The Berlin Crisis (1948-49)

The Berlin Crisis was a pivotal early Cold War confrontation that significantly impacted US-Soviet relations.

Key aspects included:

• The Soviet blockade of West Berlin, cutting off ground access
• The Berlin Airlift, a massive Western operation to supply the city by air
• Introduction of separate currencies in East and West Germany

Highlight: The Berlin Airlift demonstrated Western resolve and technological superiority, ultimately forcing the Soviets to end the blockade.

Vocabulary: Deutsche Mark - The new West German currency introduced in 1948, which helped trigger the Soviet blockade

The crisis deepened the divide between East and West and accelerated the formal partition of Germany.

Détente in the 1970s

Détente refers to a period of easing tensions between the superpowers in the 1970s.

Key features of détente included:

• Arms control agreements like SALT I and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
• Increased economic and cultural exchanges
• The Helsinki Accords of 1975, addressing European security and human rights

Definition: Détente - A French term meaning "relaxation," used to describe improved relations between adversaries

Détente helped stabilize superpower relations and reduce the risk of nuclear war, though underlying ideological differences remained.

Example: The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 saw American and Soviet spacecraft dock in orbit, symbolizing cooperation during détente.

This period of relative calm ended with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the start of the Second Cold War.