Why Was the Berlin Airlift Important?

The Cold War that began at the end of WWII between the western Allies and the Soviet Union involved Berlin early in the war. As WWII came to an end, Germany was split into zones that were controlled by the Allied forces. The Allies from the western part of Europe and the United States controlled the western part of Germany, while the Eastern half of Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union. In much the same way, Berlin was split up between the Allied forces. The western half of Berlin was controlled by Great Britain, France and the United States and the eastern half by the Soviet Union. 

Stalin Cut Off Resources to West Berlin

To force the inhabitants of West Berlin to turn to the Soviet Union for the basic necessities of life, Stalin ordered the water and power lines flowing from East Berlin into West Berlin be cut off. This left the people and industries of West Berlin in dire need. Without the power and water that flowed form East Berlin, businesses couldn’t operate and, with no jobs, people couldn’t eat.

Train service to western Germany was also severed by the Soviet Union. This eliminated the opportunity for the Berliners to import food and fuel by rail.

Western Allies Set Up Supply Line

The western Allies decided they were not going to leave the Berliners to the totalitarian treatment of the Soviet Union and their occupying troops. Their only choice was to take on the task of supplying the Berliners with the necessities of life, which included food and coal for fuel to operate their factories.

The Berliners decided that they would endure the hardships of relying on the western Allies for their support rather than deal with the treatment they had experienced from the troops of the Soviet Union. They had been mistreated by the Soviet troops after Berlin fell and the Soviets had stolen valuables from the inhabitants and raped the women without fear of retribution. The Berliners would not go back to that situation. Thus began the Berlin Airlift.

Airlift Facts

For fifteen months, the Allies flew supplies into West Berlin to meet the needs of the populace. During this period, a constant flow of aircraft filled with foodstuffs and coal for fuel slowed into the Airports of West Berlin. Planes were routed in a stream of flights 25 minutes apart. Over the course of the airlift operation, the Allies delivered over 2.5 million pounds of supplies in just short of 280,000 flights. 

Stalin and Berlin

The airlift was needed because of the hardships of Stalin's rule. As Stalin was making the Soviet Union’s power felt throughout Eastern Europe, he was also determined to control the city of Berlin. His goal was to be the one that would supply food and fuel to the western half of Berlin, thus concreting the power of the Soviet Union in Berlin.

The Allies, however, were not going to allow the Soviet Union to fall under the totalitarian tactics and treatment of the Soviet forces. Thus was the situation in Berlin at the beginning of the Cold War.

End of the Blockade

Finally, after the fifteen months of aid, Stalin released the blockade. The airlift continued for a few more months to make sure the city was operating again as normal and to ensure the inhabitants had stockpiles of necessities.

The first test of the Cold War had been met and conquered. The Soviet’s had backed down and the Allies had shown that they would stand against the attacks of the Soviet Union.

The Berlin airlift saved the lives of people in Berlin that otherwise would have succumbed to hunger. It held strong the possession of West Berlin under western Allied control.