Western propaganda? Britain and America tried to restore German
prosperity in their sectors, but the Russians systematically looted their zone.
This cartoon of 1946 shows Britain and America trying to get the 'lorry'
(representing the German economy) going, while the Russian sits smugly
on his motorbike, having stolen the wheels
The peaceful relationship between the Soviet Union and America ended in June 1948 with the Berlin Blockade. Berlin had been conquered by the Russians alone but as the US had been an wartime ally Berlin was broken up into four zones; Russian, American, British and French. The Western allies reached West Berlin by a narrow corridor with a road and a railway line. In June 1948 the Russians stopped the corridor. The idea was push out the West from Berlin. If the US had sent in the army it would have been war. Truman decided on the best available option; feed west Berlin through the air.
The most famous pilot, who was part of the Berlin Airlift, is Gail Halvorsen, who dropped candy attached to little parachutes shortly before landing .
-The blockade lasted 318 days (11 months).-In the winter of 1948–49 Berliners lived on dried potatoes, powdered eggs and cans of meat. They had 4 hours of electricity a day.-275,000 flights carried in 1½ million tons of supplies. A plane landed every 3 mins.
-On 16 April 1949, 1400 flights brought in 13,000 tons of supplies in one day – Berlin only needed 6,000 tons -a day to survive.
-Some pilots dropped chocolate and sweets.
-The USA stationed B-29 bombers (which could carry an atomic bomb) in Britain.
-The American airmen were regarded as heroes.
-On 16 April 1949, 1400 flights brought in 13,000 tons of supplies in one day – Berlin only needed 6,000 tons -a day to survive.
-Some pilots dropped chocolate and sweets.
-The USA stationed B-29 bombers (which could carry an atomic bomb) in Britain.
-The American airmen were regarded as heroes.
1 comment:
Sorry this is not an accurate description of the cause of the Berlin Blockade. Stalin's action was a RESPONSE to the illegal and secret actions of the Western Allies in changing the currency only in their sectors overnight, in clear violation of the 4-powers treaty governing the adminstration of Berlin as a WHOLE.
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