On this day 66 years ago, May 12, 1949, the Berlin Blockade ended. This blockade began in 1948 when the Soviet Union tried to cut off France, Great Britain and the United States from the sectors of Berlin that were then occupied by Russians. This caused the Western countries to begin the Berlin Airlift, in which they flew crucial supplies into the western region of the city. This event was significant because it was one of the first major events that lead to the post WWII East v. West tension that evolved into the Cold War. I think it's very interesting to look at events like the Berlin Blockade that occurred at the beginning of the Cold War and to compare them to events that happened at its close, like the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the eventual crumble of the Soviet Union in 1991. Decades of strife came to a close in a way that really seemed to complete a full-circle pattern. I think it's great to single in on events even just from one day from our past and see how impactful they were.
http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-blockade
Hey I made a comment about the Berlin Blockade ending today 66 years ago as well! I think it is very interesting to look back at history and see what happened. The Berlin Blockade had a huge impact on USSR and USA relations because it was the first act either country had against each other. The allies decided to help those in the western sectors of Berlin, and this then ultimately led to the beginning of the Cold War. If you really think about it, it is so cool to think that this exact day 66 years ago was when people in the Soviet Union were signing papers and commanding officers to end the blockade.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! The end of the Berlin Blockade definitely had a big impact on the way the Western countries reacted to advances by the Soviet Union. Especially so early into the Cold War, the Airlift proved that the West could protect its interests abroad against the spread of communism. By bringing food and supplies to the Berlinners, the West showed that they were unwilling to abandon the ideals of independence in response to a major threat. Note that the Soviets thought the airlift would never work, and were subsequently humiliated when they were proved wrong. This theme would later be replicated in the Reagan doctrine (the US would provide aid to any country fighting against communism). The Berlin Airlift/Blockade had a great impact in that it demonstrated the first practical use of the containment policy and set a precedent to help any region threatened.
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ReplyDeleteThank you for the post! An interesting story that I had heard awhile ago and rediscovered in an internet article is the story of the ¨candy bomber¨ during the Berlin airlift. Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen of Provo, Utah repeatedly brought bundles of candy to airdrop to a group of German children near the airforce landing pad. It all began when Gail was standing near the barbed wire fence surrounding the landing site when he and a couple German children struck up a conversation. They were starving and asked Gail if he had any candy or gum to give them. He was eager to help them and dug out the two pieces of gum in his pocket for them. He was so compelled by the young children that he promised to bring more candy and gum for them by airdropping it. He fulfilled his promise and continued for many months; earning his name the ¨candy bomber.¨
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation! I think it's interesting how much foreign politics have changed over such a short period. 75 years ago, people were worried about rising fascism. 66 years ago, the greatest crisis was between capitalism and communism in Germany. The Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago, bringing out the worry of communism. Now-a-days, all of the turmoil is in the Middle East. This anniversary really illustrates how quickly politics in this day and age move.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! The Berlin Blockade and the subsequent Berlin Airlift were enormous events in their time. I think it was really important because both sides realized that neither side wanted war and conflict. The Soviets pushed the bubble and wanted to see how the newly formed UN would react. They soon realized that despite all the hate and fear mongering both sides felt the others side was doing, both sides was on the side of peace.
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