Deutsche Geschichte
German History
Die Berliner Mauer - Die Wende
The Berlin Wall - German Reunification
Glossary
Berliner Blockade
Luftbrücke
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift (die Luftbrücke) was a response to the Soviet blockade of all Berlin land routes (die Berliner Blockade) in late June 1948. In 1948 there had been ongoing tensions over Allied moves to create a single economic zone out of the British, French and American zones. Following the introduction of the new Deutsche Mark currency for the western zones in June, Josef Stalin thought he could squeeze the Allies out of Berlin completely by declaring the governing four-power Kommandantur invalid and blocking all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin. On June 24, 1948 the Russians officially blockaded all rail, road and waterway traffic into Berlin. It was Stalin's intention to strangle the city into submission.
What Stalin had failed to anticipate was U.S. President Harry Truman's stubborn "the-buck-stops-here" determination to thwart any communist takeover. Nor were the West Berliners prepared to give in to the Russians. Two days after Stalin's blockade began, Allied aircraft began flying supplies into the city. On June 26, 1948 the Berlin Airlift began operation. Everything the Berliners needed to survive—from groceries to gasoline—would come to them only by air for over 11 months. The Allied effort cost more than $224 million.
More on this topic at the German Way Web site (in English).
BACK > Die Berliner Mauer
Previous Definition | Next Definition
German Newsletters
Subscribe to a free newsletter!
German Chat
Got a history question?
OUR GERMAN FORUMS