The Berlin Blockade

Abstract

The joint occupation of Berlin had made sense when the Allies were expected to co-operate in administering Germany. In June 1948, over strenuous Soviet objections, the western occupying powers decided to create a separate west German state. This left the western presence in Berlin as an anomaly. Stalin certainly wanted to get the west out of Berlin. Like the west, he intended to create a government that would claim sovereignty over all of Germany. This would be far more convincing if it completely controlled the national capital. Berlin voters and politicians in the western sector could not be intimidated into giving the Communists control of the city government. Also the western presence allowed them to disseminate propaganda and conduct espionage. Finally a divided Berlin gave east Germans an escape route to the west. Some effort to drive the west from Berlin was predictable. Truman, by restricting reparation shipments to the Soviet zone had even suggested the way. During 1947 western communications to Berlin were increasingly harassed and on 24 June 1948 they were cut.