The end of the Berlin Blockade – a British perspective.

The Soviet blockade of Berlin was lifted on 12 May 1949, but the decision to do so was made several days earlier. On 2 May 1949, Ernest Bevin, the British Foreign Secretary, cautiously told the UK’s Cabinet ‘that, as the result of the discussions which had been proceeding between the Soviet and United States representatives on the Security Council, it seemed possible that the Soviet Government would now be willing to raise the blockade of Berlin if the Western Powers accepted their proposal for an early meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss future policy in respect of Germany as a whole.’ Bevin was careful to add that ‘another sudden reversal of policy might take place at any moment.’

Only three days later, on 5 May, Bevin was able to inform his colleagues ‘that final agreement had now been reached, on behalf of the Governments of France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the conditions which were to govern the raising of the blockade on Berlin’. The Cabinet agreed the Bevin would announce the end of the blockade to the House of Commons that afternoon.

In making his announcement to the House, Bevin emphasised that:

‘The people of Berlin have borne their ordeal with courage and restraint, and their resolution has helped to make this agreement possible.

And now let me say this—we have succeeded in standing firm in Berlin because of the air lift. I have paid tribute to the air lift before, but now more than ever it is right to say how much this country owes to the skill and devotion of the crews and the ground staff, both British and American, and the Commonwealth representatives who have taken part in this gigantic operation. It will continue until the situation has been finally cleared up, but I am sure that the House will agree with me that no praise and no thanks can be too much for the men and women who have contributed to its success.

Responding to Bevin’s announcement, Winston Churchill said ‘It is my duty to offer him and the Government our congratulations upon the successful issue of this difficult and, as at one time it seemed, almost superhuman exercise of the air lift, which has shown a method of solving a deadlock and difficulty far preferable to some others which might have been considered at one time or another. I feel that the firmness which has been shown and the powerful aid and consistent policy of the United States, with whom we have worked hand in hand, have quite appreciably lessened the sense of war tension which has hung over us as each day brought out difficult incidents in Berlin.’