COLD WAR I:
Berlin Crisis

Timeline

1945

February 1945: The Big Three - Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill - meet at Yalta Conference to plan policies for dealing with Germany after the end of World War II.

May 2, 1945: Soviet soldiers occupy Berlin.

May 7, 1945: Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe.

June 5, 1945: Allied Supreme Command signs agreement to divide Germany into four zones, each to be occupied by one of the Allies. The USSR occupies the eastern zone, Great Britain the northwestern zone, France the western zone, and the U.S. the southwestern zone.

June 21, 1945: Stalin establishes new communist-controlled government in Poland.

June 26, 1945: United Nations charter is established.

July 26, 1945: Potsdam Conference of Big Three disputes how to handle post-war Europe.

November 18, 1945: Bulgaria votes in a Communist Fatherland Front.

1946

January 11, 1946: A pro-Communist People's Republic is proclaimed in Albania.

January 31, 1946: A new Yugoslavian constitution is patterned after the Soviet Union's.

March 5, 1946: Churchill warns that an "Iron Curtain" is being built across Europe, dividing communist and non-communist nations.

May 26, 1946: Communists win elections in Czechoslovakia.

June 30, 1946: Poland votes in a one-party government and nationalizes industries.

December 2, 1946: The U.S. and Great Britain combine their occupation zones in Germany.

1947

February 21, 1947: Truman asks Congress for $350 million for relief of destitute in liberated countries abroad.

March 12, 1947: Truman asks for $400 million to help Greece and Turkey hold firm against Communists. The Truman Doctrine promises to help any nation threatened by Communism.

May 31, 1947: Pro-Communist government is installed in Budapest, Hungary.

June 5, 1947: The Marshall Plan provides economic aid to help rebuild Europe. The U.S. spends $13 billion in aid from 1948-1952.

October 5, 1947: Communists from nine nations join COMINTERN to defend themselves against what they see as U.S. imperialism.

December 31, 1947: Soviet-backed Communists take over in Romania.

1948

February 1948: Communists take control of Czechoslovakia.

March 31, 1948: Soviets stop western trains bound for Berlin.

April 1, 1948: U.S. starts flying supplies to Berlin.

April 5, 1948: Soviet fighter plane collision results in 14 deaths. Considered an "act of war" caused by USSR. People fear this incident will cause World War III.

June 18, 1948: Currency reforms are made in western Germany. Soviets try to prevent the new currency from entering their zone by stopping all travel in and out.

June 22, 1948: U.S. Air Force flies 156 tons of supplies to American garrison in Berlin.

June 24, 1948: Berlin Blockade begins. Russian troops encircle Berlin and stop air, water, and railroad access.

June 26, 1948: Airlift begins with 32 flights of C-47s carrying 80 tons from Wiesbaden Air Force Base to Berlin.

July 8, 1948: First fatal U.S. aircraft accident of Berlin Airlift results in three deaths.

July 12, 1948: Construction of new runway begins at Tempelhof.

September 1948: Communists riot and take over city hall in Berlin.

September 18, 1948: New record of 7,000 tons of supplies flown to Berlin in one day: 895 flights within 24 hours, despite fog, rain, and high winds.

October 15, 1948: U.S. and Great Britain combine their Airlift task forces.

October 25, 1948: Soviets veto proposal in United Nations to lift the Berlin Blockade.

November 5, 1948: First flights into newly built Tegel Airfield in Berlin.

November 16, 1948: Truman rejects Four Power talks on Berlin until after the blockade is ended.

November 30, 1948: Communists install government in Soviet sector.

December 20, 1948: Operation Santa Claus flies in gifts for 10,000 Berlin children.

1949

January 10, 1949: At 225, the U.S. has the most C-54s involved in the Airlift.

February 1, 1949: Hungary is proclaimed a People's Republic.

February 18, 1949: A total of one million tons of cargo has been flown into Western Berlin via the "aerial bridge."

March 18, 1949: The Allies organize NATO, a 12-nation alliance aimed to protect its members against the Soviet Union and its allies.

March 19, 1949: Soviet People's Council signs a constitution in East Germany creating a communist German Democratic Republic.

March 25, 1949: Mao Tse-tung sets up government in Beijing.

March 31, 1949: Churchill states that the A-Bomb is the only thing preventing the Soviet Union from taking over Europe.

April 8, 1949: France, Great Britain, and the U.S. merge their zones in West Germany.

April 16, 1949: The "Easter Parade" takes place on this 294th day of the Airlift: 13,000 tons of coal, food, and supplies are flown to Berlin, averaging one plane every 61.8 seconds.

April 26, 1949: Soviet Union offers to lift the Berlin blockade in Big Four ministers meeting.

May 8, 1949: West German Assembly approves new constitution.

May 12, 1949: Soviets lift blockade of Berlin.

May 23, 1949: Big Four meet to discuss Germany. Federal Republic of Germany is established (West Germany).

May 30, 1949: USSR rejects the western proposal to reunify Germany.

September 30, 1949: Berlin Airlift officially ends after a total of 277,264 flights and 1.5 million tons of aid.

October 12, 1949: New government in East Germany takes over, controlled by Communist Party.

December 31, 1949: In the year 1949, over 125,000 East Berliners secretly escape across border to West Germany.

1961: Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev warns President John Kennedy that any "violation" of East Germany's borders would be considered an act of aggression against the Soviet-controlled Warsaw Pact.

July 1961: 30,444 refugees escape from East Berlin to the West.

August 1-10, 1961: 16,500 East Germans escape to the West.

August 12, 1961: Approximately 4,000 East Germans, especially skilled workers, doctors, and scientists, cross to the West.

August 13, 1961, 12:30 AM: Sirens announce arrival of East German military troops who build Berlin Wall in four days to prevent East Berliners and East Germans from escaping to the West.

November 1989: East German government lifts all travel restrictions to the West, and begins taking down the Berlin Wall. West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl proposes early reunification of Germany.

July 1990: East Germany adopts West Germany's currency.

October 3, 1990: Germany is officially reunited as one country.

1991: The German Legislature votes to return German capital to Berlin.

1999: Berlin is established as capital of Germany.