The Berlin Airlift

<p>When the leaders of United States Great Britain France and Russia met at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 they were determined to avert a repeat of Versailles that resulted in a treaty deemed morally invalid by the vanquished.1 The terms and conditions of this treaty alienated Germany's social democrats pacifists and the left wing bourgeois liberals and gave rise to German nationalism resulting in World War II.2 Their goal was to create a good peace and a stable system similar to that devised at Vienna following the Napoleonic Wars.3 Only through success could they ensure lasting peace. Central to this success was the economic revitalization of Germany. While the west sought to create a setting in which post-war Germany could prosper Stalin's Soviet Union wanted to preserve its future national security by limiting the prospective strength of the German state. These differing objectives would plant the seeds of conflict between the Western powers and Stalin's Soviet Union.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>