Berlin Blockaded!
The Berlin Airlift was a charity operation designed to supply the 2,000,000+ citizens of Berlin with food. This supply had to be done by air because the USSR blocked off all supply routes to Berlin by both land and water. British commander Sir Brian Robertson came up with the genius plan of the Berlin Airlift, saving the world from WWIII. Truman had an option to barge through the blockade which would have started a war with the Soviet Union. There were 3 20-mile wide corridors that allowed the planes safe passage into Berlin. These corridors were not negotiable so the Soviets could not do anything about the airlift. Tunner, a well known air force commander during WWII, designed a system so the planes could run at maximum efficiency with as little problems and crashes as possible.
Impact of the Berlin Airlift The United States made friends with Germany and established the Federal Republic of Germany. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed. This organization's primary use was to The air traffic control system we have today in modern airports was developed and perfected during the Berlin Airlift. Over 2 million lives were saved without firing a single shot. It made the Communists seem ruthless and heartless while the Western powers looked merciful and generous. The Berlin Airlift was a huge success for the Western Powers, and marked the biggest transfer of supplies by air in history. |