Stalin feared a recovering Germany and wanted to keep it crippled. But it was clear to the Allies that Germany would not be able to feed its people if it was not allowed to rebuild its industries. Although they themselves were wary of rebuilding Germany too quickly, Britain, France and the USA combined their zones in 1948 to form one zone (which became known in 1949 as West Germany). In 1948 they reformed the currency and within months there were signs that Germany was recovering. Stalin felt that the USA's handling of western Germany was provocative. He could do nothing about the reorganisation of the western zones, or the new currency, but he felt that he could stamp his authority on Berlin. It was deep in the Soviet zone and was linked to the western zones of Germany By vital roads, railways and canals. In June 1948, Stalin blocked all these supply lines, cutting off the 2-million strong population of West Berlin from Western help. Stalin believed that this blockade would force the Allies out of Berlin and make Berlin entirely dependent on the USSR.
If US tanks did try to ram the roadblocks or railway blocks, Stalin would see it as an act of war. However, the Americans were not prepared to give up. They saw West Berlin as a test case. Truman wanted to show that he was serious about his policy of containment. He wanted Berlin to be a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain. The only way into Berlin was by air. So in June 1948 the Allies decided to airlift supplies. As the first planes took off from their bases in western Germany, everyone feared that the Soviets would shoot them down,which would have been an act of war. People waited anxiously as the planes flew over Soviet territory, but no shots were fired. The planes got through and for the next ten months West Berlin was supplied by a constant stream of aeroplanes bringing in everything from food and clothing to oil and building materials, although there were enormous shortages and many Berliners decided to leave the city altogether. By May 1949, however, it was clear that the blockade of Berlin would not make the Western Allies give up
Berlin, so Stalin reopened communications.
1949: formation of the Federal Republic of Germany ( west Germany)
October of the same year the formation of the German Democratic Republic (east Germany)