“the Berlin Blockade Was the Turning Point in the Outbreak of the Cold War in the Period 1945-1949.” How Far Is This Statement Accurate?

“The Berlin Blockade was the turning point in the outbreak of the Cold War in the period 1945-1949.” How far is this statement accurate?

The Berlin Blockade (June 1948 – May 1949) marked the first time when the first underlying tensions between the superpowers after the German Question threatened to become an open military confrontation. This further contributed to the deteriorating relations between the US and the USSR. The different perspectives between the US and the USSR have caused the division in Germany. The US wanted to strengthen Germany for the recovery of European Economy whereas the USSR wanted to weaken Germany to ensure its national security. This clearly shows the surfacing of the differing aims with regards to their national interest. The Berlin Blockade was a confirmation of the breakdown the US-Soviet relations. In the early months of 1948, the Western power decided to introduce a new currency (Deutsche Mark) in their zone and West Berlin. However, Stalin interpreted it as the establishment of the new Germany in the West. Thus, Stalin blocked the roads and rail routes to Berlin. In response, Truman ordered a fleet of planes to fly over the blockade and bring food and supplies into the cities of West Berlin. This blockade also increased the feeling of military insecurity in Northern, Western and Southern Europe incurring pressure for a common military force to defend the region which can be argued to have accelerated the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in April 1949. The blockade has ended any hope of agreement between the East and West over Germany. Germany was split into the two states of East and West, its partition was a microcosm of the division in Europe.

The US and USSR’s attempt to smooth the differences over the Polish Issue did not ameliorate (reduce) the increasing acrimonious relationship between the two powers. The subsequent of differences marked the first confrontation between superpowers, which lay...