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Berlin Airlift Essay

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Berlin Airlift was the first major test of the Free World’s will to resist Soviet aggression. It all began in June 1948, when Soviet authorities claimed that “technical difficulties” would halt all traffic by land and water in and out of the western-controlled sections of Berlin. The only passages left into this territory that wouldn’t upset the Soviets were three 20-mile wide air corridors. The Western powers (United States, Great Britain, and France) were then faced with two options: abandoning the city, or supplying the 2.5 million people with enough supplies to live by air for the next 11 months. By choosing the latter, the Western powers embarked on one of the greatest aviation feats in history.

Operation Vittles, as the airlift was

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