Berlin Airlift

Setting the scene

The Berlin Airlift began on June 26, 1948, after the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin on June 24, cutting all land and water access to the city, which was deep inside Soviet-occupied East Germany. The blockade was Stalin's response to Western plans to create West Germany and introduce a new currency, the Deutsche Mark. The Soviets hoped to force the U.S., Britain, and France to abandon West Berlin, which had 2.5 million residents needing 13,000 tons of supplies daily.

What happened

The Western Allies, led by U.S. General Lucius Clay, chose to supply Berlin by air rather than risk war by forcing a land convoy through. The airlift, codenamed Operation Vittles, became a massive logistical operation. At its peak in April 1949, planes landed at Tempelhof Airport every 90 seconds, 24 hours a day, delivering 13,000 tons daily—coal, food, medicine. Pilots, including Gail Halvorsen, the 'Candy Bomber,' dropped sweets for children. The airlift lasted 324 days, with 278,000 flights delivering 2.3 million tons.

Why it still matters

The Soviets lifted the blockade on May 12, 1949, having failed to force the West out. The airlift was a major Cold War victory for the West, demonstrating American commitment to Europe and the effectiveness of air power. It boosted German morale and turned former enemies into allies. The airlift also led to the creation of NATO in April 1949 and the formal division of Germany into West and East in May and October 1949. The Berlin Airlift remains a symbol of Western resolve and humanitarian resolve during the Cold War.

Background

The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. The Soviets offered to drop the blockade if the Western Allies withdrew the newly introduced Deutsche Mark from West Berlin. Stalin lifted the ground blockade in defeat.