Berlin Blockade

• The blockade started on 24th June, 1948 and ended in May 1949
• What caused Stalin to order the blockade:

  • Stalin was worried that the west would take advantage of their stronger position and unite all of their zones to take over the east
  • The west was helping Germany rebuild their economy, by introducing the Deutschmark currency into their zones
  • Britain and USA joining to form bizonia in Jan 1948
• What happened during the blockade:

  • On the 24th June 1948 Stalin ordered that all road, rail and canal links between west berlin and the outside be cut off.
  • Travel to and from berlin was severely restricted
  • As a result west berlin faced food, fuel, medicine and water shortages
• Consequences of the Blockade:

  • Berlin Airlift
  • Formation of trizonia/west Germany
  • Formation of NATO
  • USSR exploding its first atomic bomb in August 1949