Major Compromises and Final Solution

The Soviets

After eleven months of airlift operations, the Western Allies were delivering 7,845 tons of supplies per day.  Conditions in Berlin were not plentiful but the citizens were surviving.  It was clear to the Soviets that their blockade was not going to force the allies out of Berlin.  In April 1949, the Soviets opened secret negotiations to end the blockade.  They realized their goal for the unification of Germany as a communist country was not realistic.  They decided their best option was to consolidate their power in Eastern Europe and hope that the allies, tired of their reconstruction efforts, would eventually pull out of western Germany.  With a large Soviet controlled East German army on the border, they would be able to apply pressure on the western sector and retain their influence over Germany’s future.

    In Berlin, the Soviets continued to oppose rebuilding efforts with moderate success.  As the western German economy rebounded in 1950, the local Berlin economy struggled with over 300,000 unemployed workers.  The Soviets continued to outlaw West German currency in Berlin which greatly limited the Allies’ efforts to rebuild the city.  Though they abandoned the blockade, the Soviets continued to do everything possible to make things difficult for the Allies in Berlin.5 

The Allies

    With the success of the airlift, the Allies had a strong bargaining position.  They also had world opinion in their favor as this was viewed as a huge humanitarian effort.  They also had gained the full support of the Berliners.  They were able to go forward with their currency reform and remain in control of their sectors in Berlin.  However, like the Soviets, it became clear to the allies that they would never realize their goal of reuniting Germany into a democratic republic.  Their focused turned to western Germany and though they remained committed to Berlin, they realized their ability to influence the rest of eastern Germany would remain extremely limited.

5. Air bridge to Berlin - The Berlin Crisis of 1948, D.M. Giangreco and Robert E. Griffin, 1988, http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/BERLIN_A/INDEX.HTM