The Berlin Blockade/Airlift 1948

• Began with currency reforms in West Germany
• West Germany was more 'appealing' than East Germany
• Russians block the transportation routes into Berlin
• Allies had to decide to give up Berlin or make other plans
• War was an option

Berlin Airlift - 1948

• Instead the US decided on a massive airlift to supply the western half of the city
• One aircraft lands every two minutes for fifteen months
• It became a public relations victory and a show of US industrial might
• Example of the Truman Doctrine
• One cause of the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Summary

The Berlin Blockade was started with currency reforms but ended up with a wall dividing Germany in half. To aid the western half of Germany they had the airlift where planes supplied all the goods that western half needed.