Cold War Crises: The Berlin Blockade 1948-49

Causes
SPERM, Long, Short-term, Trigger,
USA/USSR, Others, Individuals/States

-The occupation of Germany

was divided between the
allies and the USSR, it initially
began as an intention to unify
Germany and keep it as one
economy but by 1949
Germany had become
permanently divided.
-The two sides of Germany
had different aims, the Allies
wanted to use Germanys
strong raw materials and use
its economic potential and a
way to contain communism.
While the USSR did not want a
resurgent Germany as it had
caused them all the trouble
throughout the years.
-As the Cold War developed
between the USSR and USA
the relationship between East
and West Germany rapidly
deterioted. The West feared a
communist takeover in
Germany while the East
feared a pro-American
takeover
-At the Potsdam conference, it

Effects/Impacts of the Crisis

Immediate, Short, Long-term; On
USA/USSR (leaders, policy, society),
Allies/Clients, Cold War, UN

-First major confrontation of the

Cold War and made war between
the 2 sides a distinct possibility, in
the short term Germany seem to
be permanently divided
-The division of Germany into 2
official sides (East and West) but
more importantly the division of 2
differing countries and ideology
(communism vs capitalism)
-The Berlin Blockade also resulted
in the formation of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
because the crisis emphasized the
need for a US defense commitment
to Europe. The formation of NATO
in 1949 by USA, Canada, Norway,
Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Portugal.
The crisis also increased American
military spending. Congress
approved a military assistance
program to help build up Europes
armed forces. It also sparked USs
policy of containment in regards to
communism and lead the USA into
resisting communism anywhere in
the world when it was a perceived
threat such as in Korea and

Significance of Crisis
Importance (at time, later on); Profundity
(how deeply affect); Quantity (how many
people affect); Durability (length of effect);
Relevance (to Cold War)

It was significant the Europe was now

clearly divided along political,
economic and military lines. On the
one side there is the communist side
headed by USSR and the Eastern
European nations, while on the other
hand there are the capitalist and
democratic nations spearheaded by
the USA.
-Germany was not to be reunited as
had been the original aim of the
Allies at the end of WW2 and now
there were 2 clear states where
neither recognized the existence of
the other
-No peace treaty had been signed
with Germany, which meant that the
borders of central Europe were not
formalized. Particularly worrying for
Poland as it took territory taken from
Germany in 1945.
-Western countries began to develop
a greater sense of unity due to the
Soviet threat and the image of a
monolithic ideology and their aims of
using communism to spread to the
rest of the world.

Historiography

was agreed that the USSR

could take 25% of all
industrial equipment from
Western Zones, and in return
supply food and raw
materials. However, the USSR
failed to deliver food and
therefore the UK and USA
stopped supplying the Soviet
zone
-The Soviets also wanted coal
from the Western zones of the
allies, but the Americans
instead exported 25 million
tons of coal to Western
Europe instead.
-By 1947, British and
American zones were merged
together into Bizonia
-

Vietnam.

-From the crisis onwards, wherever

they were in the world, a minor
conflict would be seen as part of the
struggle between Communism and
Capitalism.
-