Berlin Blockade

• • 1947 - Britain & USA combined zones to make "Bizonia"
  • 1948 - French added zone to make "Trizonia"
  • Germany and Berlin split into 2 parts: western Trizonia and Eastern Germany
• • 1948 - western Trizonia made single currency - Deustchmark

  This angered Stalin:

  • Single currency seperated economy from East
  • Made 2 different Germanys
  • Forcing East Germany into poverty
  • Believed Germany to be one united communist country
• • USSR knew Western Trizonia was weak
  • 1948 - USSR shuts off land routes across East Germany into Berlin
  • Wanted to show West that divided Germany would not work
• Operation Vittles: Berlin Airlift:

  • Flying in necessities into West Berlin
  • USSR could not shoot down planes - would make USSR see aggressive
  • People of West Berlin and troops built new runway - Berlin Templehof
  • Built new airport - Berlin-Tegel
  • USA flew in 1000 tonnes every day & 170,000 tonnes in peak month
  • 1949 - USSR gave in and lifted Blockade
• Impacts:

  • USSR attempt to win propaganda victory backfired
  • West responded peacefully compared to USSR being aggressive
  • leads to formation of East and West Germany
  • leads to formation of Nato
• Formation of West Germany:

  • 1949: Western Trizonia joined zones to make Federal Republic of Germany
• Formation of East Germany:

  • 1949: USSR made German Democratic Republic
  • Only communist Bloc countries saw it as nation