Consequences of the Berlin Blockade (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Zoe WadeExpertise
History
Why Did the USSR Begin the Berlin Blockade?
The Potsdam Conference agreed to split Berlin into two parts:
The USA, Britain and France occupied the western zone
The USSR occupied the eastern zone
Exam Tip
Students get confused between Bizonia and Trizonia. Bizonia combined Britain's and the USA’s territory in Germany. Trizonia is when France combined their territory with Bizonia in 1948
Trizonia introduced the Deutschmark in June 1948
This was the breaking point for Stalin
The USSR believed that the Western powers had no right to Berlin
Berlin fell within East Germany
Trizonia threatened the power of the USSR in Germany
The Deutschmark split Berlin into two different economic zones
Capitalist Trizonia had a better economy
This would make the USSR look weak
By 1948, Stalin decided that blockading Berlin would force the West out of Berlin
How Did the USSR Blockade Berlin?
The USSR could control access to Berlin
It was deep inside the Soviet-occupied zone
Trizonia only had two agreed land routes and two air routes to West Berlin
In June 1948, the USSR closed road, rail and canal links across Soviet-controlled Germany
Without the support of the USA, Britain and France, West Berlin
Only had enough food for 36 days
Lacked important resources like fuel and medicine
Stalin wanted to control the whole of Berlin
It was the capital city of Germany
The USSR could spread Communist ideas
Stalin would gain a propaganda victory
He could present the capture of Berlin as a triumph of Communism over capitalism
How Did the West React to the Blockade?
The USA, Britain and France were in a challenging position after the announcement of the blockade in June 1948
The West risked war if they attempted to break the blockade
Doing nothing would give Berlin to the USSR
Without the support of the West, West Berlin would quickly run out of food, fuel and medical supplies
They had three options to respond to the blockade:
Worked Example
Study Sources C and D
Does Source C make Source D surprising? Explain your answer using details of the sources and your knowledge
8 marks
Source C: From the diary of a US official, 28 June 1948 Meeting at White House about the Berlin Situation. When the question was discussed – do we stay in Berlin or not? – President Truman interrupted to say that there was no discussion on that point, we were going to stay. We were in Berlin by terms of an agreement and the Russians had no right to get us out by either direct or indirect pressure |
Source D: From an American newspaper, 12 September 1948 After repeated meetings between the Western representatives and Stalin the hope was expressed that the Berlin blockade was about to be lifted. Yet the blockade continues and even air communications between the Western zones and Berlin are now under threat. The seizure of the Berlin City Hall by the Communists appears to be only a matter of time. When that happens the position of the Western powers will be far more difficult. Russia is holding the trump cards in Berlin and will only give in at a price too high for the Western powers. Besides, any bargain that one may strike with Moscow today will not be kept by Stalin. The activities of Russia in Berlin will convince any sensible person that Moscow is trying to drive the Western Allies to a declaration of war, in which they will be branded the aggressors. The longer the Western Allies remain in Berlin as targets of constant humiliations by the Soviet power, the greater the danger of plunging Europe into another war. The Western Allies can pull out of Berlin with dignity and get back to their own zones on the excellent grounds that co-operation with Russia is no longer possible. They can then establish their military, economic and political front along their Russian border and meet the Soviets on even terms |
Partial answer:
Source C does make Source D surprising as they disagree about whether the USA should pull out of Berlin to end the blockade (1). Source C states that “President Truman interrupted to say that there was no discussion on that point, we were going to stay”. However, Source D argues that ”The longer the Western Allies remain in Berlin, the greater the danger of plunging Europe into another war” (1). As Source D is an American newspaper, it may represent many Americans' opinions of the Berlin Blockade. As a result, it is surprising to see that keeping West Berlin may not have been as important to the US public as it was to President Truman (1).
Exam Tip
To answer this style of question in Paper Two, you should aim to:
State how surprising the information in Source C is when compared to Source D. To do this, you need to understand the different outlooks of both sources on a specific event. Ensure you clearly state in a sentence if Source C makes Source D surprising
Use quotes from both sources. This is needed to show where the sources differ
Compare the two sources, using your own knowledge. In this example, you could discuss if Truman was willing to go to war over Berlin as Source D expresses fear that this may happen.
What was the Berlin Airlift?
In June 1948, the West decided to fly supplies into Berlin. This was a clever tactic because
It was not an aggressive action
The USSR would start a war if they shot any planes down
From June 1948 to May 1949, the Berlin Airlift (codename Operation Vittles) flew vital supplies to West Berlin
The Impact of the Berlin Crisis
The Berlin Airlift had negative impacts on Stalin
He could not stop the airlift
Shooting down planes carrying supplies would lead to war
It humiliated the USSR
By doing nothing, the USSR looked weak
On 12th May 1949, the USSR lifted the Berlin Blockade
The Western Allies continued to fly in supplies until 30th September 1949
The Berlin Airlift was a massive victory for the West over the East
This worsened tension between the two ‘superpowers’
Several key events happened partly as a result of the Berlin Crisis:
Exam Tip
A Paper One exam question could ask you if you agree that the Cold War started during the Berlin Crisis in 1948. A strong response for this Paper One question needs to examine both sides of the argument using a clear PEE structure.
Arguments for: The Berlin Blockade was the first event that could have caused a war. Both countries decided not to physically fight but wanted to win a propaganda victory. The crisis ended with the official division of East and West Germany.
Arguments against: The Potsdam Conference in 1945 broke the US-Soviet alliance. Events such as the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech and the creation of Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe could be seen as the start of the Cold War.
You would then need to write a conclusion explaining how far you agree that the Cold War began because of the Berlin Crisis. Remember to use phrases like ‘fully’ or ‘partially’ to explain the level which you agree or disagree with the statement.
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