CONFLICT OVER GERMANY 1947-49

Question 1

• WHAT WAS BIZONIA AND WHY DID IT CAUSE TENSIONS?

Answer 1

-JAN 1947, THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN ZONES OF GERMANY WERE MERGED TO BECOME BIZONIA
- CAUSED TENSIONS AS IT5 HIGHLIGHTED THE US AND BRITAINS SHARED GOAL OF REBUILDING GERMANY’S ECONOMY - THE SOVIETS SUGGESTED THAT GERMANY BE REUNIFIED BUT THIS WAS REJECTED AS THE US DID NOT WANT THE SOVIETS TO HAVE INFLUENCE OVER THE ECONOMY

Question 2

-WHAT WERE AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT AROUND GERMANY?

Answer 2

-DENAZIFICATION- WHO WAS TO BE TREATED AS A WAR CRIMINAL
-DEMOCRATIZATION- WESTERN STYLE LIBERAL DEMOCRACY? OR SOVIETY STYLE LAND REFORMS AND NATIONALISATION
-DECENTRALISATION- FROM WHERE AND HOW SHOULD GERMANY BE RUN
-REPARATIONS- US AND BRITAIN WERE UPSET BY THE EXTENT OF SOVIET REPARATIONS AND WORRIED THAT THEY WOULD HINDER GERMANYS ABILITY TO RECOVER

Question 3

• WHAT CAUSED THE BERLIN BLOCKADE JUNE 1948?

Answer 3

-MAIN TRIGGER- THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DEUTSCHE MARK IN 1948 AS THE SOVIETS WANTED A UNITED AND COMMUNIST GERMAN STATE AND THEY FELT THAT THIS MEANT THAT THE US WANTED TO MAKE GERMANY STRONG AGAIN WHILST THE SOVIETS WANTED THEM WEAK
- WESTERN COUNTRIES REFUSING TO CONTINUE GIVING THE SOVIETS REPARATIONS FROM THEIR ZONES
-1947 GERMANY IS SPLIT INTO EAST AND WEST GERMANY
- THE MARSHALL PLAN BEING EXTENDED TO WEST GERMANY
-WHEN CURRENCY REFORMS WERE INTRODUCED TO WEST BERLIN THE BLOCKADE HAPPENED

Question 4

-THE BERLIN BLOCKADE- JUNE 1948-MAY 1949- WHAT WAS IT?

Answer 4

• STALINS ATTEMPT TO FORCE THE WEST OUT OF BERLIN SO THEY COULD CONTROL IT
  -THE SOVIETS BLOCKADED ALL LAND AND WATER ROUTES INTO WEST BERLIN
• SOVIETS STOPPED SUPPLYING FOOD TO NON-SOVIET PARTS OF BERLIN AND CUT OFF ELECTRICITY

Question 5

• WHAT WAS THE US’ RESPONSE TO THE BLOCKADE?

Answer 5

-OPERATION VITTLES- THE US DECIDED TO FLY SUPPLIES OVER THE BLOCKADE AND INTO THEIR ZONE OF BERLIN AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD DO SO FOR HOWEVER LONG THE BLOCKADE LASTED
-SHOW OF US STRENGTH AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PROTECT COUNTRIES THEY ALLIED WITH IN A PEACEFUL MANNER
-EMBARRASSMENT FO THE SOVIETS

Question 6

-WHEN DID THE BERLIN BLOCKADE END?

Answer 6

-MAY 1949

Question 7

-WHAT WAS NATO AND WHEN WAS IT FORMED?

Answer 7

-NATO(NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY OPERATION) FORMED IN APRIL 1949
- BECAUSE OF THEN BERLIN BLOCKADE, WESTERN STATES FELT THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE COLLECTIVE SECURITY AGAINST THE USSR, THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED AGREED TO WORK TOWARDS PEACE BUT ESSENTIALLY IT WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT AN ATTACK AGAINST ONE MEMBER WOULD BE AN ATTACK AGAINST ALL

Question 8

• WHAT WAS THE SOVIETS REACTION TO NATO?

Answer 8

• SAW THE FORMATION OF NATO AS AN OPEN ACT OF AGRESSION AND DISAGREED WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD SE MILITARY AGRESSION TO THREATEN ANY COUNTRY IN EUROPE