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Grade 5 Social Studies · World 6: The War Turns Cold · Level 61
The Berlin Airlift
Explain how supplies reached Berlin.
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 61
- After the war, Germany was split. The Soviet Union held the east. The western Allies held the west. The capital, Berlin, was split too, though it sat deep inside the Soviet part.
- In June 1948, the Soviets shut every road, rail line, and canal into West Berlin. About 2 million people were cut off from food and fuel.
- Should the West give up Berlin, or try to force its way in? Either could be a disaster. President Truman chose a third way: fly the supplies in.
- American and British planes landed around the clock, carrying food and coal. Over the airlift, they flew hundreds of thousands of flights. Some pilots dropped candy to the children below.
- In May 1949, the Soviets gave up and lifted the blockade. West Berlin stayed free, and no shots had been fired.
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:
- SS5H5.b — Explain how the United States sought to stop the spread of communism through the Berlin airlift, the Korean War, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.