The Berlin Blockade & Airlift – 1948-49
Causes:
- In March 1948, ‘Trizonia’ was created – the USA’s, Britain’s and France’s section of Germany combined.
Unintentionally, Germany and Berlin were split into two parts.
o Stalin saw it as a means of developing the three zones more effectively and deliberately forcing the Soviet
zone into poverty. He believed Germany should be one united country that followed communist ideology.
- In June 1948, the three allies made a new currency – the Deutschmark – to give Trizonia economic unity.
o The new currency created a separate economic unit from the East.
o It acknowledged that there were in effect two Germanys: West and East
Narrative:
- The Western occupied zones of Berlin were vulnerable because they were surrounded by Soviet territory. There were
only two agreed land routes and two air routes or ‘corridors’ across the Soviet Zone of Germany to Western occupied
Berlin.
- In June 1948, Stalin shut off the land routes into Berlin – known as the Berlin Blockade
o Wanted to show Trizonia that a divided Germany would not work.
o The main section of Trizonia in Berlin was able to communicate and feed the people of Berlin.
o If the blockade was successful, Stalin would win a huge propaganda success at the expense of the West.
Might also mean the Western powers would give up control of their zones in Berlin and allow the whole of
the capital to be controlled by the Soviet Union.
o Direct challenge to Truman – Stalin knew he could not ignore the blockade because of his recent speech
about defending the world from communism – Truman Doctrine.
o The West knew if they tried to force supplies into Berlin, this would be seen as a potential act of war and
might lead to direct military confrontation. Led to the berlin Airlift to not increase Tensions.
- Operation Vittles – The Berlin Airlift 1948-49
o The West flew food, coal and other necessities along the air corridors. Pilots took a risk as they were not
sure if the Soviets would shoot them down.
o The people of West Berlin and Western troops in the city joined forces to build a runway at the old airport
Berlin-Tempelhof and a whole new airport at Berlin-Tegel.
o Ordinary citizens helped unload the planes and hand out the essential supplies to all that needed them.
o The Americans flew 1,000 tones of supplies every day.
o In January 1949, the peak month of flying, 170,000 tonnes of supplies were sent into Berlin by aircraft.
- On 9th May 1949, the Soviets gave in and lifted the blockade. There were no Allied casualties, military or civilian.
Stalin’s attempt to win a propaganda victory backfired. The West responded in a peaceful way making it look like an
unwise and aggressive act by Stalin.
Consequences:
- The separation of East and West Germany seemed like it would continue.
- The FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) for West Germany was set up on the 23rd of May 1949.
o Had a parliament – called the Bundestog.
o Konrad Adernauer was elected chancellor.
o Important because the FRG was seen as a country, and it allowed democracy. Worried Stalin as democracy
and capitalistic views were spreading into Germany and he wanted it to be under communist control and
ideology.
- Stalin responded to the FRG by creating the GDR (German Democratic Republic) in October 1949.
o Only communist bloc countries recognised it as a nation.
o The FRG refused to recognise that Germany has been split into two until the 1970s.
- Creation of NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
o A formal military alliance was created in order to protect themselves from the Soviet Union.
o Made to send a message to Stalin about their determination to stand firm against communism.
o Resulted in an ongoing American military presence in Europe throughout the Cold War which worried Stalin.
, The Arms Race – Soviet Union v. USA – 1950-58
Significance:
- The USA felt secure they were the only country in the world with an atomic bomb – developed in 1945. Truman
considered the bomb an important counter to the Soviet Union's much larger stocks of conventional weapons.
- However, the Soviet Union developed a atomic bomb by 1949.
- In response, the USA developed a hydrogen bomb in 1952.
o 1,000 times more powerful that the atomic bomb and restored the American advantage.
- In 1953, the Soviet Union had a hydrogen bomb.
- In 1957, the USA developed the ICBM (Inter-continental ballistic missile)
o Could fire a nuclear warhead at a target more than 4,500 kilometers away.
- After a few months, the Soviet Union too began testing their own ICBMs.
- Led to a change in thinking about war – both sides’ nuclear weapons could have destroyed the world many times
over. Previously, weapons and armed forces were developed to win wars but now they were being developed to try
and stop the other side from going to war at all. Since both sides understood the risks involved with using nuclear
weapons they acted as a deterrent – a force that prevents something from happening.
The Hungarian Uprising – 1956
Causes:
- During 1956, the people of Hungary began protesting about their lack of political freedom and problems created by
fuel shortages and poor harvests.
- In October 1956, there were riots in the capital, Budapest, and police clashed with protesters. Soviet troops restored
order by replacing the prime minister Rakosi with Imre Nagy.
o A former prime minister who believed that within a communist regime, there should still be personal
freedoms. Khrushchev hoped his appointment would end the protests.
- Within a few days, Nagy announced a set of proposed reforms.
o He organised the Hungarian government to include members of non-communist parties – ending the one-
party state in Hungary.
o Authorised the immediate release of political prisoners.
o Persuaded Khrushchev to withdraw Soviet troops from Hungary.
- On 1st November 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact.
o Khrushchev was not happy because if Hungary broke away, other Eastern European countries might follow
and the strategy of achieving security for the Soviet Union by surrounding itself with pro-communist
countries would be under threat.
Narrative:
- Khrushchev ordered a Soviet invasion of Hungary on the 4th of November 1956
o 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest.
o Supporters of Nagy fought back – became known as the Hungarian Uprising – and asked the West for
support but none came. The US policy of containment meant that there may be a situation where the USA
would take military action to prevent the Soviet Union spreading communism beyond the satellite states, it
was not prepared to interfere in the affairs of an existing communist country. A military attack on a Soviet
satellite state could trigger a nuclear war and the destruction of both sides.
o Around 20,000 Hungarians were killed as the Soviet forces re-established control.
o A new pro-communist government was set up under Janos Kadar.
Causes:
- In March 1948, ‘Trizonia’ was created – the USA’s, Britain’s and France’s section of Germany combined.
Unintentionally, Germany and Berlin were split into two parts.
o Stalin saw it as a means of developing the three zones more effectively and deliberately forcing the Soviet
zone into poverty. He believed Germany should be one united country that followed communist ideology.
- In June 1948, the three allies made a new currency – the Deutschmark – to give Trizonia economic unity.
o The new currency created a separate economic unit from the East.
o It acknowledged that there were in effect two Germanys: West and East
Narrative:
- The Western occupied zones of Berlin were vulnerable because they were surrounded by Soviet territory. There were
only two agreed land routes and two air routes or ‘corridors’ across the Soviet Zone of Germany to Western occupied
Berlin.
- In June 1948, Stalin shut off the land routes into Berlin – known as the Berlin Blockade
o Wanted to show Trizonia that a divided Germany would not work.
o The main section of Trizonia in Berlin was able to communicate and feed the people of Berlin.
o If the blockade was successful, Stalin would win a huge propaganda success at the expense of the West.
Might also mean the Western powers would give up control of their zones in Berlin and allow the whole of
the capital to be controlled by the Soviet Union.
o Direct challenge to Truman – Stalin knew he could not ignore the blockade because of his recent speech
about defending the world from communism – Truman Doctrine.
o The West knew if they tried to force supplies into Berlin, this would be seen as a potential act of war and
might lead to direct military confrontation. Led to the berlin Airlift to not increase Tensions.
- Operation Vittles – The Berlin Airlift 1948-49
o The West flew food, coal and other necessities along the air corridors. Pilots took a risk as they were not
sure if the Soviets would shoot them down.
o The people of West Berlin and Western troops in the city joined forces to build a runway at the old airport
Berlin-Tempelhof and a whole new airport at Berlin-Tegel.
o Ordinary citizens helped unload the planes and hand out the essential supplies to all that needed them.
o The Americans flew 1,000 tones of supplies every day.
o In January 1949, the peak month of flying, 170,000 tonnes of supplies were sent into Berlin by aircraft.
- On 9th May 1949, the Soviets gave in and lifted the blockade. There were no Allied casualties, military or civilian.
Stalin’s attempt to win a propaganda victory backfired. The West responded in a peaceful way making it look like an
unwise and aggressive act by Stalin.
Consequences:
- The separation of East and West Germany seemed like it would continue.
- The FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) for West Germany was set up on the 23rd of May 1949.
o Had a parliament – called the Bundestog.
o Konrad Adernauer was elected chancellor.
o Important because the FRG was seen as a country, and it allowed democracy. Worried Stalin as democracy
and capitalistic views were spreading into Germany and he wanted it to be under communist control and
ideology.
- Stalin responded to the FRG by creating the GDR (German Democratic Republic) in October 1949.
o Only communist bloc countries recognised it as a nation.
o The FRG refused to recognise that Germany has been split into two until the 1970s.
- Creation of NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
o A formal military alliance was created in order to protect themselves from the Soviet Union.
o Made to send a message to Stalin about their determination to stand firm against communism.
o Resulted in an ongoing American military presence in Europe throughout the Cold War which worried Stalin.
, The Arms Race – Soviet Union v. USA – 1950-58
Significance:
- The USA felt secure they were the only country in the world with an atomic bomb – developed in 1945. Truman
considered the bomb an important counter to the Soviet Union's much larger stocks of conventional weapons.
- However, the Soviet Union developed a atomic bomb by 1949.
- In response, the USA developed a hydrogen bomb in 1952.
o 1,000 times more powerful that the atomic bomb and restored the American advantage.
- In 1953, the Soviet Union had a hydrogen bomb.
- In 1957, the USA developed the ICBM (Inter-continental ballistic missile)
o Could fire a nuclear warhead at a target more than 4,500 kilometers away.
- After a few months, the Soviet Union too began testing their own ICBMs.
- Led to a change in thinking about war – both sides’ nuclear weapons could have destroyed the world many times
over. Previously, weapons and armed forces were developed to win wars but now they were being developed to try
and stop the other side from going to war at all. Since both sides understood the risks involved with using nuclear
weapons they acted as a deterrent – a force that prevents something from happening.
The Hungarian Uprising – 1956
Causes:
- During 1956, the people of Hungary began protesting about their lack of political freedom and problems created by
fuel shortages and poor harvests.
- In October 1956, there were riots in the capital, Budapest, and police clashed with protesters. Soviet troops restored
order by replacing the prime minister Rakosi with Imre Nagy.
o A former prime minister who believed that within a communist regime, there should still be personal
freedoms. Khrushchev hoped his appointment would end the protests.
- Within a few days, Nagy announced a set of proposed reforms.
o He organised the Hungarian government to include members of non-communist parties – ending the one-
party state in Hungary.
o Authorised the immediate release of political prisoners.
o Persuaded Khrushchev to withdraw Soviet troops from Hungary.
- On 1st November 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact.
o Khrushchev was not happy because if Hungary broke away, other Eastern European countries might follow
and the strategy of achieving security for the Soviet Union by surrounding itself with pro-communist
countries would be under threat.
Narrative:
- Khrushchev ordered a Soviet invasion of Hungary on the 4th of November 1956
o 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest.
o Supporters of Nagy fought back – became known as the Hungarian Uprising – and asked the West for
support but none came. The US policy of containment meant that there may be a situation where the USA
would take military action to prevent the Soviet Union spreading communism beyond the satellite states, it
was not prepared to interfere in the affairs of an existing communist country. A military attack on a Soviet
satellite state could trigger a nuclear war and the destruction of both sides.
o Around 20,000 Hungarians were killed as the Soviet forces re-established control.
o A new pro-communist government was set up under Janos Kadar.
