Factors Leading to the Airlift

          At the Yalta Conference, Stalin had promised to have free governments; he lied. In June of 1948, the Soviets required that all convoys bound for Berlin that entered East Germany would have to be searched. The Allies refused to have their convoys examined, so on June 27, 1948, the U.S.S.R. cut all surface traffic to West Berlin. As a result West Berlin began to slowly suffocate. They were getting no supplies from outside their border, supplies that they relied on. The Allies felt like they had to do something. U.S. General Clay approved the order to begin lifting supplies by air into West Berlin.