Berlin Blockade & Berlin Airlift - IFWeblog



Berlin Blockade & Berlin Airlift

historical context:

• Potsdam Agreement (July and August 1945)

• Marshall Plan

• Six-Powers-Conference (February to June 1948)

• Soviet delegation left the Allied Control Council (20 March 1948)

• Soviets restricted traffic between Western Allies’ zones and West Berlin (25 March 1948)

• April Crisis

• currency crisis (June 1948)

the beginnings of the Berlin Blockade:

• Berlin Blockade began on 24 and 25 June 1948

← transport by rail and roads as well as shipping traffic stopped

← electricity cut off

← food supply of non-Soviet sectors ended

← air corridors only transport routes left

• West Berlin had food for 36 days and coal for 45 days

• 1500 tons of food and 3500 tons of coal (per day) needed to supply West Berlin

• US Air Force able to transport 300 tons a day and Royal Air Force 400 tons a day

Why did the Western Allies make the effort to stay in Berlin?

(cf. Sources of Modern History, “Ernest Bevin on the Significance of Germany” (July 1948), p.107+108)

• strong Germany as a barrier to Communism (cf. ll. 16-21)

• West Berlin as “a means to an end” (l.65)

← control over West Germany

• “symbol of German unity” (ll.41+42) and “the last democratic island in the Soviet sphere” (ll. 52+53)

← prestige

← support of European freethinkers (especially the German people)

• Blockade as a Soviet bluff to gain influence

← no escalation expected

Berlin Airlift strengthened the Western Allies’ bargaining position

the course of the Berlin Airlift:

• “Operation Vittles” started on 25 June 1948 and “Operation Plainfare” on 28 June 1948

• after two weeks 1000 tons were flown to Berlin every day

• William H. Tunner (“Tonnage Tunner”) became commander of “Operation Vittles” (28 July 1948)

← aimed at 1440 landings a day

▪ changed “the ladder”

▪ improved unloading

▪ introduced Instrument flight rules

▪ introduced a common control center

← accident rates and delays decreased drastically

← daily tonnage increased to 5,000 tons

• in winter 1948/49 more coal was needed

← Ground Controlled Approach radar system installed

← runways improved by using asphalt and concrete

← France built the airport Tegel within 90 days (August to November 1948)

▪ heavy machinery flown to Berlin

▪ Soviet radio tower blasted

• however, the Airlift almost failed due to bad weather conditions

• situation settled down in spring 1949

• William H. Tunner wanted to boost the Airlift by a new record on Easter Sunday

← 13,000 tons delivered (16 April 1949)

← Airlift exceeded the “pre-Blockade tonnage”

• Berlin Blockade ended on 12 May 1949

• Berlin Airlift officially ended on 30 September 1949

Soviet reaction during the Airlift:

• Communists invaded the Stadtverordnetenversammlung von Groß-Berlin several times

← SED boycotted the parliament

• free food for emigrants offered

• 733 events registered that aimed at disturbing the Airlift

• propaganda

basic facts:

• participants:

United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand & South Africa

• tonnage:

United States delivered about 1,800,000 tons

United Kingdom delivered about 550,000 tons

• 278,228 flights

• when the Airlift reached its peak, every thirty seconds one plane landed in West Berlin

• 101 pilots died during the Airlift

the consequences:

• Airlift improved co-operation between the Western Allies

• Berlin Blockade proved the Soviet Union to threaten the First World (the West)

sources:

• Sources of Modern History (Klett)

• Horizonte (westermann)

• Germany (Oxford Advanced History)

• Germany 1848-1991 (Collins)

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success for the Western Allies

2,350,000 tons

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