Berlin Blockade

• What was the Berlin Blockade and when did it occur?

  The Berlin Blockade was a Soviet blockade of land access to Berlin that occurred in 1948.
• Why was Berlin considered a flash point in the Cold War?

  Berlin was a flash point because it was divided among the Allies and located within the Soviet zone.
• What was Stalin's goal regarding Germany after World War II?

  Stalin wanted Germany to remain weak and act as a buffer zone against the West.
• What did the USSR lack at the time of the Berlin Blockade?

  The USSR had not yet developed its own atomic weapons.
• How did the Western Allies respond to Stalin's actions in Berlin?

  The Western Allies supplied their sectors of Berlin by air during the Berlin Airlift.
• What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan in Germany?

  The Marshall Plan aimed to help rebuild the German economy and prevent financial crippling.
• What was the significance of the Berlin Airlift?

  The Berlin Airlift was significant as it demonstrated the American policy of containment against communism.
• How long did the Berlin Airlift last?

  The Berlin Airlift lasted for eleven months.
• What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade on West Berlin's access to goods?

  West Berlin faced shortages of food and basic goods due to the blockade.
• What was the cost of the Berlin Airlift for the USA and Britain?

  The Berlin Airlift cost the USA $350 million and Britain £17 million.
• What was the outcome of the Berlin Blockade for the USSR?

  The USSR was powerless to stop the Berlin Airlift without risking World War Three.
• What was formed in April 1949 as a response to the Berlin Blockade?

  The German Federal Republic (West Germany) was formed in April 1949.
• Who won the elections in the German Federal Republic in August 1949?

  Konrad Adenauer and the Christian Democratic Union won the elections.
• How did the formation of NATO relate to the Cold War?

  NATO was formed as a military alliance for mutual defense against the USSR.
• What was the USSR's response to the formation of NATO?

  The USSR responded by forming the Warsaw Pact in May 1955.
• When did the USSR explode its first atomic bomb?

  The USSR exploded its first atomic bomb on 29 August 1949.
• What does the term "monopoly" refer to in the context of nuclear weapons?

  Monopoly refers to the USA's exclusive control over nuclear weapons before the USSR developed its own.
• What were the key pairs of actions between the West and the USSR during the Cold War?

  • Politics: Truman Doctrine (1947) vs Cominform (1947)
  • Economics: Marshall Plan (1948) vs Comecon (1949)
  • Military: NATO (1949) vs Warsaw Pact (1955)