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Effects Of The Berlin Airlift

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The Berlin Airlift and its Strategic Effects
Despite its beginnings as a logistical nightmare for the aircrews and aviators, the Berlin Airlift was extremely effective in the role of containing the spread of communism into Berlin, while ensuring the survival of capitalism for millions of its citizens.
After the conclusion of World War II, the city of Berlin was divided into two major sections: East and West Berlin. The western section was divided between the three allies and under the control of Britain, the United States, and France, while the eastern portion was under the Soviet's control. The portion of Berlin owned by the western powers had become a small hold on capitalism in a sea of Marxist communism. On 24 June 1948, the Soviet Union cut off all ground routes into the western portion of Berlin. This would leave approximately 2.5 million Berlin citizens without the United States supplies they had been receiving. It would also leave the roughly 6,500 western troops without ground-level support, surrounded by 16,000 soviets (Owens 70).
The United States had only a few options and they were not looking great. They could attempt to resolve this diplomatically, but that could take more time than was available. A military pullout from Berlin could lead to discredit the United States and leave Berlin to fall completely under Soviet control (Owens 70). The United States military governor of Berlin at the time was General Lucas Clay. General Clay was told that going by

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