Question Home

Position:Home>History> What was the purpose of the Berlin airlift?


Question:what was the purpose of the Berlin airlift


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: what was the purpose of the Berlin airlift

To provide food and medicine for the people of West Berlin.
At the time Germany was divided into four occupation zones. The entire city of Berlin was inside the Russian zone, but it was also divided into four sectors. ( U.S., British, French in West Berlin, Russia in East Berlin)
Russia tried to gain control of all of Berlin by cutting all land traffic to West Berlin. Starving out the population and cutting off their business was their method of gaining control.
The airlift provided food and supplies for the people that were blockaded.

Russia blocked access to Germany depriving the Germans of food and medicine. The airlift was to get supplies to the German people.

The communists closed the highways and railroads and boat traffic leading into West Berlin from W. Germany. No movement was alowed of people and supplies.
The airlift circumvented the cutoff and allowed, by air, supplies and people to move into and out of Berlin.
The airlifted last about 11 months in 1948-49. It was a public relations failure for the Soviets.

For 13 months, the aircraft supplied an isolated Berlin- a city under siege- with every product necessary to keep the city and its more than a million inhabitants alive. Coal, heating oil, medicines, food and necessary supplies were airlifted into Berlin in an endless stream of transport aircraft operating at 2 minute intervals day and night in every kind of weather. The Berlin Airlift was a live demonstration on the future of the Air Cargo Industry.

The most obvious result of this confrontation was the 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union, which ebbed with the construction of the Berlin Wall, and the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts. The US also forged a newfound friendship with Germany, its former foe, and established the Federal Republic of Germany as a result. In addition, the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) was formed as a result of the crisis.

Less politically, our aircraft and airway system we enjoy today was developed and perfected as a result of the Berlin Airlift. Ground Controlled Approach or GCA was greatly improved as a necessity for the aircraft to land in Berlin, and our air traffic control system is a direct development of that technology. Loading procedures and maintenance procedures are greatly improved as a result, too.
More importantly, the Berlin Airlift demonstrated the military need for Air Transport in addition to Bombers and Fighters. A result is the Air Mobility Command and aircraft like the C-141 Starlifter, the C-130 Hercules, the C-5 Galaxy, and our newest transport, the C-17 Globemaster III.
All of these political and logistical ideas came as a result of the resolve of the US, Great Britain, France, and Germany to resist totalitarian tactics and wage a battle of air transport. This battle saved over 2.5 million people without firing a single shot. In a matter of fifteen months in 1948-49, world history was changed by the greatest humanitarian aviation event in history, the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin was located in east Germany and was,itself divided in to west and east.
the Russians closed all roads going into west Berlin and was trying to get the allies to abandon w.Berlin by depriving it of supplies.
the airlift was to supply west Berlin with food and other necessities