1. World History 3201

2. Berlin Blockade and Airlift 1. Partitioning of Germany and Berlin into temporary zones was supposed to be a temporary measure 2. Severe economic hardship in Germany so the US, France and Britain established economic co- operation and currency reform in their zones 3. Plans that would lead to an independent West German state were set in motion

3. Berlin Blockade and Airlift (con’t) 4. Soviet Union responded to the West’s plans by establishing a blockade of all rail, canal, and road links in and out of West Berlin and cut off electrical power from East to West Berlin leaving over 2.1 million Germans isolated 5. Stalin did this because he wanted to prevent the West from establishing a West German state and he wanted to reunify all of Germany as a communist state under Moscow’s control

4. Berlin Blockade and Airlift (con’t) 6. The US and Britain responded to the blockade by airlifting supplies twenty-four hours a day for eleven straight months into West Berlin 7. In May 1949, Stalin, realizing the blockade was a failure, reopened the surface access to West Berlin

5. Berlin Blockade and Airlift (con’t) 8. In May 1949, the three occupation zones of the Western Allies became West Germany with its capital in Bonn while in October 1949, the Soviet zone of occupation became East Germany with its capital in East Berlin

6. Video Berlin Blockade and Airlift 10minutes 10minutes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvfNjL1 CJc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvfNjL1 CJc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvfNjL1 CJc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvfNjL1 CJc&feature=related