The Cold War was an intense period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States that lasted from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. One of the key events during this time was the Berlin Blockade. In this blog post, we will explore why the Berlin Blockade was a significant turning point in the Cold War and how it shaped the political landscape of the time.
1. The Background
After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied powers: the United States of America, the Soviet Union, United Kingdom and France. Indeed, Berlin, situated in the very centre of the Soviet zone, was also divided into four sectors. But relations between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies became strained which led to the blockade.
- The Blockade
The Soviet Union closed off the Western sectors of Berlin in 1948 in reaction to introducing a new currency, the Deutschmark, in the western parts of the city. The Soviet occupied all the passages which included the rail, roads and the canal to the city. This tended to cut off West Berlin from its supplies since it relied on outside supplies most of the time.
2.1 The Airlift
In order to alleviate the impact of the blockade the western Allies responded with an air lifting campaign that came to be known as the Berlin Airlift. C,
Non-stop for eleven straight months from June 1948 through May 1949, cargo planes delivered food, fuel and many other necessities to West Berlin. Thus, the starving of the population of the city as the result of the successful airlift did reflect the commitment in the eyes of the Western Allies towards the Soviet aggression as well.
- The Significance
The Berlin Blockade had several important repercussions in the context of the Cold War:
3.1 Symbolic Power Struggle: Its main factual content illustrated the conflict of interests between the Soviets and the Western Allies. The Soviets wanted to capture all of Berlin and the Western Allies wanted to secure their foothold, and keep West Berlin free.
3.2 Heightened Tensions: The blockade raised the stakes between two superpowers and also provided proof that the two were moving toward a bipolar world. It changed the strategy of the Cold War and could easily demonstrate the ideas and policies explosives between the two sides.
3.3 NATO Formation: The necessity of NATO, formed as the result of the so-called Berlin Blockade, refers to the same period. The Western Allies wanted to build up their defense against the Soviet Union and to attain collective security.
3.4 Economic Shift: The supply of the supplies to West Berlin through the airline showed how effective a free market economy was. It focused on the weaknesses of the Soviet command economy and exercised some influence on the further economic policies of the Cold War.
- The Aftermath
Although the division of Germany coupled with the Battle of Berlin officially began in September of 1948, the Berlin Blockade officially ended in May 1949. Consequently, the Soviet Union persisted in continuing its idea of walking away and creating a physical and political barrier between East and West Germany up until reunification in 1990. It would be a characteristic of the Cold War that division would make Berlin a symbol of the divided world.
4.1 Legacy
This paper aims to discuss Germany and historiographical perspectives on the Berlin Blockade. The reason for paying attention to the Berlin Blockade is that it gives an insight into the struggle and commitment that dominated the Cold War era. It also shows that the Western Allies could bear and sustain long the pressure in order to help the freedom and democracy’s causes.
- Conclusion
The main conclusion from the presented article can be considered as the statement that the Berlin Blockade was a significant event in the context of the Cold War, as well as the transitional stage in the relations between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. The Berlin Airlift also illuminated the allied’s support for democracy and freedom and at the same accentuated the Soviets’ resolve to infiltrate their hardness. In this way the effects of the blockade stand as a symbol of Cold War confrontation between ideologies and political systems.