Berlin Crises

Berlin Crisis of 1948

The Berlin Crisis of 1948 was the result of failed economic and policy cooperation among the Allies. In early 1948 the United States and Great Britain had taken steps to create the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) by merging their sectors to create a common economic zone and new currency. These steps highlighted the ongoing economic difficulties in eastern Germany. The Soviets wanted a unified, demilitarized Germany, but a new currency in the western half of the country portended the formal division of Germany. At the same time, internal U.S. decisions may have threatened the Soviets. In March 1948 Pres. Harry S. Truman had requested a new peacetime draft and an increase in the size of the Army from 540,000 to 660,000, leading to the largest peacetime volunteer Army in U.S. history. These military increases, plus U.S. moves to recognize the FRG and impose a new currency, made the Soviets vitally interested in forcing the United States out of Berlin and, potentially, off the European continent. The Berlin Crisis of 1948, then, was a test of U.S. resolve over Berlin.

On June 24, 1948 the Soviets implemented a total ground blockade from western Germany to Berlin. The U.S. response to the Soviet ground blockade was swift: on that same day, President Truman directed that the United States would stay in Berlin. Lt. Gen. Curtis LeMay announced immediate operations to supply Berlin by cargo aircraft. On June 27 the United States flew 156 tons of supplies on 64 aircraft into Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. Within weeks, the United States had moved four squadrons of cargo aircraft to western Europe and was managing the largest continuous airlift in history. By spring 1949, the airlift, with British and French support, was averaging more than 8,000 tons per day in 24-hour operations with one aircraft taking off and landing every 90 seconds. The Allies airlifted more than 2.4 million tons of supplies between June 1948 and September 1949.

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