No agreement could be reached with the Soviets on the continued control of Germany. When the Allies decided to introduce a new currency in West Germany to counter inflation, the Soviets opposed the move. In response, and as a means of stopping the reunification of Western Germany, the Soviets imposed a blockade on Berlin, which had been and remained under four-power control.
The American Commander in Germany, General Clay, stated that if the Soviets managed to push the US out of Berlin, the next step could be the expulsion of the US from Germany and then from Europe altogether. He suggested that the US break the blockade by force. President Truman decided, instead, on an airlift. The airlift was very successful, and eventually the Soviets lifted the blockade, 11 months after it was imposed. |
