Berlin Blockade Essay, Research Paper

On June 26, 1948 the largest airlift began as the American and British forces began the

Berlin Airlift. To understand how the airlift came to be, we have to look all the manner back

to the Yalta Conference. The Yalta Conference began in February 1945 in which the three

world powers, America, Russia and Britain, met to discourse the hereafter of station war Europe.

America and Russia were emerging as the two world powers, and their deteriorating

relationship would shortly take to many jobs that would develop in station war Europe.

Yalta saw the beginning of this deteriorating relationship. First, Stalin put a Communist

authorities in topographic point in Poland. Poland had been the path that enemies had used to

invade Russia on three separate occasions and Stalin felt he needed a friendly authorities

in power. Stalin had agreed to keep elections in liberated states following the war

which he broke when he established a communist authorities in Poland. Although the

U.S. and Britain had done the same thing when they put their ain authorities in Italy

following their licking, Stalin? s move in Poland still upset the other two world powers. U.S.

still needed Russia? s aid to contend the war in Japan so President Roosevelt had to be

careful non to upset Stalin. The communist authorities was allowed to remain in Poland but

the authorities was extended to include the Poles life in London that were suppose to

organize the authorities. Stalin made certain that the Communists ever had the bulk.

Besides in an effort to maintain good dealingss with Russia, Roosevelt agreed to let Russia

to take ten billion dollars from defeated Germany. Besides at Yalta, it was agreed that

station war Germany be divided into four occupational zones, which would go one of

the chief jobs taking to the Berlin Airlift. Russia was given the north E, the U.S.

was given the south E, Britain the north West, and France the south West. Berlin,

Germany? s capital, was besides divided into four occupational zones but Berlin was located

in Russia? s zone of business.

Soon following the war in the Pacific, the relationship between the world powers

would shortly get down to deteriorate further taking up to the Berlin Blockade. Soon Russia

and France began taking points from their zones in Germany to assist reconstruct their

fatherland that Germany had demolished. Germans populating in these zones began to travel

into the U.S. and Britain zones where life was much better. Before long the U.S. and

Britain could non afford to feed all the oral cavities traveling in. Russia and France used their

hatred for Germany as their alibi for what they were making but it soured the relationship

between the great powers. In the effort of the U.S. and Britain to assist reconstruct the

economic system of Germany they introduced a new currency, the Deutchmark, in U.S. , Britain

and Gallic zones. They got France to hold by back uping their reclaiming attempt of

French-Indo China. Knowing that Russia would non hold with the new currency, they

were non consulted. This broke the regulation that was set that anything that affected all of

Germany must be agreed upon by all zones. News besides began to come out about the

formation of Bizonia, the connection of the U.S. and British zones. Stalin, upset over non

being consulted over the currency issue and the intelligence of a Bizonia, saw this as a good

clip to acquire the Alliess out of Berlin. ? The Soviets halted first car, so flatboat, eventually all

railway traffic into the metropolis, sealing off the western part of Berlin controlled by

American, British, and Gallic forces. ? ( www.germanyinfo.org )

President Truman, who took over from Roosevelt after he passed off, had one

of the most of import determinations he would confront as President. By traveling into Russia? s

zone and seeking to interrupt the encirclement utilizing land forces Truman would put on the line the

possibility of get downing World War III. It was besides an election twelvemonth for Truman, the first he

had faced, and all eyes were watching him on this 1. Truman? s determination would

finally assist him win the election. Truman, missing the land forces to plug through

a encirclement and worried about get downing World War III opted to travel with the airlift to acquire

into Berlin. For the following 322 twenty-four hours, get downing June 26 1948, U.S. and Britain launched the

largest aerial resupply operation the universe has of all time seen. Major General Curtis E.LeMay

was commanding officer of the Air Forces in Europe. At his disposal he had 102 C-47? s, each

with a lading capacity of three dozenss and two of the larger C-54? s that could hale 10 dozenss a

trip. ? The first twenty-four hours 32 flights by the C-47? s were flown transporting 80 dozenss of

lading, chiefly powdered milk, flour, and medicine. ( www.fas.org. ) Soon attempts were

stepped up as

the U.S. increased their usage by the C-47? s and support arrived as new

C-54? s were delivered to assist. American functionaries shortly realized that they would non merely

hold to present nutrient but besides coal to heat the Germans places in the winter. Sine the bags

of coal would take up so much more room the airlift had to be stepped up and it was excessively

much for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. June 1 1948 the Military Air Transport Service was

formed and would go responsible for the airlift. The military Air Transport Service

was created by the amalgamation of Air Force and Navy transport units. Selected to command

the Berlin Airlift was Major General William H. Turner, a veteran of arial supply lines

from India to China during World War II. General Turner did non get in Germany until

tardily July 1948 and his first end was to rush up the bringing of the lading. His efforts to

velocity up the bringing would gain him the moniker of? Willie the Whip? . General

Turner had set a end to set down a plane every minute twenty-four hours or dark, which some crew

members came near to touching down a plane every three proceedingss. Supply delivers grew

from 500-700 dozenss a twenty-four hours in June 1948 to 12, 940 dozenss by April

1949. ( www.germany-info.org ) It was Easter Sunday, April 1949, that the system

delivered about 13,000 dozenss which set a record for a twenty-four hours? s tunnage and came to be known

as the Easter Parade. During the Easter Parade the equivalent of 600 railway autos of coal

was delivered by the airlift. ( www.fas.org. ) The attempt to present the sum of tunnage

they required teamwork by everyone involved. First, fuel and majority lading were sent by

ships across the Atlantic from U.S. to Germany. Once in Germany the lading was shipped

to one of the U.S. Air Force landing fields: two were in the American zone and two in the

British zone. Cargo from the American zone went to the Templehof Airfield and in the

British zone lading went to Gatow Airport. The lading was so loaded and flown into

Berlin by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Royal Air Force. The Berlin Airlift was merely

successful because of the attempts of all parties involved. One of the most eagerly

anticipated points brought in was confect for the metropoliss kids. ? Operation Little Villies?

began when American flyer, Lt. Gail S. Halverson had promised the kids he would

conveying them more confect on his following trip. Halverson told the kids to watch for as he

would jiggle the wing of his plane to allow them cognize it was him. Lt. Halverson kept his

promise by jiggling the wing of his plane and dropping confect attached to parachutes for

the thirstily anticipating kids. His kindness earned him the moniker? Uncle Wiggle

Flying? and word shortly caught on as school kids in the U.S. began candy aggregations

for the kids of Berlin.

The Americans and British were good in their rights in utilizing the air passages into

Berlin so at that place was non much Stalin could make about it. Soviet forces harassed but did non

onslaught the lading planes of the Anglo-American confederation. By the spring of 1949 it had

become obvious that the harassment tactics of the Soviets did non discourage the American and

British attempts of conveying supplies into Berlin. Soon After the Soviet Union entered into

dialogues that would take to an understanding signed on May5 1949 which would see the

encirclement lifted. Diplomatic historian John Gaddis of Yale University said, ? It seems to

me it? s the first clear Soviet licking in the Cold War. It? s the lone thing that the Soviets

started and failed to finish. ? ( www.nandonet.com ) The airlift would go on until

September 30 1949 as the U.S. and Britain built up a mass modesty of supplies in the event

that the Soviets reimposed the encirclement.

Between June 26, 1948 and September 30 1949 more than 2.3 million dozenss of

lading was delivered to Berlin. American pilots flew over 92 million stat mis in more than

189,000 flights before the 322 twenty-four hours ordeal would come to an terminal. Throughout the

encirclement all eyes were on the world powers and their leaders but when all was said and

done it was Stalin and the Soviets that blinked foremost. The Berlin Airlift is still remembered

today as one of the greatest efforts in air power history.

Beating the Berlin Blockade

1 ) LaFeber, Walter. America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945-1996. United States:

McGraw Hill 1997

2 ) Keylor, William R. The Twentieth Century World: An International History. New

York:

Oxford University Press 1996

3 ) ? Berlin Airlift? Barnes & A ; Baronial New American Encyclopedia. 1991 erectile dysfunction.

4 ) Internet. www.germany-info.org/gnew/airlift.htm

5 ) Internet. World Wide Web. fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/berlin_airlift.htm

6 ) Internet. www.bbaa.clara.net/date.htm

7 ) Internet. www.nandonet.com