Northern Eurasia 1948: Berlin Blockade

Berlin Blockade
16 May 1946 Iran Crisis
24 Jun 1948 Berlin Blockade
8 Oct 1949 NATO and the Two Germanys
25 Jan 1951 Korean War
21 Sep 1955 Warsaw Pact
26 Jun 1963 Height of the Cold War
17 Nov 1969 Sino-Soviet Border Conflict
24 May 1985 Soviet War in Afghanistan
23 Dec 1989 Glasnost
25 Feb 1991 End of the Warsaw Pact
19 Aug 1991 Soviet Coup Attempt
As a result of the War, Germany had been divided into Allied zones of occupation. The German capital, Berlin, was also divided, even though it was completely surrounded by Soviet-occupied Germany. In 1947, the Americans and British united their zones in Germany. The Soviets, who opposed any restoration of German power, responded by cutting off land and water access to Berlin from the west. However, the western allies were able to save Berlin from choosing between starvation and Soviet dominance by providing to all the city's needs through airlifts. Unwilling to start a war by shooting down the supply aircraft, the Soviets were forced to back down.