The Berlin Blockade, NATO and the Warsaw Pact Cambridge IGCSE History revision
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In plain words
In June 1948 Stalin closed every road, railway and canal into West Berlin and waited for two million people to run out of food. The Western answer was to feed a city from the sky for eleven months.
9 things to know
- Germany was divided into four zones. Berlin, the capital, was also divided into four sectors, but it lay deep inside the Soviet zone.
- The Western powers wanted Germany to recover. They merged their zones, and in June 1948 they introduced a new currency there. Stalin wanted Germany kept weak, and feared a strong new state on his border.
- On 24 June 1948 Stalin cut all the land routes into West Berlin. He hoped to force the Western powers out of the city.
- The West could not fight its way in without risking war, and would not abandon the city. It chose to supply West Berlin by air. This was the Berlin Airlift.
- For eleven months, aircraft flew in food, coal and medicine around the clock. Stalin did not dare to shoot them down. In May 1949 he lifted the blockade.
- Consequences. It was a victory for the West and a humiliation for Stalin.
- Germany was divided for the next forty years. In 1949 the Western zones became the Federal Republic of Germany, known as West Germany, and the Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic, known as East Germany.
- In April 1949 the Western powers formed NATO, a military alliance in which an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all.
- In 1955 the USSR and its allies formed their own alliance, the Warsaw Pact. Europe was now divided into two armed camps.
Worked example
Explain why Stalin blockaded West Berlin. This is a 6-mark question.
- He opposed Western plans for Germany: the merging of the zones and the new currency pointed to a strong, separate West German state.
- West Berlin was a Western, capitalist outpost deep inside the Soviet zone, and its prosperity showed up the poverty of the East.
- He hoped that cutting off supplies would force the West to give up either the city or its plans, without a war.
Tips and tricks
- The blockade lasted from June 1948 to May 1949. NATO was formed in April 1949, while it was still going on.
- Consequences come in three: Germany divided, NATO formed, and later the Warsaw Pact. Learn them as a set.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
The Berlin Blockade, NATO and the Warsaw Pact: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Why was West Berlin difficult for the Western powers to supply?
All the land routes crossed Soviet-controlled territory.
How did the West respond to the blockade?
The airlift lasted eleven months.
When was NATO formed?
It was formed during the blockade.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
It was formed in 1955.
Why did Stalin not shoot down the aircraft of the airlift?Stretch
He wanted to force the West out without fighting.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 14 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
The Berlin Blockade, NATO and the Warsaw Pact
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 14 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What was the Berlin Airlift?[4]
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After Stalin blocked the land routes to West Berlin in June 1948, the Western powers supplied the city by air. Aircraft flew in food, fuel and other supplies around the clock. It lasted eleven months. Stalin lifted the blockade in May 1949.
What was NATO?[4]
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a military alliance formed in April 1949. Its members included the USA, Britain, France and other Western countries. They agreed that an attack on one would be treated as an attack on all. It was formed to defend the West against the USSR.
Why was the Berlin Blockade important?[6]
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It was the first major crisis of the Cold War, and showed that the West would stand firm without going to war. It led to the division of Germany into two states in 1949. It persuaded the Western powers to form NATO for their defence, which led in turn to the Warsaw Pact, so Europe was divided into two armed alliances.
Answers: The Berlin Blockade, NATO and the Warsaw Pact
- 1. After Stalin blocked the land routes to West Berlin in June 1948, the Western powers supplied the city by air. Aircraft flew in food, fuel and other supplies around the clock. It lasted eleven months. Stalin lifted the blockade in May 1949.
- 2. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a military alliance formed in April 1949. Its members included the USA, Britain, France and other Western countries. They agreed that an attack on one would be treated as an attack on all. It was formed to defend the West against the USSR.
- 3. It was the first major crisis of the Cold War, and showed that the West would stand firm without going to war. It led to the division of Germany into two states in 1949. It persuaded the Western powers to form NATO for their defence, which led in turn to the Warsaw Pact, so Europe was divided into two armed alliances.