The Berlin Blockade was initiated at the height of the early years of the cold war was essentially a stand off between the United States and the Soviet Union. For that, the causes and effects of the Berlin Blockade and how it intensified the Cold War shall be discussed in this blog post.
The Berlin Blockade: Background
Following World War II, Germany was divided into four occupied zones controlled by the Allies: United States, Soviet Union, Britain, and the France. The city of Berlin too was divided likewise because it was located deep within the Soviet-controlled zone.]
The relations between the Allied powers and the Soviet Union reciprocal therefore preceded the Berlin Blockade of 1948. The Stalin’s Soviet Union sought to sever contact with the West and control all of Berlin. Their intention was to bring pressure on the Allies to quit West Berlin and let the Soviet Union to gain full control.
The Blockade Begins
In June 24, 1948, the Soviet Union decided to effect a blockade on West Berlin meaning that no land or water means of transport were allowed in the city. This in effect completely cut off West berlin from the rest of he world meaning that residents could not obtain necessities such as food, fuel or medicines.
It sought to deprive West Berlin of necessities, thus ‘regime change’, coercing the Allies to withdraw from the city. But the Allies did not would give in, the blockade was considered a direct provocation to their presence in Germany.
The Berlin Airlift: A Humanitarian Response
In this case, and due to this blockade, the Western Allies, especially the United States launched the Berlin Airlift. Around eleven months between June 1948 and September 1949, planes brought food supplies to West Berlin into Tempelhof Airport.
It had become strongly associated with hope, it had become symbolic of determination. Constantly flying, the planes brought the number of tons of supplies that kept the population of West Berlin alive. Strategic to the Berlin Airlift was illustrative of the Allies determination and devotion to the protection of interest in the effected area, Germany.
The Consequences and Escalation
The have tremendous impact, made the United States and the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union push deeper into the Cold War. Here are some of the key ramifications:
1. Creation of Two German States
Thus, to the blockade, the Western Allies created the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) in May 1949. East Germany was formed by the Soviet Union to counter the West Germany in October of 1949. The division of Germany that took place created the geographical split, ideological and political split between two parts of the same nation preparing the decade of dispute and division.
2. NATO and Warsaw Pact
The blockade deepened the split between the west and the Soviets – NATO was founded in 1949. The original NATO was a defense force of western countries whose aim was to neutralize the soviet menace. In response, to this, the Soviet Union and its Eastern Europe allies developed a military alliance known as the Warsaw Pact which made two well established military blocks in Europe.
3. Arms Race and the Cold War Conflicts
The civil strife evaporated, but the Berlin Blockade, in general, increased tension during Cold War and contributed to the escalation of the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Airlift demonstrated military prowess of the Western countries and in response USSR raised its profile and stock pile of nuclear weapons. The possibility of an immediate collision between the superpowers became a permanent feature of political processes on the international level.
Conclusion
The Berlin Blockade can be seen as one of the foundational episodes of the history of the Cold War the significance of which cannot be underestimated. It also captured the relations between the ideological and political tenure of the Eastern and Western powers and thereby propelled the formation of two different German states. The Berlin Airlift showed the willingness of the Allies to defend its interests; at the same time it served to intensify tensions and reinforce the arms race. A historical analysis of the Berlin Blockade is important in presenting the events of the Cold War due to the fact that it presents the students with the major causes and effects of the blockade.