What was the significance of the Berlin Crisis of 1948-49?

Learning objective – to be able to explain the causes and consequences of the Berlin Crisis of 1948 and 1949. I can describe the key features of the Berlin Crisis of 1948 and 1949. Grade D I can explain the key causes and consequences of the Berlin Crisis of 1948 and 1949. Grade B I can evaluate the impact of the causes and consequences of the Berlin Crisis of 1948 and 1949. Grade A

There are a lot of events with the word Berlin in them in this lesson There are a lot of events with the word Berlin in them in this lesson. KNOW the difference between them! The Berlin Crisis is the overall name given to the events in Berlin between 1948 and 1949. The Berlin Blockade refers to Stalin’s actions of blocking the West access to Berlin in 1948 and 1949. The Berlin Airlift describes America’s reaction to Stalin’s blockade of Berlin by airlifting aid to West Berlin.

What disagreements were there over Germany at the end of the Second World War? There were four key disagreements between East and West over how to deal with Germany in 1945. Should a reunited Germany be part of the Soviet sphere of influence or the American sphere or be neutral. Should Germany have a communist or capitalist government? Should Germany receive aid? Should troops from the USSR and/or America remain in Germany?

What was Germany like between 1945-7? In 1945, Germany and its capital Berlin were divided into four military occupation zones. The zones were controlled by USA, USSR, Britain and France. Berlin was deep inside the USSR zone and to get to their military zones in Berlin, USA, Britain and France had to use specially assigned roads, rail links and canals.

What caused the Berlin Crisis? The Deutschmark and Trizonia Tensions heightened in 1946 between USSR and the west as Britain and USA wanted to make Germany economic strong while USSR wanted to keep Germany weak and divided. To make Germany economically strong, the USA and Britain introduced the new Deutschmark into their zones and joined their two zones together to make Bizonia. In February 1948, the French zone joined to form Trizonia. These three zones wanted to make closer ties by forming a German Assembly and drawing up a constitution. The USSR zone was isolated.

What caused the Berlin Crisis? The Deutschmark in Berlin The USSR saw a reunited Germany as a threat but caused greater alarm was the decision by the western powers to extend the Deutschmark into their zones in Berlin. The USSR was totally against this decision but the western powers went ahead and the Deutschmark was introduced into the three Berlin zones in June 1948. Soon, Berliners found that the Deutschmark was worth more than the Soviet zone mark as well as Marshall Aid being pumped into Western Germany.

What caused the Berlin Crisis? Stalin and Berlin Berlin was in the heart of the Soviet eastern zone of Germany. Stalin did not want the Allies to have access to Berlin despite the agreement to have certain road, rail, air and canal links to Berlin from the West. Stalin saw that West Berlin was beginning to greatly benefit from Marshall Aid, and he feared that people living in the Soviet zone of Germany would want to move to the West. With the success of aid and a new currency in the Western zones of Germany, Stalin became more confrontational and tried to force the West out of Berlin.

What caused the Berlin Crisis? Stalin’s reaction Stalin reacted aggressively. In the middle of June the main autobahn into West Berlin was closed on the pretext for repairs. Soon afterwards, USSR stopped all rail links between Berlin and Western Germany. West Berlin, with 3.5 million people, was now isolated from the west and dangerously short of power supplies and food. Berlin could starve in weeks and Stalin hoped that this tactic would force the Western allies out of Berlin.

What was the Berlin Airlift? With all land links blockaded, the only way of reaching western-controlled Berlin was by the air. There were three air corridors and two airports – which were agreed in 1945 – that the west could reach Berlin. Truman and Atlee decided to overcome the Blockade by supplying their Berlin zones by air. This would involve sending 2,000 tonnes of supplies per day and would be a round-the-clock activity. The plan to beat the Blockade was called Operation Vittle.

Was the Berlin Airlift successful? The airlift began on 26th June 1948 and USA and Britain realised that 2,000 tonnes of supplies were not enough – at least 5,000 tonnes were needed. USSR felt that the airlift could do enough to supply Berlin and to intimidate the western planes, they flew fighter planes beside them. In the event, 278,000 flights were made, supplying Berlin with 2.3 million tonnes of supplies costing $200 million.

Was the Berlin Airlift successful? The supplies were mainly made of coal [2/3 of total supplies], food and petrol. The airlift never supplied Berlin with enough supplies but allowed the Berliners to cope by rationing items. The USSR tried to persuade West Berliners to move to the east but only 3% took the offer. The bad winter that Stalin hoped for which would limit flights and kill off the old and sick never materialised. Stalin knew the blockade had failed to stop supplies to Berlin and called off the blockade on 12th May 1949. It was containment’s first victory.

What were the consequences of the Berlin Airlift? Germany was split –Any hope of reuniting Germany was over and later in 1949, the Western zones united as West Germany while the USSR zone became East Germany. NATO and Warsaw Pact – Both the West and East formed defensive organisations to protect themselves from the opposing group. The arms race – All trust between West and East had gone and each side built more weapons to protect themselves from each other.

Place these cards into separate lists – one headed causes and the other consequences and then prioritise them in significance.

Task Write a dictionary definition for – The Berlin Crisis The Berlin Blockade The Berlin Airlift

Extension/Home Learning This visual hexagon activity helps you make links between the different causes and consequences of the Berlin Crisis. In pairs, make links between each hexagon and write two sentences for each link explaining them fully.