Berlin was hugely important during the Cold War because of its geographical location over 200 miles into East Germany, which was part of the Soviet bloc. In 1948 the Russians attempted to force the Western Allies out of West Berlin by closing road and rail access from West Germany to West Berlin, meaning that all supplies had to be airlifted in for 11 months.
From the ending of the Berlin airlift until 1961 relations remained tense between East and West over Berlin. The rail lines, roads and canals were grudgingly reopened by Stalin, but Berlin remained a potential f lashpoint between the two superpowers. At 2 o’clock in the morning of 13 August 1961 a major crisis again occurred in the city when East German soldiers erected a wire barrier dividing East and West Berlin and preventing travel between the two sectors.
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