Final answer:
The Berlin Crisis of 1948-49 was a pivotal event in the Cold War, highlighted by the Soviet blockade of West Berlin and the subsequent Berlin Airlift by the United States and Britain. This event demonstrated the West's resolve to maintain West Berlin as a symbol of freedom and the containment of communism, leading to the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Berlin Crisis of 1948-49 was a crucial event during the early Cold War years that exemplified the tension between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. The crisis centered on the Soviet blockade of all land and water routes to the Western sectors of Berlin, in response to the introduction of the new currency, the Deutschemark, by the United States, Britain, and France in their German occupation zones and West Berlin. The blockade was a direct challenge to the Western policy of strengthening Germany as a defense against the spread of communism.
The Berlin Airlift, a massive operation carried out by the United States and Britain, overcame this blockade by supplying West Berlin with essential goods via cargo planes. This operation displayed the resolve of Western powers to support West Berlin despite Soviet pressure, furthering the policy of containment. The eventual lifting of the blockade by the Soviet Union in May 1949 and the subsequent establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) or West Germany indicated a significant setback for Soviet policies and a victory for the West in the early stages of the Cold War.