The Berlin Blockade and Airlift

1. What is Source 37 (p. 75) saying about Josip Tito, leader of Yugoslavia?     

What source 37 is saying about Josip Tito is that he is betraying communism and all the communists by accepting money from the U.S.

2. Why do you think Stalin was so hostile to Tito?        

Stalin was so hostile to Tito because he betrayed the communists and the value of communism by taking money from the United States.

3. Look back at the map in Source 27 on page 71. How does the geographical position of Yugoslavia help to explain why Stalin did not take any direct action (such as sending in troops) against Tito?     

Yugoslavia has a large coast and is far away from the U.S.S.R. so he wouldn't bother sending troops in because they could easily flee and they could fight back. They are also right by Italy.

4. Read Source 40 (p. 77). What reasons did the Soviet Union give for cutting off West Berlin?       

The reasons the Soviet Union gave for cutting off West Berlin were because of "technical difficulties" and they believed it would force the Allies out of Berlin.

5. Why do you think the USA did not believe these were genuine reasons?           

The USA did not believe these were genuine reasons because the Soviet's wanted Berlin and Germany all to themselves so they could control Eastern Europe.

6. How do Sources 41–43 differ in their interpretation of the blockade?            

In source 43, it gives a lot more detail and tells how bad the people of Berlin were doing without supplies while in source 41, it doesn't mention any of that. It just mentions the blockade and how it was a "great achievement". Source 42 is just an opinion from Truman about how he was devoted to helping Berlin.

7.  Which do you think is the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin Blockade?       

I think source 43 is more helpful because it gives some detail but still keeps on track about the Berlin Blockade and how serious it was. Also, how the U.S. helped Berlin.

8.  Which source do you think gives the most reliable view of the blockade?

I think that source 44 gives the most reliable view of the blockade because it's an actual picture of what the U.S. was doing to help Berlin and it is most reliable because it is a real photograph from that time.