Rise of the Superpowers

Rise of the Superpowers

1. The Berlin Blockade

   • Background
     • After defeat of Germany, country divided into 4 zones
       • Britain, France, USA and USSR
     • Berlin divided too, but deep in Soviet zone
     • Communist governments began to be installed in the eastern European countires
       • 1945 on
       • countries Red Army occupied during war
     • this alarmed the Allies
       • Churchill named this the Iron Curtain
     • Marshall Plan
       • President Truman offered to help European states rebuild their economies
         • wanted to stop communism
       • financial aid organised by General George Michael
   • The Blockade
     • Allies issued new currency in western zones of Germany
     • Soviets refused to accept this
       • blockaded all overland access to Berlin
     • Western allies decided to airlift supplies to their zones
     • June 1948 - May 1949
       • 2.3m tonnes of supplies flown in
     • USSR never fired at a plane
       • didnt want to provoke war
       • high tensions
     • abandoned in May 1949
   • Results
     • destroyed any chance of agreement between USSR and other allies on reuniting Germany
     • Allies joined there zones together to form democratic West Germany
       • Soviets founded communist East Germany
     • blockade and the fact that both USA and USSR had atomic weapons made tensions very high
       • seek allies
         • USA
           • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
             • 1946
         • USSR
           • Warsaw Pact
             • 1955
     • USA and USSR called Superpowers
       • atomic weapons, huge nations and alliance leaders