They fed a city from the sky while the world held its breath.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, this documentary looks back on an uneasy time in world history. This first "battle" of the cold war started with the Soviet blockade of Berlin, a move to force the Western Allied powers to abandon their post World War II control of West Berlin. The Soviet blockade included all rail, road and water communications. On June 26, 1948, the United States and Britain began a year-long effort, documented here, to supply West Berlin by air. By July, the Soviet army had increased into 40 divisions - against eight for the West. The blockade ended on May 12, 1949. This is the story of the blockade, told by those involved. They describe the enormous logistical effort to transport some 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and equipment -- a battle the Western powers won. And when it was over, the former Allies formed NATO, the Soviets created the Warsaw Pact, and the Cold War grew even colder.
Production
Rare archival footage from both sides of the Iron Curtain.
Editing
Tight 93 minutes—no fat, all tension.
Director
Robert Kirk
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'Candy Bombers' dropped chocolate for kids using handmade parachutes—Gail Halvorsen started it with two sticks of gum.
This blockade proved nuclear deterrence wasn't the only Cold War currency—logistics and credibility mattered just as much.
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