Why did the USSR hand over West Berlin?
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I do not take this for granted and I thank the American people to make such a humanitarian decision. it is not forgotten. Thank you for standing strong with the free world. I hope at least a few Americans read these lines. In this moment you can be really proud of your country.
Date: 2022-12-20
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Comments and reviews: 14
Tyler
You neglected to mention one of the most critical reasons for this. The Americans before the war was over were able to occupy the entirety of what is now the German state of Thuringia, in addition to parts of modern-day Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The British also briefly occupied the westernmost portions of modern-day Mecklenburg-Vorpommern iirc. In compliance with agreements with the USSR, they had to give this area up to them in exchange for the Soviets to allow the Western Allies occupation zones in parts of Berlin. Given that the Soviets tried to re-assume control over all of Berlin, I honestly don't see why the Americans should have complied and stuck to their word in hindsight. Well, other than the fact that they actually have principles unlike the Dirty Reds.
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You neglected to mention one of the most critical reasons for this. The Americans before the war was over were able to occupy the entirety of what is now the German state of Thuringia, in addition to parts of modern-day Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The British also briefly occupied the westernmost portions of modern-day Mecklenburg-Vorpommern iirc. In compliance with agreements with the USSR, they had to give this area up to them in exchange for the Soviets to allow the Western Allies occupation zones in parts of Berlin. Given that the Soviets tried to re-assume control over all of Berlin, I honestly don't see why the Americans should have complied and stuck to their word in hindsight. Well, other than the fact that they actually have principles unlike the Dirty Reds.
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Takashi
It is valuable to point out as this video does that Stalin was not opposed to reuniting the separate parts of Germany. He envisioned a united, demilitarized, non-aligned postwar German state. Perhaps he thought such a state would become communist, but even if not a weak non-aligned state in central Europe would have suited the USSR's security needs more than the iron curtain reality that came about. Austria was also originally divided up into occupation zones and a non-aligned united country was reconstituted not too long after the war. The postwar division of Germany was driven more by the western allies than the Soviets.
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It is valuable to point out as this video does that Stalin was not opposed to reuniting the separate parts of Germany. He envisioned a united, demilitarized, non-aligned postwar German state. Perhaps he thought such a state would become communist, but even if not a weak non-aligned state in central Europe would have suited the USSR's security needs more than the iron curtain reality that came about. Austria was also originally divided up into occupation zones and a non-aligned united country was reconstituted not too long after the war. The postwar division of Germany was driven more by the western allies than the Soviets.
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Niel
I'm perhaps a little pedantic here, but I'd like to point out that the Berlin Air Bridge supplied West Berlin by air, which doesn't mean that supplies were dropped by parachute. It grew into a massive conventional logistics project, with Allied transport aircraft flying their cargo into the three airports.
The Air Bridge kept West Berlin from starving and Stalin could do nothing about it, short of shooting down the unarmed transport aircraft.
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I'm perhaps a little pedantic here, but I'd like to point out that the Berlin Air Bridge supplied West Berlin by air, which doesn't mean that supplies were dropped by parachute. It grew into a massive conventional logistics project, with Allied transport aircraft flying their cargo into the three airports.
The Air Bridge kept West Berlin from starving and Stalin could do nothing about it, short of shooting down the unarmed transport aircraft.
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Saoirse
Also, it's hard to overstate the fact that if the West had the stomach for the fight, the Western Allies in Europe could have absolutely butchered the Red Army. This was not true a few years later, and convincing the Western publics to go for it would have been a hard sell, but in the Summer of 1945, the simple mathematics of combat power said the West had the vast majority of the fighting capability in Europe.
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Also, it's hard to overstate the fact that if the West had the stomach for the fight, the Western Allies in Europe could have absolutely butchered the Red Army. This was not true a few years later, and convincing the Western publics to go for it would have been a hard sell, but in the Summer of 1945, the simple mathematics of combat power said the West had the vast majority of the fighting capability in Europe.
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Assaf
I've got an idea for a video- how did the relationship between mussolini and the king worked? I always wondered how the fact that Mussolini was supposed to be the complete and absolute leader worked with the fact that at least ceremoniously the king was the head of the state, and how the fascist regime presented to the public that Mussolini was both the absolute leader and subject th the king.
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I've got an idea for a video- how did the relationship between mussolini and the king worked? I always wondered how the fact that Mussolini was supposed to be the complete and absolute leader worked with the fact that at least ceremoniously the king was the head of the state, and how the fascist regime presented to the public that Mussolini was both the absolute leader and subject th the king.
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The
Berlin division also presented a massive problem to the Soviets as normal people could see somewhere the communist propaganda couldn t make look bad, in fact West Berlin was one of the few places where one could see beyond the iron curtain in both directions, and that made people realize how shit communism is, despite the USSR investing heavily to make east Berlin a prosperous city
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Berlin division also presented a massive problem to the Soviets as normal people could see somewhere the communist propaganda couldn t make look bad, in fact West Berlin was one of the few places where one could see beyond the iron curtain in both directions, and that made people realize how shit communism is, despite the USSR investing heavily to make east Berlin a prosperous city
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Dave
Why did the Soviets not just close their airspace to the transports? Since Berlin is far into Soviet territory, did they not threaten to shoot down unfriendly aircraft operating in their skies? Also, were civilians living in the western part of Berlin able to leave the city on the ground freely or were they only able to travel by plane to West Germany?
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Why did the Soviets not just close their airspace to the transports? Since Berlin is far into Soviet territory, did they not threaten to shoot down unfriendly aircraft operating in their skies? Also, were civilians living in the western part of Berlin able to leave the city on the ground freely or were they only able to travel by plane to West Germany?
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dereinzigwareBro
There's actually a mistake here: West Berlin wasn't really closed off from any supplies, they could still get supplies from East Germany, the soviets basically just blocked traffic between West Germany and West Berlin. So technically the whole airbridge was completely unnecessary, it was mostly a propaganda move to make the US look better.
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There's actually a mistake here: West Berlin wasn't really closed off from any supplies, they could still get supplies from East Germany, the soviets basically just blocked traffic between West Germany and West Berlin. So technically the whole airbridge was completely unnecessary, it was mostly a propaganda move to make the US look better.
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Yamcha
One of my buddies was (and might still be) a pilot for one of the planes that took part in the Berlin airlift. A few years ago, The Spirit of Freedom, a C-54, landed at the airport next to my house and he invited me aboard. It was loudest plane I've ever heard take off from that airport and just about rattled everything off the shelves.
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One of my buddies was (and might still be) a pilot for one of the planes that took part in the Berlin airlift. A few years ago, The Spirit of Freedom, a C-54, landed at the airport next to my house and he invited me aboard. It was loudest plane I've ever heard take off from that airport and just about rattled everything off the shelves.
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Animaciones
USSR: Hey America, I will teach you how communism work
US: Oh really? Show me
USSR: Do you see Nazi Germany
US: Yea
USSR: We share it
US: Ooooh
USSR: Do you see Korea
US: Yea
USSR: We share it
US: I start liking this concept
USSR: Do you see Vietnam
US: Yea, we shar-
USSR: NO ITS ALL MINE
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USSR: Hey America, I will teach you how communism work
US: Oh really? Show me
USSR: Do you see Nazi Germany
US: Yea
USSR: We share it
US: Ooooh
USSR: Do you see Korea
US: Yea
USSR: We share it
US: I start liking this concept
USSR: Do you see Vietnam
US: Yea, we shar-
USSR: NO ITS ALL MINE
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Saibal
Considering how hard Germany went on Soviet citizens during the entire Second Wold War, this was ofcourse inevitable. This is why even after 45 years, convincing Soviet to let East and West reunite wasn't easy until Germany gave up multiple claims. Soviet Union citizens suffered way too much due to German aggression during the war.
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Considering how hard Germany went on Soviet citizens during the entire Second Wold War, this was ofcourse inevitable. This is why even after 45 years, convincing Soviet to let East and West reunite wasn't easy until Germany gave up multiple claims. Soviet Union citizens suffered way too much due to German aggression during the war.
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Dhruv
This is always something I've thought about, why did the USSR allow the west to occupy half of Berlin? Splitting Berlin in half as a risk mitigating tool is really interesting. Neither side knew who would get there first so they agreed to split it in half just incase they didn't reach it first, very interesting! Makes sense.
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This is always something I've thought about, why did the USSR allow the west to occupy half of Berlin? Splitting Berlin in half as a risk mitigating tool is really interesting. Neither side knew who would get there first so they agreed to split it in half just incase they didn't reach it first, very interesting! Makes sense.
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Cariad
It really was a fatal mistake imo, Berlin ended up being a fantastic way for the west to pump propaganda right into the heart of East Germany. East Germans would see consumer goods on TV and assume they where available to everyone in the west cheaply and demand them from their western family.
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It really was a fatal mistake imo, Berlin ended up being a fantastic way for the west to pump propaganda right into the heart of East Germany. East Germans would see consumer goods on TV and assume they where available to everyone in the west cheaply and demand them from their western family.
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Oleksandr
Saying He forgot the sky existed is not very accurate on top of doing a massive disservice to the unimaginably complex, taxing, and cooperative task that was the Berlin Airlift. Sure it's funny, but another joke could have been equally funny while also being more informative.
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Saying He forgot the sky existed is not very accurate on top of doing a massive disservice to the unimaginably complex, taxing, and cooperative task that was the Berlin Airlift. Sure it's funny, but another joke could have been equally funny while also being more informative.
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