations that will be used.
9
US Air traffic controllers directing the airlift
10
Pilots at Rhein-Main flew four round trips per
day.
11
The limited load capacity of the C-47 aircraft
necessitated that the much larger C-54s be added
to the airlift as quickly as possible. A single
C-54 was capable of carrying as much cargo as
four of its older cousins.
12
Jewish Passover food arriving in Berlin.
13
Fresh milk being loaded on a C-47.
Shipments of whole milk soon were dropped in
favor of more weight efficient condensed milk.
14

• One of the first planes to bring in supplies.
  Food had to be rationed as well. Two-thirds of a
  pound per day for employed persons and one-half
  pound for the unemployed.

15
A C-54 flies over a graveyard and perilously
close to some apartments buildings while making
its landing approach.
16
Remains of a Navy C-54 after a crash landing on
the night of November 15, 1948.
17
Miniature parachutes carrying treats for the kids
can be seen dropping from a C-54 as it comes in
for a landing.
18
German children playing out their own Berlin
Airlift
19
Waiting for supplies. Notice the kids sitting on
rubble from WWII