23rd June, 1948 Western Allies (France, UK, USA) Introduced a new currency – the Deutsche Mark in their occupation zones of Germany. Next day, Stalin ordered the Soviet occupation forces to close the access roads, railways even canals to Allied controlled West Berlin. The Berlin Blockade had begun. The Allied answer was the Berlin Airlift – 318 days, 275,000 flights, 1.5 million tons of supplies. We have six weeks in which to tell the story.
Course aim
The Berlin Airlift was a pivotal episode in Post-War Europe. Its role in the Cold War is fascinating. .The course will explore the background, course and consequences of the Airlift.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- No skills or experience needed
- This course is for beginners
- This course is for improvers
- This course is suitable for beginners and improvers
- interest in the subject and a willingness to ask questions and/or raise points (even in dispute) will greatly enhance our mutual progress
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- outline the chief events of the Berlin blockade
- comment on the scale of the effort involved
- assess the risks involved on both sides
- decide whether to do some more detailed personal research
How will I be taught?
- Mainly illustrated presentations and the consequent opportunities to discuss the topics presented.
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
- Students usually do find materials that I have not seen. They bring them in and provoke further discussions. This can be amongst the most valuable parts of the course.
What else do I need to know?
- interest and questions
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading or pre course work is required
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Progress to a course with another provider
- This is "modern history" and there is a plethora of reading matter available.
Download full course outline
