Blockade and Airlift : Legend or Lesson? - The Berlin Crisis Of 1948-1949

73 Pages. This 1988 First Edition was limited to 10,000 copies. Small crease to bottom corner of cover. No other defects noted. This documentation is a part of the 1988 touring exhibit "Berlin Blockade and Airlift - Legend of Lesson?" Illustrated with black and white photographs on every page (10-73) of the The Exhibition. When the Soviet Military Administration cut off the electricity supply for the Berliners and disrupted all rail traffic between Berlin and the Western occupied zones in the night of 24 June 1948, General Lucius D. Clay of the United States acted quickly and resolutely. He ordered that an airlift to supply the inhabitants of Berlin, calling it Operation Vittles. Despite strong misgivings by the US Government as to whether this was at all feasible, General Clay prevailed with the argument, When Berlin falls, Western Germany will be next. If we are to hold Europe against Communism, we must not budge. His action was political foresight and steadfast attitude towards force, inhumanity and totalitarian. The Berliners' commitment to freedom strengthened him in his conviction. France also participated in the airlift. The joint action by the Western allies for Berlin was an impressive feat. During the eleven months of the blockade, well over 200,000 flights brought 2 million tons of food, industrial goods and coal to Berlin. But above and beyond these figures, the airlift was an important political demonstration. Since the airlift, the United States, the United Kingdom and France have been known as the "Protecting Powers". When the Soviet Union ended the blockade in May 1949, justice had prevailed over force. The freedom of the Berliners was preserved. And 31 Americans and 39 Britons as well as 8 Germans lost their lives in this difficult mission. General Clay became a friend of Germans and a pioneer of German-American partnership. When he died in April 1978, the loss was sorely felt in Federal Republic of Germany and especially in Berlin. Special credit is due the Berlin Airlift Gratitude Foundation for keeping alive the memory of those who selflessly sacrificed themselves for Berlin and for paying due tribute to their next of kin. Contents: Preface by the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Helmut Kohl, Introduction by the Mayor of Berlin Eberhard Diepgen, and Text and Photos from the Exhibit.…