The Berlin Airlift First Battle of the Cold War (1998)

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift this documentary looks back on an uneasy time in world history This first battle of the cold war started with the Soviet blockade of Berlin a move to force the Western Allied powers to abandon their post World War II control of West Berlin The Soviet blockade included all rail road and water communications On June 26 1948 the United States and Britain began a yearlong effort documented here to supply West Berlin by air By July the Soviet army had increased into 40 divisions against eight for the West The blockade ended on May 12 1949 This is the story of the blockade told by those involved They describe the enormous logistical effort to transport some 23 million tons of food fuel and equipment a battle the Western powers won And when it was over the former Allies formed NATO the Soviets created the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War grew even colder