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THE 1948 BERLIN CRISIS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES - Coggle Diagram
THE 1948 BERLIN CRISIS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
5. THE WESTERN RESPONSE: THE BERLIN AIRLIFT
Operation Vittles
Started June 26, 1948
Western Allies flew food, coal, and essential supplies into the city
Logistics and Success
Daily target: At least 1,000 tonnes of supplies
Peak (January 1949): 170,000 tonnes of supplies delivered
A new airport (Tegel) was built by ordinary citizens and troops
Operation Little Vittles
Pilot Gail Halvorsen dropped sweets/candy by parachute for children
The End of the Blockade
May 9, 1949: Soviets gave in and lifted the blockade
Result: A peaceful victory for the West; Stalin’s act seen as "foolish and aggressive"
6. CONSEQUENCES AND THE TWO GERMANYS (1949)
Federal Republic of Germany (FRG / West Germany)
May 8, 1949: Created from the three Western zones
Capital: Bonn
September 15, 1949: Konrad Adenauer became first Chancellor
Parliament: The Bundestag
German Democratic Republic (GDR / East Germany)
October 1949: Created by Stalin in the Soviet zone
Recognized only by communist bloc countries
The division lasted for the next 40 years
long term impact
7. THE CREATION OF NATO (APRIL 1949)
Context
Triggered by the Berlin Crisis and the communist takeover in Czechoslovakia
Organization
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Members: USA, Britain, France, and nine other Western nations
Article 5 Charter
"An armed attack against one or more of them... shall be considered an attack against them all"
Consequences
USA committed to the formal defense of Western Europe
American bases established in Europe for the duration of the Cold War