Final answer:
The location of Berlin enabled the Soviets to blockade it in an attempt to gain control over the entire city by cutting off all land and water routes to Berlin. The Western Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift to supply the city by plane, demonstrating their resolve and the failure of the blockade. This led to the end of the blockade in May 1949.
Step-by-step explanation:
The location of Berlin enabled the Soviets to blockade it in an attempt to gain control over the entire city by cutting off all land and water routes to Berlin. This was possible because Berlin was located in the Soviet-controlled eastern sector of Germany but was divided into four sectors. The Soviets believed that by blockading the Western sectors of Berlin, they could force the Western nations to abandon their control of the city.
In response to the Soviet blockade, the United States and its allies initiated the Berlin Airlift, a massive operation to supply the besieged city by plane. For nearly a year, planes from the Western Allies carried supplies and humanitarian aid into Berlin. The success of the airlift demonstrated the resolve of the Western nations and the failure of the Soviet blockade, leading to the end of the blockade in May 1949.
The location of Berlin also played a role in the construction of the Berlin Wall. As the Soviets faced a wave of emigration from East Berlin to the West, they built a massive concrete barrier to prevent further defections. The Berlin Wall became a symbol of Cold War division and remained in place until its fall in 1989.