The Berlin Crisis (1948)
I can analyse the events of the Berlin Crisis of 1948.
The Berlin Crisis (1948)
I can analyse the events of the Berlin Crisis of 1948.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The USA, the USSR, Britain and France disagreed about how to administer a divided Germany and a divided Berlin.
- Stalin's response to the creation of Trizonia and the introduction of the Deutschmark in 1948 led to the Berlin Crisis.
- Between June 1948 and May 1949, the USSR set up a blockade to force the Western allies to abandon Berlin.
- The Western allies responded to the Berlin Blockade by successfully supplying Berlin from the air.
- The Berlin Crisis confirmed the long-term division of Germany and Berlin and led to the creation of NATO.
Common misconception
The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was West Germany.
The GDR was East Germany - the Democratic part of the name is confusing as it was not democratic in the Western sense of being able to choose freely between different political parties.
Keywords
Blockade - an attempt to prevent goods, people or supplies from entering or leaving a certain area
Airlift - the transportation of people or goods by air, often used when other forms of transport are not available
Crisis - a difficult or dangerous situation, often with the potential for serious consequences, requiring immediate action or resolution
Collective security - a system where countries cooperate to protect one other from threats, agreeing to respond together if any member is attacked or faces aggression
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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