Introduction
The Berlin Airlift, or Operation Vittles, or the Berlin Blockade, was one of the many events, which took place in the course of the Cold War. This dramatic rescue mission lasted from June 1948 until May 1949 when several Western Allies undertook a huge operation to deliver food, fuel and other needed supplies to the western sectors of the city which was sealed off by Soviet forces. In the following post of my blog I want to examine the main stages and outcomes of the Berlin Airlift, participants and the overall impact on the city of Berlin.
The Purpose behind the Berlin Airlift
Before knowing the reason for the Berlin Airlift one has to discuss about the historical background of the event. After the second world war Germany was divided into four sections each occupied by the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. Much to comprehend, like Berlin, the capital was also split into four sectors but it was situated in the heart of the Soviet zone.
In 1948 there were escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies that precipitated in Soviet blockade of Berlin. The idea behind the blockade was to make the western powers to remove their presence in the city as the Soviets required the city to be as part of their region. Lighting, car fuel and foods were rarely available thus creating havoc in the German severed city of Berlin. The goal of the Berlin Airlift was to get round the blockade and deliver the necessities to the population of West Berlin to prove the West was set on not letting their previous values and freedom go to waste.
The chances and organisations of the Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift exercise was one of the biggest supply operations ever done by the United States together with its allies during the cold war. As a result, a complex structure was created to deliver goods for over two million people by air. Tempelhof, Tegel, and Gatow three various main airports in West Berlin became the lifeline of the airlift initiative.
The aircraft mainly used a protracted the C-47 Skytrain and the C-54 Skymaster transporting all manner of supplies and equipment with large groups of paratroopers almost continuously dropping from the planes throughout every minutes of day and night. These planes supplied food, coal, medicine, Christmas gifts, etc., to the distressed Germans of West Berlin. The Allies make very sure that the airlift was very orderly done to which primarily concentrates on items that are most important.
But to ensure increased efficiency, other highly innovative strategies were used. The planes would come low, drop off their loads and take off again, employing what became known as ‘the candy bomber’ where paratroopers and equipment were dropped by parachute while still over the air strip. Besides, the Berliners themselves were helpful and actively engaged in unloading and distributing of the supplies with great speed and sight.
The Key Players
General Lucius D. Clay
- General Lucius D. Clay was the planner of the Berlin Airlift. As a Military Governor of the American Sector in Germany, Clay did not want to let the people of West Berlin to starve to death. He was overseeing the operation and ensuring planes were loaded and the residents of Berlin were receiving those supplies no matter the cost.
The Berliners
The Berliners were so committed to the free world and ensured they endured the airlift to see its success for themselves. Nonetheless the Berliners had to content with adverse conditions and they responded well as they were actively participating in the distribution of supplies. They built emergency airstrips, coordinated themselves well, and even got a street named as ‘Luftbrückendank’ which translates as ‘Airlift Thanks’.
The Berlin Airlift: Its Aftermath
The Berlin Airlift showed that the western powers were very much willing to defend democratic right an freedom of Berlin’s residents. The ultimate success of the operation forced the Soviets to lift the blockade and paved the way for the establishment of two separate German states: and there were two in_geo-political divisions of Germany; the Federal Republic of Germany also known as West Germany and the German Democratic Republic also known as East Germany.
The Berlin Airlift as had political significance and at the same time impacted the memories of the berliners. Thus, the disaster bénéfited from a representation that made of it a hopeful sign, a message of endurance and even, international support. For the benefit of joining this remarkable event, there is now the Berlin Airlift Museum in the former Tempelhof Airport, where the airlift operation base was set.
Conclusion
It was a great humanitarian and logistical drama in which the people of West Berlin were supplied with necessities during the Soviet blockade. The intention of the airlift was to relieve the blockade, free the Berliners to practice their democratic rights and liberty together with establishing the principles of the western politics. With effective plans, hardworking and endeavour of its players, the Berlin Airlift was a monumental success with distinct prove, a symbol as the human spirit afloat against the odds.
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