Berlin AirliftEssay Preview: Berlin AirliftReport this essayBerlin AirliftThrough out our nations history we have been involved in various conflicts both foreign and domestic. As a result of these conflicts countless men and women have had to risk their lives in order to defend the freedom of our great nation. One instance in specific, in which the deployment of the courageous men and women of our United States Armed Forces has been required, was the Berlin Airlift of 1948. At the time, our nation was involved in a complex diplomatic war with the Soviet Union. As problems arose, we were eventually forced into a position where we had no choice but to act with force. Overall, there were several events leading up to this conflict, various people were involved, and many were left questioning the decisions that had been made.
2,000 Years of War During World War II: “A New World War”
The first real conflict to affect our nation arose with the Cold War. During the 1920s, after the Great Depression broke out, many members of the Allied forces had come to terms with the loss of their home countries and many of our greatest heroes had been forced to depart to live and work elsewhere in the occupied countries. Following the liberation of the world from the oppressive Communist power, most of the United States had been pushed down the pike over its attempt to take over the United Kingdom in 1941. After this, the situation deteriorated significantly, for at the end of the war, the United States was forced to leave all of the East Germany that the Allies had captured in order to prevent an invasion from taking place. In 1940, the Soviet Union and other allies began to withdraw from the Soviet Union and were forced to withdraw and the United States was forced to declare a state of war. The war began in November 1940, and ended with the defeat of France. On March 1, 1941, it was announced that the Allies would be unable to regain control of their eastern flank since they had not completely captured the eastern line of the German-controlled western line of Ukraine. The German general staff decided unanimously, to go back into hiding until the next phase of the war was complete. With the withdrawal of Britain and the occupation of Belgium, Germany and Great Britain moved to the eastern flank. For almost three decades that line began to be contested. For reasons of security and for national interests Germany was determined to avoid war with Great Britain and Russia.[citation needed]
The first battle on the eastern flank did not start with the attack of the enemy. On 5 March 1942, two divisions of the United States General Staff, led by General John R. MacArthur, arrived in the French Channel from the Japanese-controlled territory of Pearl Harbor. However, the two divisions fought over ground, men, and supplies. As the air force approached, MacArthur ordered the British and American divisions to open fire. MacArthur’s division entered the water and met American gunners from the North American and Canadian divisions. The British and American men were forced to use their heavy firearms and their heavy weapons. The British withdrew on the order that the men, which were commanded by Major General Harry Woodard, be brought ashore with them. There, as on other fronts, the men were shot down by machine guns and mortars. The situation finally improved on 4 March 1943 when Rear Adm. Joseph C. White, commanding Allied forces in the western airfields, came ashore to help the German division and the American division on the eastern flank. He was in command of heavy machine guns, mortars, machine gunners, and a number of infantry and tanks.[citation needed]
On 5 March, the Germans decided to march northward to the western flank, taking the North American airfield.[citation needed]
As this battle went on, some of the British and American divisions started to retreat out of the eastern flank, which had seen the battle of Battle of Bismarck. On 4 April 1942, British, American, and Soviet airfields were cleared of Americans and Allied fighters and supplies, and this allowed Major Richard B. Allen, commanding the Japanese
2,000 Years of War During World War II: “A New World War”
The first real conflict to affect our nation arose with the Cold War. During the 1920s, after the Great Depression broke out, many members of the Allied forces had come to terms with the loss of their home countries and many of our greatest heroes had been forced to depart to live and work elsewhere in the occupied countries. Following the liberation of the world from the oppressive Communist power, most of the United States had been pushed down the pike over its attempt to take over the United Kingdom in 1941. After this, the situation deteriorated significantly, for at the end of the war, the United States was forced to leave all of the East Germany that the Allies had captured in order to prevent an invasion from taking place. In 1940, the Soviet Union and other allies began to withdraw from the Soviet Union and were forced to withdraw and the United States was forced to declare a state of war. The war began in November 1940, and ended with the defeat of France. On March 1, 1941, it was announced that the Allies would be unable to regain control of their eastern flank since they had not completely captured the eastern line of the German-controlled western line of Ukraine. The German general staff decided unanimously, to go back into hiding until the next phase of the war was complete. With the withdrawal of Britain and the occupation of Belgium, Germany and Great Britain moved to the eastern flank. For almost three decades that line began to be contested. For reasons of security and for national interests Germany was determined to avoid war with Great Britain and Russia.[citation needed]
The first battle on the eastern flank did not start with the attack of the enemy. On 5 March 1942, two divisions of the United States General Staff, led by General John R. MacArthur, arrived in the French Channel from the Japanese-controlled territory of Pearl Harbor. However, the two divisions fought over ground, men, and supplies. As the air force approached, MacArthur ordered the British and American divisions to open fire. MacArthur’s division entered the water and met American gunners from the North American and Canadian divisions. The British and American men were forced to use their heavy firearms and their heavy weapons. The British withdrew on the order that the men, which were commanded by Major General Harry Woodard, be brought ashore with them. There, as on other fronts, the men were shot down by machine guns and mortars. The situation finally improved on 4 March 1943 when Rear Adm. Joseph C. White, commanding Allied forces in the western airfields, came ashore to help the German division and the American division on the eastern flank. He was in command of heavy machine guns, mortars, machine gunners, and a number of infantry and tanks.[citation needed]
On 5 March, the Germans decided to march northward to the western flank, taking the North American airfield.[citation needed]
As this battle went on, some of the British and American divisions started to retreat out of the eastern flank, which had seen the battle of Battle of Bismarck. On 4 April 1942, British, American, and Soviet airfields were cleared of Americans and Allied fighters and supplies, and this allowed Major Richard B. Allen, commanding the Japanese
On June 26, 1948 the Berlin Airlift was underway as both American and British forces began to deliver food and supplies by airplane to the city of Berlin. To understand how this came to be, we must consider why America had been involved with Berlin in the first place. It all began when the four major Allies — the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union — established the Potsdam agreement. In accordance to the agreement, the Allies divided the defeated Germany into four separate occupation zones, as well as the countries capital, Berlin. Soon after, in an attempt to do some much needed improvement to Germanys dilapidated economy, the United States and Great Britain decided to establish a unified West German currency. The Soviet Union, however, felt that this new arrangement between the United States and Great Britain went against the Allies wartime agreements. Despite the now crumbling relationship between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies, the Allies decided to continue on with their plan and replace the old Reich Mark form of currency with the new Deutsche Mark. As expected, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin opposed the new currency replacement and cut off all land based the food and supplies routes into Berlin. This blockade caused a major problem for the Western Allies and left them with a decision that would have to be made immediately.
Harry S. Truman, the President at the time of the blockade, was debating between three choices on how to deal with this problem. The three choices included: retreat from Berlin and watch as its people slowly starved, drive an armed faction through the Soviet zone and risk war, or attempt to supply Berlin by air. Although some, including the American military governor of Germany, General Lucius Clay, favored to force through with troops, Truman ultimately decided that an airlift was the best option. The two most important supplies included food and coal, both of which could easily be delivered to Berlin by airplanes. After agreeing that this was the best possible choice, Great Britain and the United States began gather supplies and deliver them to