Map of the occupied Germany Essay Example for Free

Map of the occupied Germany Essay The map presented above has been reproduced from Wikimedia Commons. It shows the four zones which were occupied by Great Britain, France, the United States, and the USSR. It also shows the location of Berlin well inside the Russian zone. The inset shows how the city of Berlin was divided among the four occupiers. Just by looking at the geographical location of Berlin, one could immediately see that the carriers of supplies (like food, medicine, and fuel) which were coming from the western zone and meant for the residents of the western sectors of Berlin had to traverse through a significant portion of the Russian zone before they could reach their destination. The Berlin Blockade, therefore, threatened the very survival of the Berliners who were living in the western sectors. This was realized by Stalin who exploited the situation in order to exert pressure on the western powers into renegotiating the German problem. This was what worried Governor Clay. He was well aware that the 2. 5 million residents of the western sectors could not survive longer than five weeks without new shipments of supplies. The blockade first surprised then confused the officials of the western powers. British foreign minister Bevin declared that despite the blockade, they should go forward with the plan of creating a West German state. Military Governor Clay recommended the use of an armored convoy to transport supplies through the Russian zone. However, his recommendation was turned down for fear that it would provoke a war with the USSR. In the end, the suggestion of Bevin to airlift the supplies was favored (Wilde). The planes carrying the supplies would fly over the Russian zone using the three air corridors which were opened under an agreement with the Russians after the war. These were: the â€Å"Frankfurt/Main-Berlin air corridor, the Hannover/Bueckeburg-Berlin air corridor, and the Hamburg-Berlin air corridor† (Berlin Information Group). On July 2, 1948, British Lt. General Brian K. Robertson conferred with the leaders of the United States and France after which he demanded the lifting of the Berlin Blockade. However, on July 14, the USSR responded by saying that the United States, Great Britain, and France had lost their right to stay in Berlin. The Russian response also justified the blockade by stating that its objective was the protection of the â€Å"economy of the [S]oviet zone. † According to the Russians, the creation of a West German state and the issuance of a new currency violated the agreements of the â€Å"Big Four† with regards the occupation of Germany. Hence, by violating the agreement, Russians claimed that the United States, Great Britain, and France effectively rendered their right to take part in the occupation and administration of Berlin null and void. The Russians also emphasized that since Berlin was located inside the Russian zone, all of Berlin (including the western sectors) belonged to the Russian zone. The western powers reacted to the Russian allegations during a meeting among the delegations of the United States, Great Britain, and France which started on July 15. Their joint response stated that â€Å"Threats, pressure or other actions† could not pressure them into leaving Berlin. On July 17, William J. (Wild Bill) Donovan, a former Major General who was the director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the war, declared that â€Å"The place to make a stand against Russia is right here in Berlin. This is not a Cold War. It is Hot as Hell† (The Berlin Airlift Veterans Association).