Berlin Wall and Airlift Caitlin, Jenny, Haley, Iva, Ena

Why did the Airlift have to take place? When WWII ended the Allies split Germany into four parts, Soviet- occupied zone, an American-occupied zone, a British-occupied zone and a French-occupied zone. Berlin was in the Soviet zone but also divided into four sections. Russia wanted Berlin all to themselves so they closed all highways, railroads and canals from western-occupied Germany into western- occupied Berlin believing this would make it impossible for the people who lived there to get food or any other supplies and would eventually drive Britain, France and the U.S. out of the city for good. Instead of retreating from West Berlin the U.S. and its allies decided to supply their sectors of the city from the air. Known as the “Berlin Airlift,” lasted for more than a year and carried more than 2.3 million tons of cargo into West Berlin.

What impact did the Berlin Airlift have on the people of Germany and Eastern Europe? Life in West Berlin during the blockade was not easy Fuel and electricity were rationed, and the black market was the only place to obtain many goods Most West Berliners supported the airlift and their western allies. “It’s cold in Berlin,” one airlift-era saying went, “but colder in Siberia.”

What countries were involved in the airlift? Germany Soviet Union United States France Great Britain

Why was the Airlift considered a symbol of the Cold War? The Blockade was made by Stalin Closed the land route that was located in the city and made it irritating and an aggressive rejection of the allied agreements created during WW2

Who were the historical personalities involved and their roles in the Airlift? President Harry Truman: Oversaw Airlift to the US sections of Berlin Declared that retreating would not be an option and using military force to fight back the Soviet wall would risk turning the cold war into an actual war or a nuclear war Finding another way to re-provision the city was the Allies best option

For what reasons was the Berlin Wall built? Berlin, the German capital, was isolated into occupation divisions after WWII in 1945 The eventual fate of Germany and Berlin was mentioned in the after war settlement talks, and strains developed when the United States, Britain, and France moved in 1948 to unite their occupation zones into a solitary independent entity–the Federal Republic of Germany The USSR launched a land blockade of West Berlin in an effort to force the West to abandon the city, in the response to this

What impact did the Berlin Wall have on Germany and its people? Many of Germans tried to escape from east to west The ones who tried were either killed or sent to prison First killed person was on August 24th 1961, the last one was on February 5th 1989

What countries were involved in the Berlin Wall? Soviet Union, France, Britain, and US divided Berlin into four zones

Why was the Berlin Wall considered a symbol of the Cold War? Was a symbol of separation of The Cold War represented a divide between the first and second world The blockade was the first major clash of the Cold War and foreshadowed future conflict over the city of Berlin

Who were the historical personalities involved and their roles in the Berlin Wall? Walter Ulbricht was East German leader and was the one who ordered the building of the wall Erich Honnecker was the overseer of the building of the wall