1. The Berlin Aircraft Mission By: Taloria Baxter

2. What was it? The Berlin aircraft mission began in 1948. This is where food and fuel was supplied to citizens of west Berlin when communist East Germany decided to block all land access to Berlin.

3. Background Near the final months of World War Two, Germany was invaded by its allies: The United Kingdom, The United States, its allies from the west, and the USSR from the east. As World War Two came closer to an end Germany was divided into four parts. Each occupied by the US, the UK, France, and the USSR. Berlin, the German capitol was also split into four parts.

4. Germany’s BIG Deal

5. The formation of West Germany A Six Power Conference was held between Britain, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, the US, and the Netherlands. This conference took place during the first half of the year in 1948 and ended amicably. On June 7 th of that same year Western Germany was told to outline a constitution for the new Western German state. Later that month on June 20 th a new currency (the Deutschmark) was introduced to Germany where the three allied countries had taken over. In response to the allies, east Germany also made its own currency (the Otsmark).

6. Berlin’s Blockade: Stalin Reacts Stalin, leading the USSR refused to accept the new changes from the Six Power Conference. Stalin felt that if he could force enough pressure on the western government, he could have a renegotiation to have a neutral unified Germany. Stalin was hoping to force the pressure on Berlin, where the western governments were dependant on supplies.. On April 9, 1948, Stalin ordered all American Military workforce to maintain communications equipment out of the Eastern Zone (Soviet controlled Berlin). Trains were halted on June 1 st through June 10 th. On June 21 st, the Soviets halted a US Military Supply Train and refused its passage to Berlin. On the 22nd, they placed armed guards onboard, attached a Soviet engine and hauled it back to Western Germany. In a final move to spurn the Americans, the British, and French, all land and water access to West Berlin was cut off by the Soviets this including the electricity supply. There were to be no more supplies from the West. This occurred on June 24, 1948 What was going to happen(who would react)? Where were the necessary supplies going to come from for the Occupation Forces? For that matter, where were the supplies for about 2.8 million Berliners going to come from?

7. West Reacts

8. START OF THE BERLIN AIRLIFT

9. What To Do? The allies options were limited as to how they would send supplies, thus they came up three options. The first option was to send the military and force its way through Stalin’s soviet union. This idea was thought to start a definite war that the west could not win. The second option urged by Winston Churchill,was to drop an atomic bomb to devastate the Soviet union before it could develop one themselves. However President Harry S. Truman did not agree with that step. Finally the third option was to supply West Berlin by air lifts. Truman agreeing with the third option ordered the allies to send the supplies by plane. The U.S Air Force C-47 planes began to bring supplies into Berlin on June 26 th, which was called operation Vittles.

10. Take Off!! Dealing with the aftermath of World War Two, three air corridors over the USSR zone in Germany had been allotted to the allies. Stalin did not want to risk a war by shooting down an allied plane. Because of this a substantial amount of food, coal, and other supplies were delivered to Eastern Germany. These planes were highly prepared to airlift supplies, and by the end of July the planes were bringing in an average of 2000 tons of supplies each day.

11. NOW A VIDEO NOW A VIDEO Berlin Airlift – YouTube

12. Allied Negotiations Two thousand tons of food and coal were flown to west Germany a day which was sufficient during the summer. However, the allies believed that they needed to increase this number to 5000 tons for the upcoming winter if they wanted West Berlin to survive. With the allies worried if the Airlift would maintain through the winter, Allied ambassadors met with Joseph Stalin to discuss the situation. The United Kingdom also tried to negotiate these circumstances.

13. The blockade and the airlifts continued through 1949.In order to portray the Soviets usefulness to the allies, General Tunner made a firm decision to make a single day tonnage record by Easter. Between noon Saturday and noon on Easter Sunday the airlifts brought in 1398 sorties, and slightly less than 13000 tons of supplies.

14. Life for the Berliners Between 1948-49 life for the Berliners was stressful and hard. In the beginning, when the Soviet union first closed the wall the stockpiles were high and would last the Berliners for months, however as time wore on stockpiles were rapidly beginning to dwindle. The airlifts had not reached its full potential yet, and starvation was near. Additionally, there was little fuel to run the remaining industries, let alone heat for the homes. As a result Berliners found themselves chopping down all of the trees in the city for fuel, learning what grasses could be eaten for food, and even rummaging through trash cans for uneaten food. Soviet soldiers also began raping the German’s wives and daughters.

15. Song BERLIN WALL Where were you when the Berlin wall came tumbling down What did you feel during the demise Did you see the memories forever stained with blood of relatives whose dreams were never realized It's a heavy price to pay for freedom It's a heavy price to pay for peace It's a heavy price to pay when you have to fight for your release Did you hear the falling stone like shiny marching boots Pounding on the inside of your head Did the tears of triumph slide across your face the wall of so much hatred finally dead It's a heavy price to pay for freedom It's a heavy price to pay for peace It's a heavy price to pay when you have to fight for your release All the massacres and that concentration camps Finally the wall is coming down Faces full of wonder hope and doubt The lines were drawn by faith and misery It's a heavy price to pay for freedom It's a heavy price to pay for peace It's a heavy price to pay when you have to fight for your release ©Michael Frazier, November 21, 1996 http://michaelfrazier.net/audio/Perseverance/ BerlinWall.htm http://michaelfrazier.net/audio/Perseverance/ BerlinWall.htm

16. Demolition of the Berlin Wall Finally after further consultations between the U.S, the British, and the French representatives at the United Nations, with the Soviets also present, an agreement was finally reached on May 2 nd. On May 12 th, 1949 the Soviet Union agreed to lift the blockade of Berlin. Shortly after midnight on May 12 th, 1949 barriers of food and supplies were no longer delivered to Berlin mainly by air. They could now be delivered through road and rail. The crisis situation in Berlin gradually calmed down and the Berliners attempted to stabilize their everyday lives like before.

17. Casualties There were a total of seventeen American and eight British aircrafts that crashed during the operation. A total of 70 British and American men lost their lives during the airlifts and related operations. Of those 70 men, thirty-one of them were Americans.

18. BERLIN AIRCRAFT MEMORIAL The Airlift Memorial at Rhein Main Air Base in Frankfurt Germany and there’s also a memorial on Luftbruckenplatz at Tempelhf Airport in Berlin. Each prong represents one of the 3 air corridors used during "Operation Vittles", and the names of the US and British Airmen killed in the process are inscribed on the base of each.

19. Works Cited Frazier, Michael. “BERLIN WALL.” Michael Frazier-Oregon Songwriter. 26 Feb. 2011. 28 April 2012. http://michaelfrazier.net/MichaelFrazierHome.htm. http://michaelfrazier.net/MichaelFrazierHome.htm Griffin, Robert. “Blockade Lifted.” Harry S. Truman Library & Museum. 24 April 2012. Truman Library Institute. 29 April 2012.http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/BERLIN_A/BLOCKADE.HTM.http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/BERLIN_A/BLOCKADE.HTM Jean, Darlene. “Berlin Blockade-Berlin Aircraft.” About.com European History. 18 April 2012. The New York Times Company. 28 April 2012. http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/coldwar/p/prberlinblock.htm. http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/coldwar/p/prberlinblock.htm Miller, Roger. “To Save a City.” The Berlin Airlift. United States Air Force History and museums Program, 1998. 29 April 2012. http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/airlift.html. http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/airlift.html