Berlin Blockade and Airlift (June 1948 - May 1949)

Germany had been divided into four occupation zones (American, British, French, Soviet). Berlin, inside the Soviet zone, was also divided into four sectors. When the Western allies announced a currency reform for their zones (essentially the first step toward creating a separate West German state), Stalin retaliated by blockading all land routes into West Berlin. The Soviet aim was to force the Western powers out of Berlin or to abandon their plans for a separate West Germany.

Truman responded with the Berlin Airlift. For nearly a year, American and British planes flew supplies into West Berlin around the clock. At the peak, a plane landed every minute. The airlift delivered food, fuel, and other necessities to over two million West Berliners. Stalin lifted the blockade in May 1949 without achieving his aims. The airlift became a propaganda triumph for the West and a humiliation for the Soviets.