The Berlin Blockade occurred from June 24, 1948 until May 12, 1949. It began because of the division of Germany that occurred as a result of the Yalta Conference. Each of the countries got a section of Germany to control, and a section of the capital of Germany, Berlin. France, Great Britain, and the US wanted to make a new currency for the country and use it as the new national currency. The USSR, however, did not want to use the new currency and refuses to honor the dollars in its section of Germany. Since Berlin is in the USSR's portion of Germany, they decide to close off the capital to the other countries by putting up a blockade.
The problem with this blockade was that the people in the city were unable to receive supplies such as food and medicines. The US decided to combine efforts with the other Allies and send supplies to the inhabitants of the city in the Berlin Airlift. They drop supplies from airplanes for 11 months. Over Christmas, they sent Christmas presents for the children in the city. Overall, they dropped about 5,000 tons of supplies into Berlin.
After 11 months, the USSR decided to finally lift the blockade from embarrassment.
After 11 months, the USSR decided to finally lift the blockade from embarrassment.
This was important to the Cold War because it was considered a big US victory. The USSR looked cruel to the other countries in the world, and the US looked like a hero.