A complex that requires much more attention in the limited space of this article thus deserves special attention as an important episode of the Cold War period and more particularly the early stage of the conflict. That lasted from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949 and marked an intensification of tensions between the Soviet Union and the western allies. In this article, the reader will be taken through the topic in detail, and learn the effects of the Berlin Blockade.

The Berlin Blockade: Origins and Context

The Berlin Blockade occurred in the post Second world war period where Germany was was divided into four zones that was occupied by the United States, USSR Great Britain , and France. Berlin which was located far in the rear of the Soviet zone also being divided into four sectors.

There were already tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies as powers on the eve of World War II. However, tensions related to these two aspects were aggravated by the Berlin Blockade. It was started after the Soviet Union launched the Trizone policy of its Western Allies who decided to amalgamate their zones of occupation into one economic bloc.

The Effects: Berlin Blockade

1. Isolation of West Berlin

The major aim of the, Berlin Blockade was to limit the freedom of movement of western powers which controlled west Berlin to the rest of west Germany. The Soviet Union blocked off all road, railway and waterway entry to the city meaning that it was ‘landlocked’. This aggravated a critical scarcity of food, fuel and medicine throughout the war and even post the war period.

2. The Berlin Airlift

Agonizing over the blockade the Western Allies launched the Berlin Airlift. For 263 days over eleven months planes flew relief supplies into West Berlin with a daily average of 4,500 metric tons. And was one of the greatest logistical achievements to symbolize the unyielding character of the Western allies.

3. Strengthening of NATO

Consequently the Berlin Blockade further cemented the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). After the war, the Western Allies considered Soviet aggression as direct threat to their security and so set up a collective defense system. The blockade showed the necessity to build collective security to act against Soviet and its invasive tendencies.

4. Escalation of the Arms Race

The Berlin Blockade also contributed to increasing the level of armament confrontation between the Soviet Union and the Western powers. This kind of perceptions created a threat about the concept of blockade and the western Allies started to step up their power by contracting their military budgets and launching new types of weapons. This was a turning point in the cold war because it is was in this year both the East and the West started beefing up their defense arsenal.

5. Spreading of East and West Germany

Another critical factor in the creation of the two Germans; East and West, was the Berlin Blockade. Thus, in September 1947, like in response to the blockade, the Western Allies began the procedure of the formation of a new German state in their occupation zones. This later resulted in the creation of Federal Republic of Germany( West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic(East Germany).

6. Propaganda Battle

The Berlin Blockade also led to a propaganda war between the two sides as well as frequent murderous incidents. The Western Allies used this crave to demonstrate their support for the people’s rights and freedom while portraying the Soviets as the culprits who were denying the latter their rights by staving them to death. The Soviet Union on the other hand was to present the blockade as a means of protecting their self interest.

Conclusion

The Berlin Blockade is considered to have been one of the critical events during the Cold War because it had many repercussions for it. While it showed determination and resolve on the part of the Western Allies it also dug a deeper trench between East and West Germany. It caused a deepening of the super-powers confrontation, primarily Soviet Union and the Western powers and generated the heightening of the arms race. Finally, the paper has highlighted the fact that the Berlin Blockade was instrumental in a defining the post World War II Europe.