The Berlin Blockaid 1948-49 Flashcards
How did the USAs actions help to cause this crisis
West Germany and Berlin were benefiting from Marshall aid
GB and USA had combined their parts of west Germany to form bizonia then trizonia(French zone)
They introduced a new currency called Deutschmark across Trizonia
How did Stalin interpret these actions
The USSR believed that this was part of the USAs plan to rebuild Germany into a strong nation once more and to leave the soviet zones in poverty. Now two germanys had been created (east and west)
The west was more properous
Why did Stalin decide to impose a blockade on Berlin in June 1948
By blocking road and rail links from west Germany into West Berlin, Stalin hoped to test the strength o the USA and to force them into surrendering West Berlin where two million people lived free of soviet rule
Why did the USA and GB decide to fly in supplies to West Berlin
They could not break the road and rail blockade with force as this might be seen as an act of war; non stop flights (275,000) ensured that 1000tons of food and other necessities cane to West Berlin each day l. This was know as operation bottles or the Berlin airlift
Why did Stalin not shoot down the planes
This would be seen as aggressive act of war- furthermore the us had also stationed B28 bombers inGb capable of dropping the atom bomb on the soviets
What were the consequences of the blockade
- Stalin gave in and ended the blockade in may 1949
- the USA, GB and France combined their zones to form west Germany
- Stalin set up east Germany in 1949 west Germany refused to recognise it till the 1970s
- NATO a military alliance of western nations was set up in 1949 to ensure that any future attack by Stalin would met with force, west Germany joined in 1955
- Stalin set up the WARSAW PACT in 1955- a similar alliance of Eastern European countries, bu 1949 soviet scientists had also developed the atom bomb
