Cold war was a state of political rivalry and hostility between America and Soviet which span after the second World War and ended early 1990s. One of the major events that took in this period happened in Berlin Germany. In the following blog post, I aim at analyzing one of the major Cold War events that defined the history of the city and becoming its major symbol, the Berlin Airlift.
1. Historical detail of the division of Berlin
Following the post World War II Germany was occupied and being geographically divided between the Allied powers. Despite the fact that Germany was shared between the Soviet occupational powers, Berlin itself became the divided city positioned in the Soviet-occupied zone but at the same time divided in four sectors occupied byAmerica, the USSR, Great Britain, and France. Because of the contradictory ideas and objectives of the Soviets and the Western allies of Germany, the Soviets and the Western allies partitioned Germany into East and West Germany respectively.
- Both The Blockade and the Berlin Airlift seems to have been precipitated by the Soviet ambition to take full control over East Germany.
The Cold War started in 1947 when the Soviet Union, as a demonstration of power stopped all road, rail and water supplies to West Berlin. This was done due to the fact that Soviets considered introduction of a new currency in West Germany as a threat. The blockade was designed to bring pressure on the Western powers to quit their zones in Berlin and make it a completely Soviet city.
In response to this, the United States, and her allies began to drop food, fuel, clothes, and other necessities through aerial drops in what came to be known as the Berlin Airlift. For more than a year the transport planes of the Western powers did not cease operations to deliver supplies to the besieged city.
2.1 The Logistics
Operation Torch needed a more strategic and delicate planning than the Atlantic bridge. Tempelhof airport was utilized as the main base for the operation with planes arriving and departing at any one time. Unfortunately the western powers were able accomplish an efficient airlift in the face of great adversity, keeping supplies flowing constantly.
The overall daily distribution average rose to 8,000 tones to adequately feed the people of West Berlin during the blockade. Hence airlift pilots got the name “Airlift Angels” and their hard work for the task and courage really helped the operation.
2.2 The Impact and Resolution
Food aid was not the only aspect affected during the Berlin Airlift but political linkages as well were highly influenced. The vigour of the Western powers just showed the strength readiness of the westerners to ensure the liberty and welfare of the populace of West Berlin. This event solidified the division between East and West, eventually leading to the creation of two separate German states: they include; the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
3. Berlin Airlift-Experience Gained
The Berlin Airlift demonstrated to the world that they needed cooperation, determination and creative solution to deal with any difficult situation that the soviet block would put in front of the Western democracy. It focused on the need for the provision of food and material assistance and showed how organizations can come together to confront previously unimaginable obstacles.
In addition, the Berlin Airlift contributed tremendously to shapes the course of the Cold War. It demonstrated that U.S and the allies were ready to fight USSR for the freedom and democracy against the evil Soviet invasion.
4. Conclusion
The Berlin Airlift will be shown to be a major event in the onset of Cold War in post Second World War divided city of Berlin. It has become a clear reflection of the indomitable force of the communities and symbol of the cold war between the east and thewest. The appeal and the stand out of the West Berlin people was indeed a morale boost to the West for not only was the inhabitants of West Berlin being supplied but also the geopolitics of the cold war was impacted by the universally successful and symbolic supply through air drops after the Soviet blockade as the west fought back led by the US.
The lesson of the Berlin Airlift is that even in the worst of the situation, the will to co-operate, to work hard, work together to share the core principles to achieve the best outcome, the best result. It remains a bright example of how acts of struggle can be solved with and the ways to influence the history assisting those in suffering.
