Le Blocus de Berlin et le Pont Aérien 1948

clip http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war9.htm quatre secteurs : le secteur américain, le secteur anglais, le secteur français et le secteur russe. Berlin, la capitale historique de l'Allemagne maintenant entièrement dans la zone soviétique, fut aussi divisée en quatre secteurs entre les mêmes forces militaires. Congress voted for Marshall Aid on 31 March 1948.    Immediately, the Russians started searching all road and rail traffic into Berlin.   On 1 June, America and France announced that they wanted to create the new country of West Germany; and on 23 June they introduced a new currency into ‘Bizonia’ and western Berlin. The next day the Russians stopped all road and rail traffic into Berlin. Stalin said he was defending the east German economy against the new currency, which was ruining it.   The western powers said he was trying to force them out of Berlin. clip

Le Travail (groupes de 3) Lisez pages 145-146 (Le Blocus de Berlin) Vidéo à visionner Feuille à distribuer : travail de groupe.

La division d’Allemagne Qu’est-ce qui a causé cette première confrontation majeure de la Guerre Froide? La division d’Allemagne Staline voulait détruire Allemagne; l’Ouest voulait la rebâtir Le Plan Marshall fournissait de l’aide à Berlin ouest; Berlin est pauvre. Une réforme monétaire Yalta et Potsdam : la division d’Allemagne a causé du désaccord à propos quoi faire. Staline voulait détruire Allemagne; l’Ouest voulait la rebâtir; There had been particular disagreement about reparations: Britain and America had wanted Germany to recover economically, but the Russians had gained the right to take 10% of the industrial equipment of western Germany, and as whatever they wanted from their own zone in eastern Germany. Le Plan Marshall fournissait de l’aide à Berlin ouest; Berlin est pauvre. Une réforme monétaire, Les Américains et la France ont annoncé qu’ils voulaient établir un nouveau pays « Allemagne Ouest » en réunifiant leurs zones (« Bizonia »); et ils ont introduit une nouvelle monnaie le Deutschemark ici et à Berlin ouest.

Comment Staline a-t-il réagi? Pourquoi? le lendemain, Staline a décrété un blocus des voies ferroviaires, fluviales et routières menant à Berlin-Ouest ou permettant d’en sortir. Coupé l’électricité de Berlin-Ouest en provenance de Berlin-Est. Les 2,1 millions de personnes vivant à Berlin-Ouest étaient devenues des otages démunis et sans défense.

Comment Staline a-t-il réagi? Pourquoi? empêcher la création d’un État ouest-allemand en espérant une éventuelle réunification de l’Allemagne, mais communiste sous le contrôle de Moscou. le pari que l’Ouest préférerait permettre l’intégration de Berlin-Ouest dans le secteur soviétique plutôt que de risquer un conflit armé. Le succès du coup d’État tchécoslovaque avait amené Staline à croire en ses chances de réussite. Il se trompait.

Décris le Blocus, qu’est-ce qui s’est passé? Le blocus s’est transformé en épreuve de force entre l’URSS et l’Occident. L’Occident a remporté (gagné) cette bataille symbolique quand les Soviétiques ont aboli le blocus au bout de 11 mois. Lors du blocus Berlin de l'Ouest a vu un atterrissage d'un avion à toutes les 45 secondes permettant le ravitaillement des 2 millions d'habitants.

Le Blocus de Berlin Pont aérien dura 11 mois. Les 3 secteurs occidentaux se réunirent pour former la République Fédérale Allemande (RFA). le secteur russe devint la République Démocratique Allemande (RDA). Berlin-Est incorporé dans la RDA pour enfin devenir sa capitale en 1954 Berlin-Ouest continua d'être un territoire séparé avec son propre gouvernement et liens économiques et culturels avec la RFA.    

Le Blocus de Berlin Pourquoi par l’air? Truman voulait éviter une guerre. The American Army wanted to fight its way into Berlin – that would have caused a war.   Instead, Truman decided to supply Berlin by air.   The Berlin airlift marked the first major confrontation in the Cold War. For 11 months, beginning in June 1948, the Western allies took part in an unprecedented attempt to keep a city alive -- entirely from the air. Despite Soviet harassment, poor flying conditions and official discouragement, the air crews performed what many thought was impossible. Click air corridors and Berlin for more information. CNN.com for the map

Around the Clock To accomodate all the aircraft sections a 'Block' system was introduced to coordinate their intervals, heights, and timing. This helped ensure a continuous operation with no time gaps. Initial challenges like properly maintaining the aircraft, adequately employing aircrews, necessary record-keeping, and controlling the media had to be overcome. In time efficiencies were found that improved the process. This included bringing refreshments out to the aircrews on the flight line to save turn-around time and utilizing German workers as ground crews to assist in unloading cargoes. Because the operation ran continuously pilots operated under great strain often without adequate sleep. August 13, 1948 came to be known as "Black Friday" after three C-54 aircraft crashed during landings at Tempelhof in Berlin. As a result the Commander, Major General William H. Turner instituted mandatory changes such as mandatory instrument flight rules (IFR) that improved the safety of the operation.

He was known variously as the Candy Bomber, Uncle Wiggly Wings, the Chocolate Uncle, and the Chocolate Flier, but US Air Force Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen captured the hearts of Berlin's children by staging his own Operation "Little Vittles." During the height of the Airlift Halvorsen began dropping small parachutes containing gifts of chewing gum, chocolate bars, and assorted candies down to waving throngs of West Berlin children as his aircraft would pass overhead. He began this in response to an earlier visit with some of the children who were stoically enduring the deprivations of the Soviet blockade. Glad to receive any food or even some coal, they became ecstatic when they received just a small bit of candy, a rare commodity. Appreciating their dilemma Halvorsen responded in an effort to boost their morale. The gesture worked and has never been forgotten. Operation "Little Vittles" continued for the duration of the Airlift and was joined in by other pilots and aircrews.

The end of the Airlift brought the joy of victory to hundreds of weary American and British aircrews. Airlift Success The airlift continued through to 15 April 1949 when a report by Tass, the Soviet News agency, announced a willingness to concede and raise the blockade. Negotiations among the four occupying powers followed and on 4 May 1949 the Allies agreed to end the blockade and curtail the airlift by 12 May. Immediately afterward a British convoy traveled by land route to the beleagured city and the first train from the West in nearly a year reached Berlin by early morning that day. A lessening volume of cargo flights continued for several more months until city stockpiles again reached an acceptable level as a safeguard against possible future blockades. In the final analysis statistics from the US Army Center for Military History record that the western Allies provided 714,090 short tons (STON) of supplies in 1948 and 1,198,305 STON in 1949. The total estimated cost was $224 million ($2 billion in 2008 dollars). The human toll was more dear with the loss of 40 British and 31 American servicemen who gave their lives to sustain those of over 2 million Berliners in the city and to demonstrate the Western will to maintain freedom in the shadow of a growing Soviet hegemony.

his cartoon by the British cartoonist Illingworth appeared in the Daily Mail on 9 September 1948.  Stalin has blocked the mousehole, and toys with a mouse labelled 'Berliners', whilst the other 'western powers' scuttle around in alarm. + notes sur la page de réponse.

American cartoon 1948 The real heroes of the Airlift came in many forms, from many countries, and wore different uniforms. They included civilians as well as military personnel but all held one fixed purpose: to ensure the survival of the city. Faced with odds that made failure and capitulation to Soviet demands seem a certainty they demonstrated a resolve that surprised all who doubted. In a farewell speech to the Berlin city assembly just prior to his departure General Clay pronounced that: There are two classes of airlift heroes, first, the pilots who flew the planes to Berlin in every kind of weather; and secondly, the population of Berlin, who, after having chosen freedom were also prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to uphold it.   There were 101 fatalities recorded during the Airlift. The number includes 40 British and 31 American servicemen. The majority died as a result of accidents resulting from hazardous weather conditions or mechanical failures. The remainder is composed of civilians who perished on the ground while providing support for the operation or who lost their lives when aircraft accidents destroyed their homes.

On 1 June, America and France announced that they wanted to create the new country of West Germany; and on 23 June they introduced a new currency into ‘Bizonia’ and western Berlin. The next day the Russians stopped all road and rail traffic into Berlin. Stalin said he was defending the east German economy against the new currency, which was ruining it.   The western powers said he was trying to force them out of Berlin.

                                            In this British cartoon from 1948, Stalin watches as the storks fly coal and food into Berlin, but he dares not shoot them down. + notes feuille de réponse Faits: The blockade lasted 318 days (11 months). In the winter of 1948–49 Berliners lived on dried potatoes, powdered eggs and cans of meat.   They had 4 hours of electricity a day. 275,000 flights carried in 1½ million tons of supplies.   A plane landed every 3 mins. On 16 April 1949, 1400 flights brought in 13,000 tons of supplies in one day – Berlin only needed 6,000 tons a day to survive. Some pilots dropped chocolate and sweets. The USA stationed B-29 bombers (which could carry an atomic bomb) in Britain.   The American airmen were regarded as heroes. In 1949, the western Allies set up NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) as a defensive alliance against Russia. NATO countries surrounded Russia; in 1955, the Soviet Union set up the Warsaw Pact – an alliance of Communist states.    

Soviet Interference   Initially the Soviets ridiculed the Western Allies' plan to initiate the airlift and challenged their resolve. In radio broadcasts to West Berlin they claimed rights to the entire city. They also predicted that it would eventually be surrendered to them and tempted West Berliners to cross to the East to receive food. This offer was refused by all. As the 'airbridge' increased in effectiveness and efficiency and Allied resolve seemed to strengthen the Soviets employed other means such as interference by shining searchlights to blind pilots at night, buzzing by Soviet aircraft, air to air fire, firing of rockets and anti-aircraft guns, and parachute jumps into air corridors. None of these attempts were effective and instances eventually dropped off as the airlift continued into 1949.

                                  The Russians were taking German machinery back to the USSR.   In January 1947, Britain and the USA joined their two zones together to try to get German industry going.   They called the new zone Bi-zonia (‘two zones’).   Britain and America tried to restore German prosperity in their sectors, but the Russians systematically looted their zone.  This cartoon of 1946 shows Britain and America trying to get the 'lorry' (representing the German economy) going, while the Russian sits smugly on his motorbike, having stolen the wheels.

                                 This 1961 cartoon shows Russia and America in an 'arms race'.   The caption read: 'If we go on with this race, there won't be a winner!'      After Berlin, the USA and the USSR realised that they were in a competition for world domination.   They began to build up their armies and weapons. Working as a whole class, draw a spidergram to show all the reasons why the Berlin blockade failed. 3.   What were the results of the Berlin Blockade.