a reunification of the three western zones of occupation
They led the opposition in resisting the Soviets.
Presumbably you are referring to the Berlin Blockade of 1948-49. 'Blocking the air lanes' would have involved shooting down planes, which would have led to war. At the time the Soviet Union didn't have the atomic bomb ...
Putting it very simply: the Cold War partitioning of Berlin and the fact that many people in East Berlin were fleeing across the border to West Berlin and freedom. The communist government built the wall to prevent these people from fleeing.
During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the government of the United States made sure that the world understood that they would support West Berlin at all costs. It was a risky move that could had led to war, but the Soviet Union eventually backed down.
The US Air Force led a coalition of western countries in airlifting supplies to Berlin. The Berlin Airlift lasted about a year. Never before had a major city been supplied with all the essentials for survival by an extended airlift. This was a major step in the cold war, showing that the Soviets were willing to provoke war by violating treaties and agreements, and showing that America, Britain, and France would not stand idly by and let them get away with it. The Berlin Airlift cost nearly 100 American lives. Most were accidents caused by poor weather conditions and heavily laden planes, but some were in collisions with Soviet planes that harrassed the airlift effort.
Stalin
If you are talking about the Berlin Blockade it came long before the Berlin wall was built. The famous Berlin Blockade began in June 1948 and didn't end until May 1949. The Berlin Blockade was the result of the Soviets blocking all roads between West Berlin and West Germany, meaning there was no supply of food to West Berlin. This led to the Berlin Airlift where the western powers dropped food parcels into West Berlin. The Berlin Wall wasn't built until 1961,due to the fact that many East Berliners were escaping to West Berlin due to the better living conditions in the west. Although this had been going on for years. In the day before the wall was erected 5000 people fled East Berlin. The first wire version of the wall was built overnight and separated east and West Berlin for 29 years until it was torn down in 1989. I hope this helps.
Berlin Blockade was an international diplomatic crisis after the end of WW II. Soviet Union blocked road, railway and canal access to allied controlled part of Berlin. This led to a prolonged crisis during which allied forces airlifted supplies to the blockaded part. This was the first international crisis of the Cold War and practically spelled the onset of Cold War era. It was followed by major conflicts like Korean War and Vietnam War.
After WW2 the "Iron Curtain" isolated West Berlin form the "free" part of Germany and the Allies (Lead by the US) flew food into West Berlin so as to prevent it falling to the communists.
The Confederacy's capture of Fort Sumter led to the Naval blockade.
In 1948, the planned formation of West Germany from the British, French, and US occupation zones left Berlin, which was also divided, deep within the Soviet zone (this eventually formed East Germany). The USSR cut off ground transportation to the city on June 24, 1948, presumably to pressure the West to grant concessions. Instead, a massive airlift was established and the blockade was lifted in May, 1949. Berlin citizens had voted overwhelmingly against the communists in the 1946 election, and only the efforts of the West kept the city in the hands of its elected officials. In 1961, the Soviet zone was walled off by the Berlin Wall, which separated the city until October 3, 1990.
The Confederacy's capture of Fort Sumter led to the Naval blockade.
They led the opposition in resisting the Soviets.
Presumbably you are referring to the Berlin Blockade of 1948-49. 'Blocking the air lanes' would have involved shooting down planes, which would have led to war. At the time the Soviet Union didn't have the atomic bomb ...
they led Afghans in resisting the Soviet invasion
Putting it very simply: the Cold War partitioning of Berlin and the fact that many people in East Berlin were fleeing across the border to West Berlin and freedom. The communist government built the wall to prevent these people from fleeing.
During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the government of the United States made sure that the world understood that they would support West Berlin at all costs. It was a risky move that could had led to war, but the Soviet Union eventually backed down.