http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/coldwar/interviews/episode-4/halvor1.html
| People associated with the Berlin Airlift |
| Causes | |
President of the United States Harry Truman became President April 12th 1945. It was his decision not to surrender Berlin to the Soviets. |
|
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin Supreme leader of the Soviet Union since 1927 this was a propaganda defeat for him. The airlift showed the world that the West superiority over the Soviets. Without the atomic bomb at his disposal he ordered an end to the blockade on May 12, 1949. | |
|
Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov During the time leading up to the crisis, at the Council of Foreign Ministers, he was known to the West as Mr. No. Whatever was favorable to the west especially the recovery of Germany the Soviets saw this in negative terms. It was on the night of June 23, 1948 that he told Sokolovsky not to surround the city with tanks but instead impose a blockage around Berlin. | |
| No picture available. Click here to follow link. | Soviet Military Governor in Germany Marshall Vassily Sokolovsky Served as Marshall Zhukov’s chief of staff during the drive to Berlin. He was part of the Allied Control Council governing Germany. As military governor he was the on site military commander of the Soviet attempt to drive the allies out of Berlin. | |
|
American Military Governor in Germany General Lucius D. Clay Served as the American representative on the Allied Control Council. The general favored the Allies using a military convoy to break the blockade. With orders not to start an armed conflict he ordered the start of the airlift without Washington’s knowledge. | |
|
Mayor of Berlin Ernst Reuter In 1948 Ernst Reuter, of the Social Democratic Party, was elected mayor but it was vetoed by the Soviets. Walter Ulbricht was the Socialist Unity Party leader and supported by Stalin. On September 9, 1948 in front of 300,000 people at the Reichstag he gave a speech, and called on the West not to abandon Berlin | |
|
Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen "The
Chocolate Bomber": Was an American C-54 pilot during the airlift. One
day he promised some children near the airport that he drop candy bars
to them. What started as a small gesture of kindness would soon become
a major event for the children of Berlin. This story would be carried around
the world and became a major propaganda victory for the allies.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/coldwar/interviews/episode-4/halvor1.html |
|