What Was The Berlin Blockade?

1. Look at the cartoon about the Berlin Airlift – 1948.
Write down 5 facts of bits of info you can gather, about the
lift, from the cartoon.
1
2
3
4
5
Look at the cartoon about the Berlin Airlift – 1948.
Write down 5 facts of bits of info you can gather, about the
lift, from the cartoon.
1
2
3
4
5

3. What was the Berlin blockade and
why did it nearly lead war?

4. Lesson Objectives:
•Understand what the Berlin airlift was.
•Understand why the Berlin blockade took place.
•To look at the effects of the blockade.

5. Starter:
Write out the statements below and say if they are true or
false.
3.Stalin feared Germany becoming strong again.
4.Berlin was in the Russian sector of Germany.
5.Germany was split into 5 sectors at the end of WW2.
6.Stalin was a Communist.
7.In a Communist country you could criticise the government.
8.America was a Communist country.

6. The French, British and US sectors were like a
‘window into the West’ for those living in the
Soviet sector. The Fr, Br, and US made sure
that their sectors appeared brilliant – shops
were full of new consumer goods and people
had a high standard of living. Stalin was
worried – it was beginning to look like
Communism couldn’t give people the life that
Capitalism could.
Stalin had to act.
Remember, Berlin, capital of Germany, had been split into
four sections – like the rest of Germany had. However the
city was slap, bang in the centre of the Russian Zone.

7. The crisis begins..........
Stalin planned to force the Western Allies (USA, Britain and
France) out of West Berlin.
In June 1948, Stalin blocked all routes in and out of Berlin.
Road, rail and canal routes were all cut – all surface
transport links.

8. The response to Stalin’s blockade......
Consider the position of the Western Allies in June 1948.
How should they react? Think about the following options
and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Give in to Stalin’s demands – hand over control of West Berlin.
This would prevent 2 million people starving.
Invade the Soviet zone – blast through the blockade. This would
start an armed conflict, but show Stalin who has most power.
Everyone wanted to avoid this if possible.
Fly food, fuel and all other supplies into West Berlin. A massive
undertaking, requiring much organization and immense cost.
Which is the best option? Explain your choice…

9. The Berlin Airlift
The choice to fly
supplies in was taken.
This meant the Western
Allies wouldn’t give in to
Stalin, but also wouldn’t
provoke war. It placed
pressure on Stalin – he
couldn’t just shoot
planes down because
he would be the
aggressor then!
Czechoslovakia
Poland

10. Page
331-
332

11. The
Task...

14. It must include:-
• Accommodation
• Entertainment
• Food
• Transport
• Site Seeing
• What to do in case of illness
• Prices [shop]
• Prices [black-market]
• Souvenirs
• Warnings re-pictures
• A scoring system re-attractions
•BUT remember....it must be set in 1948/1949
Berlin in the midst of the blockade.
• Make it humorous if you like......

15. A cartoon produced in 1948 about the
Berlin Blockade, titled ‘The Bird
Watcher’. (the man holding the gun is
Stalin).
What is taking place in the cartoon?
What background knowledge, about the Berlin Blockade, do
you have?
To what extent does the cartoon portray events of 1948 acuurately?

16. A cartoon produced in 1948 about the
Berlin Blockade, titled ‘The Bird
Watcher’. (the man holding the gun is
Stalin).
How does the source suggest the West dealt with the
Blockade?
What does the image of Stalin suggest to you about how he regarded the airlift? Why may he be reluctant to deal with it using force?
What things can’t the source tell you about the Berlin airlift?

17. How were the Berliners kept alive?
For eleven months food and other
supplies were flown into Berlin by
British, French and US planes.
275,000 flights carried in 1½ million tons of supplies. At
its peak, one plane took off and landed every 3 minutes.
The people of West Berlin depended on these flights for
everything. In the winter of 1948 they lived on dried
potatoes, powdered eggs and cans of meat, with just four
hours of electricity per day.
The airlift cost over $100 million, together with the
lives of 79 servicemen who died in accidents.
Was it worth it? Do you think the airlift was
justified?