The Berlin Airlift: Saving a City from Starvation

The History of Germany: Kingdoms, War, and Rebuilding Europe — Fexingo History · Jun 10, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In the summer of 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded all land and water routes into West Berlin, hoping to strangle the city into submission. With over two million civilians facing starvation and freezing temperatures, the Western Allies launched an unprecedented humanitarian effort: the Berlin Airlift. For nearly a year, American and British pilots flew around the clock, landing every few minutes at Tempelhof and Gatow airports, delivering coal, food, and medicine. This episode unpacks the logistics of the 'candy bombers,' the political brinkmanship that nearly triggered World War…