From 1948-49, Stalin blockaded Berlin in order to starve the allies out. This was due to the USSR’s fear of a strong democratic and united Germany. In comparison to East Germany, West Berlin was heaven. It had made a drastic recovery since the end of WWII. Stalin believed that West Berlin was a capitalist showpiece in the heart of East Germany and was propaganda against the spread of Communism. Marshall aid had helped West Germany develop quickly and the USSR felt that now the western powers had merged their zones into Bizonia, they were ‘ganging up on him’. After the introduction of the new currency, Deutsche Mark, Stalin stopped all supplies into Berlin. After Britain and America made 200 000 flights delivering vital necessities to 2.2 million west Berliners, it became clear that Stalin’s gamble had failed. The West were determined not to give up Berlin as emphasised by General Clay. “When Berlin falls, Western Germany will be next. If we withdraw our position in Berlin, Europe is threatened... Communism will run rampant.”
This blockade deepened the crisis, and the Cold War had reached a new stage. The unification of Germany now seemed impossible because of the sheer mistrust between the USSR and the West. The creation of Bizonia was followed by a Soviet response, the German Democratic Republic. It is interesting that Stalin has chosen the word ‘Democratic’ when it is clear that Stalin hadn’t kept his promise of ‘free elections’ in Eastern Europe. Stalin’s mistrust for the west increased when in 1955, West Germany entered NATO. This was seen as a direct threat to Soviet security.
The western powers felt the need to form NATO to assure military aggression against any attacks on members. When West Germany entered NATO, the 14 ministers made a short peace of welcome and said it would strengthen peace in Europe. Halward Lange, Norway’s foreign Minister said it would be “A decisive turning point in the history of our continent”. This view was shared by Stalin, but surely not in the same way as Germany had invaded Russia twice in recent years. Stalin’s mistrust for the west only grew because this could mean an armed Germany on Eastern borders. Stalin responded with the formation of the Warsaw pact, which merged the Eastern powers together. It became clear then, that Europe had split in two. It is clear how much Germany affected the Cold War as a whole, especially in Europe. In 1958, it became clear that East Germans were trying to escape to the West.
West Germany was a glittering example of what Capitalism could achieve. The prospect of political freedoms and an open lifestyle of the West Berliners encouraged the people of Eastern Germany to move to the west, in order to escape the hardships of the East. It was easy to move through the open frontier in Berlin. From 1945-61, one sixth of the German population moved to West Germany via Berlin. Khrushchev proposed a peace treaty that would recognize the existence of the two Germany’s. Then, on 27th November 1958, he demanded that Berlin be de-militarized, and threatened that if his demands are not met within 6 months, that he would turn over all access routes to the Western Sectors of Berlin to the GDR. This placed Russia at an advantage as the Western allies would then have to negotiate and recognize the existence and sovereignty of the GDR. The west didn’t want to give up Berlin but to resist could mean war. When forced to discuss the German question, the allies as well as the USSR put down proposals at Geneva but no conclusion was reached.
When refugees continued to leave East Germany, Ulbricht became increasingly frustrated. However, with the new president Kennedy in power, Khrushchev hoped he would have more luck with his policy of ‘flexible response’. With pressure from Ulbricht, Khrushchev bowed to his demands and created a barrier between East Germany and West Berlin. It became known as the Berlin Wall. This was a major turning point in the cold war. The Americans complained vigorously about the wall, and at one point confronted Soviet tanks at Checkpoint Charlie. The USA was relieved that there was no war over Berlin. It was clear that Kennedy, who was underestimated by Khrushchev, was determined not to back down.
The Berlin wall had the effect of settling the question of Germany and removing it as a key issue in the Cold War. Germany was certainly a key focus of tension in the 16 years after WWII as both countries disagreed over the question of Germany, and it split Europe in two. The main reason is that the west wanted a prosperous Germany, and the East wanted to strip its assets. As this was never settled, Germany stayed divided and tensions grew. Berlin became a major source of tension as if any attack was to be made, it would have occurred through Berlin firstly. The west showed how determined they were to keep their ‘island of capitalism in the sea of communism’. The USSR showed how determined they were to match western aggression, by creating the Warsaw Pact, and blockading Berlin.