Occupation of Germany
Long-Term Conflicts over Germany
1. Differing Aims of the Powers
Specific Disagreements of Germany
Economic Disagreements
Political Disagreements
What happened?
Results of the Blockade
Conclusions
1 Why was the Berlin Blockade a test for US intelligence?
Because intelligence officers had to judge whether his pressure was a prelude to war or a calculated bluff. First test for them to judge soviet intentions and capabilities in a violate and dangerous cold war confrontation.
2 What were the conclusions drawn at the time?
The alliance and loyalty they both held for each other in the second world war was now gone so war was a possibility betwee the two countries. Also two political systems were to be set up in each side of Germany with the Federal Republic of Germany in the West, and the German Democratic Republic set up by the soviets.
3 What was the impact of the crisis on US intelligence?
The US realised that Germany and the rest of Europe was economically and politically divided. Soon Europe would be militarily divided. This caused the US to set-up the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO.) The US realised they needed military forces in Europe
4 What are the value and limitations of using this as a source for finding out about the Berlin Crisis of 1948?
This source, is shown mainly from a point of view that makes the USSR immediately our enemy. The source is slightly biased towards the US as we always seem to see them in a higher note despite them sometimes being the ones who cause the USSR to retaliate drastically.
Causes/ Impact/ Significance of the Berlin Blockade
Causes:
o A new currency was introduced
o Next day the Russians stopped all road and ail traffic into Berlin
o Stalin claimed the new currency was an attempt to wreck the East German economy
o Created a new constitution for west Germany
Impact/Significance:
- In 1945, Germany was invaded by Western Powers and Soviet forces. It was decided at Yalta and Potsdam to temporarily divide Germany into four zones, all administered by the Allied Control Council (ACC).
- Berlin itself would be administered by the Allied Kommandantura, made up of four military governors.
- This was a temporary arrangement. The intention was to keep Germany as one economy that would eventually become an independent state again. However by 1949, Germany had become permanently divided.
Long-Term Conflicts over Germany
1. Differing Aims of the Powers
- Germany’s position in Europe and its economic potential made it an area of concern.
- The USSR did not want a resurgent and threatening Germany. It also wanted US$20 billion in reparations.
- France also feared a united Germany and was in no rush to see Germany prosper again.
- However the USA and UK saw the rapid economic recovery of Germany as the best way to contain communism.
- As the Cold War developed, suspicions between the East and West intensified.
- Both sides were concerned that a powerful Germany could once again be a threat if it joined with either side. Neither side wanted their opposing zones to recover before there's.
- Stalin feared a pro-American and economically prosperous Germany. The West feared the influence of a Communist Germany.
Specific Disagreements of Germany
Economic Disagreements
- At Potsdam it was agreed that the USSR could take 25% of all industrial equipment from Western Zones. In return, the USSR had to supply food and raw materials.
- However, the USSR failed to deliver enough food, therefore the UK and USA stopped supplying the Soviet zone.
- The Soviets also wanted coal from Western Zones, however the Americans exported 25 million tons of coal to Western Europe instead.
- By early 1947, the British and American zones were merged into one called ‘Bizonia’.
Political Disagreements
- As early as 1945, Stalin made moves to incorporate Germany into Moscow’s sphere of influence.
- In April 1946, the Soviets forcibly merged all political parties in their zone to form the Socialist Unity Party (SED).
- However the SED failed to win support in the Western Zones as many Germans feared Soviet influence. As a result, SED leaders began planning their own regime in the East.
- Meanwhile, Western allies decided to consolidate their occupying zones.
- At the London Conference in 1948, France, Britain and the USA began drawing up a constitution for a new West German state. Soviet spies told Stalin everything.
- They also agreed to introduce a new currency, the Deutschmark, in the Western Zones. Stalin viewed this as the first step in the establishment of a new Germany.
- To stop this, Stalin decided to blockade Berlin in an attempt to force the West out.
What happened?
- In response to the introduction of the new currency, Stalin launched a total blockade of West Berlin on 23rd June 1948.
- All road, railway and waterways linking West Berlin to the Western Zones of Germany were closed. Supplies of electricity were also cut. The USSR also left the Berlin Kommandantura.
- This left the West with a stark choice, they didn’t want to risk war with the USSR but they didn’t want to let West Berlin fall to the Communists.
- To avoid war, the West decided to bypass the blockade entirely by airlifting supplies to West Berlin.
- Over 320 days, the West flew 200,000 flights to Berlin, supplying over 1 ½ million tons of food and coal to 2.2 million West Berliners at a cost of $100 million. 1 plane landed every three minutes and had 7 minutes to unload.
- It worked. By May 1949 Stalin realised his gamble had failed. He couldn’t force the West out of Berlin without using force.
Results of the Blockade
- The Berlin Blockade was the first major confrontation of the Cold War. During the Blockade, war appeared like a distinct possibility.
- Agreement now seemed impossible. In the short-term, Germany became permanently divided.
- The West created the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in May 1949. Konrad Adenauer became its first Chancellor. In October, the USSR created the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
- Berlin remained a divided city under four-power control. This would cause tensions for another 12 years, resulting in the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
- More significantly, the Blockade reinforced Western suspicions of Stalin. The risk of war persuaded the USA that they need to commit military forces to Europe.
- This resulted in the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in April 1949 which was a military alliance of the USA, UK, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, France, Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Portugal.
- In May 1954, West Germany was also admitted to NATO. This angered the USSR who feared a re-armed pro-Western Germany.
- In response, the Warsaw Pact was created in 1955 to unite all the countries of Eastern Europe under the military command of the USSR.
- The creation of both military alliances led to a build up of conventional forces across Europe.
Conclusions
- Before the Blockade, there was a clear economic and political divide in Europe. Now there was also a military divide – all elements of the Cold War had now fallen into place.
- Germany now became officially divided and both states (GDR/FRG) refused to recognise the existence of each other. The division of Europe was now complete.
- Stalin had backed down in the end. However in August 1949, the USSR tested its first Atomic Bomb. Would it back down next time?
1 Why was the Berlin Blockade a test for US intelligence?
Because intelligence officers had to judge whether his pressure was a prelude to war or a calculated bluff. First test for them to judge soviet intentions and capabilities in a violate and dangerous cold war confrontation.
2 What were the conclusions drawn at the time?
The alliance and loyalty they both held for each other in the second world war was now gone so war was a possibility betwee the two countries. Also two political systems were to be set up in each side of Germany with the Federal Republic of Germany in the West, and the German Democratic Republic set up by the soviets.
3 What was the impact of the crisis on US intelligence?
The US realised that Germany and the rest of Europe was economically and politically divided. Soon Europe would be militarily divided. This caused the US to set-up the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO.) The US realised they needed military forces in Europe
4 What are the value and limitations of using this as a source for finding out about the Berlin Crisis of 1948?
This source, is shown mainly from a point of view that makes the USSR immediately our enemy. The source is slightly biased towards the US as we always seem to see them in a higher note despite them sometimes being the ones who cause the USSR to retaliate drastically.
Causes/ Impact/ Significance of the Berlin Blockade
Causes:
- The USA and the USSR had different aims for what they wanted to do to Germany
- Stalin wanted to destroy Germany while USA wanted to rebuild Germany’s industry
- Both didn’t want a powerful Germany supporting one side of the cold war
- USA believed that Stalin was trying to force the USA out of the Berlin, and that the blockade was Russian empire-building in eastern Europe
- America had joined their part of Germany together with the British part of Germany.
o A new currency was introduced
o Next day the Russians stopped all road and ail traffic into Berlin
o Stalin claimed the new currency was an attempt to wreck the East German economy
o Created a new constitution for west Germany
Impact/Significance:
- Germany was divided into the federal Republic of Germany (West) and the Democratic Republic of Germany (East) until 1990
- The Iron Curtain became permanent
- The Cold War broke out into open confrontation, and the two superpowers began an Arms Race
- 1949, the Allies set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as a military alliance to resist Soviet Russia
- West won a propaganda war as Soviet was seen as the aggressor