Berlin Blockade & Berlin Airlift
historical context:
- Potsdam Agreement (July and August 1945)
- Marshall Plan
- Six-Powers-Conference (February to June 1948)
- Soviet delegation left the Allied Control Council (20 March 1948)
- Soviets restricted traffic between Western Allies’ zones and West Berlin(25 March 1948)
- April Crisis
- currency crisis (June 1948)
the beginnings of the Berlin Blockade:
- Berlin Blockade began on 24 and 25 June 1948
transport by rail and roads as well as shipping traffic stopped
electricity cut off
food supply of non-Soviet sectors ended
air corridors only transport routes left
- West Berlin had food for 36 days and coal for 45 days
- 1500 tons of food and 3500 tons of coal (per day) needed to supply West Berlin
- US Air Force able to transport 300 tons a day and Royal Air Force 400 tons a day
Why did the Western Allies make the effort to stay in Berlin?
(cf. Sources of Modern History, “Ernest Bevin on the Significance of Germany” (July 1948), p.107+108)
- strong Germany as a barrier to Communism (cf. ll. 16-21)
- West Berlin as “a means to an end” (l.65)
control over West Germany
- “symbol of German unity” (ll.41+42) and “the last democratic island in the Soviet sphere” (ll. 52+53)
prestige
support of European freethinkers (especially the German people)
- Blockade as a Soviet bluff to gain influence
no escalation expected
Berlin Airlift strengthened the Western Allies’ bargaining position
the course of the Berlin Airlift:
- “Operation Vittles” started on 25 June 1948 and “Operation Plainfare” on 28 June 1948
- after two weeks 1000 tons were flown to Berlin every day
- William H. Tunner (“Tonnage Tunner”) became commander of “Operation Vittles” (28 July 1948)
aimed at 1440 landings a day
- changed “the ladder”
- improved unloading
- introduced Instrument flight rules
- introduced a common control center
accident rates and delays decreased drastically
daily tonnage increased to 5,000 tons
- in winter 1948/49 more coal was needed
Ground Controlled Approach radar system installed
runways improved by using asphalt and concrete
France built the airport Tegel within 90 days (August to November 1948)
- heavy machinery flown to Berlin
- Soviet radio tower blasted
- however, the Airlift almost failed due to bad weather conditions
- situation settled down in spring 1949
- William H. Tunner wanted to boost the Airlift by a new record on Easter Sunday
13,000 tons delivered (16 April 1949)
Airlift exceeded the “pre-Blockade tonnage”
- Berlin Blockade ended on 12 May 1949
- Berlin Airlift officially ended on 30 September 1949
Soviet reaction during the Airlift:
- Communists invaded the Stadtverordnetenversammlung von Groß-Berlin several times
SED boycotted the parliament
- free food for emigrants offered
- 733 events registered that aimed at disturbing the Airlift
- propaganda
basic facts:
- participants:
United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand & South Africa
- tonnage:
United States delivered about 1,800,000 tons
United Kingdom delivered about 550,000 tons
- 278,228 flights
- when the Airlift reached its peak, every thirty seconds one plane landed in West Berlin
- 101 pilots died during the Airlift
the consequences:
- Airlift improved co-operation between the Western Allies
- Berlin Blockade proved the Soviet Union to threaten the First World (the West)
sources:
by Max Cleve
- Sources of Modern History (Klett)
- Horizonte(westermann)
- Germany (Oxford Advanced History)
- Germany 1848-1991 (Collins)
by Max Cleve