Berlin Blockade Primary Source
Activity
• Take out a piece of notebook paper and label it,
“Berlin Blockade Primary Source Activity”
• Today you will be looking at several primary
sources (political cartoons, pictures, etc.).
• Each slide will require you to complete some
sort of activity with each source. A brief
discussion will follow…PARTICIPATION is a
great grade booster!
• I will check your activity at the end of class for a
work completion grade…easy/free points as
long as you complete the activity!
1) Map
A. Which
country/nation do
you think got the
best “slice” of the
German pie? Why?
B. What might not be
shown in this map
to determine which
country got the best
“slice?”
2) The Berlin Blockade: IYOW write what this was.
•Soviets & East Germans block roads connecting
West Germany to West Berlin
•No agreement was signed allowing west to use
those roads
•Soviets hope US will just give up West Berlin
3) Berlin Airlift: IYOW write what this was.
•US & Britain will airlift supplies into the city, saying
they have a legal right to do so (Operation Vittles)
•278K flights were made (June 26-May 11)
•2.3 million tons of food and supplies were delivered
•Despite threatening military action, the Soviet Union ends the blockade
on May 11, 1949
4) You are in this meeting…
A miniature city is used instruct how the airlift
will work and locations that will be used
• Pretend you are
one of the pilots
sitting in this
meeting.
A.Write 2-3
sentences
describing your
thoughts on this
mission.
• Things to think
about…scared,
• 5) In a paragraph…Do you think the U.S.
and Britain should have done the Berlin
Airlift to deliver supplies to the people in
West Berlin? Why or why not?
6) Political Cartoon
A. What is
happening in
this political
cartoon?
B. Do you think
this picture
portrays what
was happening
during the
B.A.L.?
7) Picture of Despair
Easterners looking over
the wall to the West.
• Why do you think
people in the East
(Communist)
wanted to
crossover to the
West
(Democracy)?
• What does this
tell us about life in
the East?
8) Political Cartoons
A. Both of the above cartoons are trying to say what about life in
East Berlin?
B. Which country do you think these cartoons were created in?
Why?