The Berlin Airlift, 1948 (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note
The Berlin Airlift, 1948 - Summary
In June 1948, the Soviet Union shut off the land routes in Soviet-controlled Germany, preventing Trizonia from accessing their zone in Berlin. This event is called the Berlin Blockade. Without supplies from Trizonia, people in West Berlin would run out of food and important resources. The Western allies responded by flying supplies directly into West Berlin in an event known as the Berlin Airlift. For almost a year, the Soviet Union could only watch as thousands of supplies made their way into West Berlin. By the end of the Airlift in September 1949, Cold War tensions had rapidly increased, leading to several significant events such as the formation of East and West Germany, and the creation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Don’t confuse the Berlin Blockade with the Berlin Airlift — they are two sides of the same crisis.
The Berlin Blockade was Stalin's actions to prevent the Allies from accessing West Berlin. The Berlin Airlift was the Western response to the blockade. Together, these events are known as the Berlin Crisis.
What was the Berlin Airlift?
In June 1948, the Soviet Union shut off the two main land routes into East Germany, preventing the West from accessing their zone in Berlin
Without the support of the West, the Western-occupied zone in Berlin would quickly run out of food, fuel and medical supplies
The West risked war if they attempted to ignore the closed land routes and move supplies over land
Doing nothing would most likely lead to the Western-occupied Zone in Berlin being handed over to the Soviet Union
The West decided to fly supplies into Berlin, knowing that the Soviet Union themselves would be risking war if they shot any planes down
From June 1948 to May 1949, the West flew supplies into West Berlin in what was known as Operation Vittles (the codename) or the Berlin Airlift
What happened during the Berlin Airlift?
The impact of the Berlin Crisis
Stalin could not stop the Berlin Airlift because shooting down aeroplanes carrying supplies would lead to war
The longer the airlift went on, the more humiliating it became for the Soviet Union
On 9 May 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the Berlin Blockade
The Western Allies continued to fly in supplies until 30 September 1949 so that West Berlin would be supplied in the event of a future blockade
The Berlin Airlift was a massive victory for the West over the East, but this created even greater tension between the two ‘superpowers’
Several key events happened partly as a result of the Berlin Crisis
What was the impact of the Berlin Airlift on US-Soviet relations?
Worked Example
Write an account of how the Berlin Airlift affected relations between the USA and the USSR.
[8 marks]
Answer
One way the Berlin Airlift affected relations between the USA and the USSR was by humiliating Stalin and damaging his reputation. In 1948, Stalin started the Berlin Blockade. He hoped that by starving the city of supplies, the West would back down. However, the USA and Britain responded with the Berlin Airlift, flying in thousands of tonnes of food and fuel every day for almost a year. The fact that the West managed to keep West Berlin supplied without using force showed that Stalin’s plan had failed. This made him look weak and increased tensions, as the USSR saw the Airlift as a challenge to its authority in Eastern Europe.
Another way the Airlift affected relations was by increasing long-term division between East and West. After the Airlift ended in May 1949, the West saw it as a victory and created the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), while the USSR responded by forming the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The USA also set up NATO in 1949, a military alliance to defend against the USSR. These actions meant that Cold War tensions became more serious, as both sides were now openly divided and preparing for possible future conflict. The Berlin Airlift showed that peaceful cooperation between the USA and the USSR was no longer possible.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Your 'Write an account' answers could be written in PEE paragraphs:
P- Make a point about the question
E- Include knowledge to support the point you have made
Focused on the group or development mentioned in the question
Show knowledge to demonstrate cause and/or consequence
E- Explain the question
Focus on the key demands of the questions
Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of cause and/or consequence
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 8-mark “Write an account" question.
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