In 1948, Stalin closed the road and rail line between West Germany and West Berlin. Having a democratic city behind the Steel Curtain was an embarrassment to the Soviets. It was now President Truman’s time to respond and to see if his foreign policy of Containment would work. For almost an entire year American planes flew supplies to West Berlin to keep it alive, everything from food to clothes to fuel. Stalin could have shot down the planes, but he knew that would start a war. It was bad enough having a democratic city when he allowed it, but it was even more embarrassing after he tried to stop it. After a year Stalin opened the road back up proving that Containment and standing up to Communism worked.
Historically Speaking 