June 1948 – May 1949Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented
The Berlin Blockade and Airlift
On the timeline · around June 1948 – May 1949 ·
What happened
The Soviet Union blockaded road, rail, and water access to the western sectors of Berlin, deep inside Soviet-occupied Germany. The United States and Britain responded with a massive airlift, flying in food and fuel — at its peak, a plane landed roughly every minute — until the Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949.
Why it matters
The first major crisis of the Cold War hardened the division of Germany and Europe and led directly to the creation of NATO and of two German states.
Sources
- Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State. The Berlin Airlift, 1948–1949 · Reputable source
- Imperial War Museums. The Berlin Blockade · Reputable source