Introduction
Welcome to our comprehensive guide to the Cold War’s key events: the Berlin Airlift and the Iron Curtain. If you’re new to this period in history, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we will explore these defining moments and their impact on the world. The Cold War was a period of tension between two superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. It lasted from the late 1940s to the early 1990s, showcasing a global power struggle. Let’s dive in and uncover the fascinating details of the Berlin Airlift and the Iron Curtain.
The Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift Taking place between 1948 and 1949, it was after the Second World War in Germany. At the time, Germany was divided into four occupied zones: These powers were American, British, French and Soviet. The Soviet Union felt sure of itself and to ensure that their rule prevailed, they sealed off West Berlin by shutting all access roads, railways and waterways. For this purpose, the Western Allies began the Berlin Airlift to supply the people of West Berlin.
The Blockade and the Response
Back in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union enforced the complete encirclement of West Berlin to starve, freeze and suffocate the population out of the city. On this front, however, the Western Allies developed the idea of airdropping these essentials into the city. During the airlift operation planes of British and American origin flew more than 277000 times and dropped nearly 2.3 million tons of supplies.
The Significance
The Berlin Airlift had special importance during the period of the Cold War. It demonstrated dependency of the western Allies in defending the demoralisation of democracy and capitalism over Soviet Union expansionism. This airlift proved how it was possible to mobilise resources and make a city sustainable in the face of challenges. In the end, the Soviet Union decided to lift the blockade because the blockade failed to oust the Allies from West Berlin.
The Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain term was made famous by the then Prime Minister of Britain Winston Churchill in a speech in 1946. It pointed to the geographical and political barrier created in Europe by the domination of the Soviet in Eastern and Central European states. An iron barrier that split the western European countries which were democratic and capitalist from the East Europeans that were influenced by the Soviet Union.
The Division
After World War II the USSR set up totalitarian regimes in many countries from Eastern Europe. Finally, they limited the rights of people and propagated communism. :Division ensured the clear divide between the democratic world and the communist one known as the Iron Curtain.
The Symbolism
The barriers and division of Europe during the cold war were represented by something known as the Iron curtain. The countries of the people behind the Iron Curtain were dominated by Soviet control and censorship freedom of interaction with other nations. The Iron Curtain meant that there were two completely diverse styles of living and modes of governance.
Conclusion
The two significant events in the Cold War included the Berlin Airlift, the Iron Curtain. The Berlin Airlift was shown to be that the Western Allies were not going to back down to the Soviets while the Iron Curtain deceptively summed up the physical and metaphorical barrier between the East and the West. Such occurrences can assist in attaining a good perspective concerning the events of the Cold War and even its consequences to the present. It is our great hope that you find this article useful in shedding light into these areas of history and as always the phrase goes ‘knowledge is power’.