The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control.

What happened during the Berlin Blockade?

With their blockade, the Soviets cut some 2.5 million civilians in the three western sectors of Berlin off from access to electricity, as well as food, coal and other crucial supplies. ... Nearly 700 aircraft were used during the Berlin Airlift, more than 100 of which belonged to civilian operators.

What was the purpose of the blockade of Berlin?

The Berlin Blockade served to highlight the competing ideological and economic visions for postwar Europe. It played a major role in aligning West Berlin with the United States as the major protecting power, and in drawing West Germany into the NATO orbit several years later in 1955.