75 years after the Berlin Airlift: Lessons on diplomacy and conflict resolution.
75 years ago, the Berlin Airlift began after the Soviet Union blocked all access routes to West Berlin. The Western Allies, led by the US, supplied 2 million people entirely via air lanes guaranteed by the Soviet Union. The airlift lasted for 322 days, delivering more than 2.1 million tons of essential supplies. The Berlin Airlift changed the tense relationship between US forces and the West Germans, as the deliveries of essential supplies "turned enemies into friends." The perseverance of the blockaded West Germans played a decisive role in the campaign's success.