The Berlin Airlift occurred during which period?

• A. 1939-40
• B. 1947-49
• C. 1948-49
• D. 1950-51

Answer: (C)

Understanding the timing of the Berlin Airlift hinges on the postwar timeline and the Soviet blockade of West Berlin. After World War II, the Allies divided Berlin into sectors, and in 1948 the Soviet Union blocked all ground access to West Berlin to push the Western powers out. To keep West Berlin supplied and in the Western camp, the Allies organized the Berlin Airlift, delivering food, fuel, and other essentials by air around the clock for nearly a year. The operation ran from 1948 into 1949 and ended when the blockade was lifted in May 1949. That places the event squarely in 1948–1949. The other timeframes don’t fit because the blockade and airlift did not occur in 1939–40, 1947–49 (which includes years before the blockade began), or 1950–51 (which is after the blockade ended).