Stalin lifts the blockade

1949 · Event

At one minute past midnight the lights come on and the first convoys roll into West Berlin: after 322 days Stalin concedes the bet, having gained nothing and driven the West into NATO. The airlift keeps flying until September to build a reserve — 2.3 million tonnes in all, at the cost of 101 lives.

On these timelines: The Berlin Blockade, Germany, Cold War, Russia & the USSR, Master

More from The Berlin Blockade

Around 1949

Wikipedia ↗

Explore the full Ever-When timeline →