448631
Description
Mind Map by mollymalone98, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by mollymalone98
over 10 years ago
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The Berlin Blockade and Airlift 1948-49
- Post-war division of Germany
- After the war, US and UK had decided that Stalinist
communism was more of a threat than Germany
- A strong Germany could act as a buffer zone against communism
- Thus they sought for German recovery,
and strengthened their zones through
industrialisation and reunification
- Thus they sought for German recovery,
and strengthened their zones through
industrialisation and reunification
- A strong Germany could act as a buffer zone against communism
- For the Soviets, the most important thing was to prevent a repeat of the Nazi
invasion of 1941
- They had lost 26 million Russians during the war
- As the Nazis retreated, they applied the idea of "scorched earth",
where the essentially destroyed everything in their path - land
and people
- Thus they stripped the Soviet German zone of all
useful equipment and machinery to cripple their
economy
- They had lost 26 million Russians during the war
- After the war, US and UK had decided that Stalinist
communism was more of a threat than Germany
- Berlin Crisis
- By 1948, Western zones of Germany
were recovering, thanks to Marshall Aid
- The Western allies
stopped demanding
reparations
- 23 June 1948, USA and Britain
introduced the Deutschmark, to
strengthen the economy
- caused economic crisis in the Eastern Soviet
zone as thousands rushed to change their old
Marks to Deutschmarks
- Stalin's response on the 24 June 1948 was to close roads, canals and
railways that led from the West into West Berlin.
- Stalin's response on the 24 June 1948 was to close roads, canals and
railways that led from the West into West Berlin.
- caused economic crisis in the Eastern Soviet
zone as thousands rushed to change their old
Marks to Deutschmarks
- The Western allies
stopped demanding
reparations
- In 1947, Britain and the US joined their zones to
form "Bizonia". France joined a few months later to
form "Trizonia"
- Stalin saw this as betrayal
- He had not been consulted of
this unification as promised at
Yalta and Potsdam
- He had not been consulted of
this unification as promised at
Yalta and Potsdam
- Stalin saw this as betrayal
- By 1948, Western zones of Germany
were recovering, thanks to Marshall Aid
- Berlin Airlift
- The West claimed that Stalin was trying to force them
to give up West Berlin to communism by starving the
city's two million inhabitants, who had only enough
food to survive for 6 weeks
- Truman had two options:
- Surrender West Berlin
- No Western influence in Germany's capital
which controls the politics and finance of
Germany. Thus it would soon fall to
communism
- No Western influence in Germany's capital
which controls the politics and finance of
Germany. Thus it would soon fall to
communism
- Go to War
- The Soviets had the biggest army
in the world and is not afraid to
use it
- The Soviets had the biggest army
in the world and is not afraid to
use it
- Surrender West Berlin
- Truman had two options:
- The West claimed that Stalin was trying to force them
to give up West Berlin to communism by starving the
city's two million inhabitants, who had only enough
food to survive for 6 weeks
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