Berlin Blockade

-

Divided Berlin

  • After WW2, Germany and Berlin were divided into four zones.
  • All the zones were in economic chaos.
  • Stalin feared a recovering Germany, so wanted to cripple it.
  • In 1946, France, Britain and the USA combined their zones, and in 1948 they reformed the currency.

The Blockade

  • Stalin felt that the USA's handling of Germany was provocative.
  • In June 1948, Stalin blocked off all supply lines, cutting off 2 million people in West Berlin.
  • If US tanks did try to ram the blocks imposed, it would be seen as an act of war.
  • Truman wanted to show that he was serious about his policy of containment.

The Berlin Airlift

  • The only way into Berlin was air.
  • In June 1948, the Allies decided to airlift supplies to West Berlin.
  • For the next ten months, planes were bringing in everything West Berliners needed with the planes coming in 3 times a minute.
  • By May 1949, it was clear that the Allies weren't going to give up so Stalin reopened the communications.

Consequences of the Blockade

Two Germanys
  • In May 1949, the British, French and American zones became the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany).
  • In October 1949, the Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
A Symbol 
  • Germany stayed divided for 41 years.
  • For Americans, West Berlin and Germany was "an oasis of democratic freedom".
  • For the Soviets, it was "an invasive cancer".
Cold War
  • The tension between the Americans ans Soviets increased.
  • They would be publicly suspicious of each other, obstruct each other and make masses of  propaganda against each other.
  • However, they wouldn't actually fight because after two world wars no one wanted or was able to have another war.
NATO and the Warsaw Pact
  • During the Berlin Blockade, war seemed like a real possibility.
  • Western Powers met in Washington DC and signed NATO in April 1942 (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).
  • In 1955 NATO powers allowed Germany into it.
  • In response, the USSR and countries under its sphere of influence formed the Warsaw Pact alliance.
  • In the Warsaw Pact, they agreed to defend each other and not to interfere in other countries affairs and 'independence' was given to each state.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hazardous Environments - 3.1 (Tropical Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons; Earthquakes and Volcanoes)

-
Image
Tropical Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons What is the difference between the three? Cyclones are formed in the Indian Ocean, hurricanes in the Middle Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific Ocean.  Cause:  Start when high temperatures cause air to rise from the surface of the sea. The rising air causes local thunderstorms, and sometimes these storms come together and create a strong flow of warm, rapidly rising air, creating an area of increasingly low pressure. (Applies to hurricanes + typhoons as well) Ocean water must be 26 degrees celsius and at least 50 metres deep to form a cyclone/hurricane/typhoon. Characteristics Have very low pressure Often 600-900 km across Bring torrential rain, thunder, lightning, and strong winds Can cause widespread damage On average last for 10 days, but can last for up to 4 weeks Have to form on large bodies of water Don't remain where formed. They follow the direction of prevailing winds and ocean cur...
Read more

Nazi Germany

-
Hitler's Early Role in the Nazi Party 1919 - Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), a right-wing group led by Anton Drexler. 1920 - Hitler became the Party's leading public speaker and propagandist. 1920 - Name changes to National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) 1921 - Hitler is elected Party Chairman and leader of the Nazis. Nazi Ideology Fuhrer The idea that there should be a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy. Autarky The idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient. A strong Germany The Treaty of Versailles should be destroyed and all German-speaking people united in one country. Germany was in danger Communists and Jews were a 'threat' that needed to be dead. Lebensraum The need for 'living space' for the German nation to expand. Social Darwinism The idea that the Aryan race was superior and Jews were 'subhuman'. Changes to ...
Read more

Weimar Republic

-
Weimar Republic On November 9th, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm 2 abdicated his throne after people revolted and he refused to make Germany more democratic. The next day, Friedrich Ebert (who was socialist_ became the new leader of the Republic of Germany, and the next day signed an armistice. Strengths of the Weimar Constitution A Bill of rights guaranteed every Germany citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law. All men and women over the age of 20 could vote. There was an elected president and an elected Reichstag. The Reichstag made the laws and appointed the government. Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution Proportional Representation Weimar Germans voted for a party, not an MP. Each party was then allocated seats in the Reichstag exactly reflecting the number of people who had voted for it, which meant that there were lots of tiny parties and no one got the majority, Article 48 In an 'emergency', the president didn't need t...
Read more