ordering a massive airlift
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The two western powers flew supplies over the blockade into West Berlin. This act is commonly called the BERLIN AIRLIFT. The Soviet Union revered policy after a year when the Soviets ended the blockade and pemited land-transport of goods to West Berlin.
Stalin imposed a blockade on Berlin for 11 months in an attempt to drive the Western Powers control out of West Berlin. As Berlin was in the Soviet bloc of Germany, he closed off all access to West Berlin so no resources could get through. this included food, coal for electricity etc.. The West Powers did not allow this to stop them and used the three air corridors, which they were still able to use, to supply West Berlin will all it needed. It was a massive airlift with planes flying into West Berlin constantly. After 11 months, Stalin saw that the Western Powers were not budging and ended the blockade. hope that helps!
The Soviets ended the blockade of West Berlin because they realized it was not achieving their goals and was causing international backlash. They also saw that the Western Allies were resolute in their support for West Berlin, making the blockade unsustainable.
The obvious other options were: 1. War between the West and the Soviet Union. 2. A negotiated settlement, which would probably have involved swapping West Berlin for a part of the Soviet Zone, say Thuringia. Neither option was attractive.
The Soviets ended the blockade of West Berlin in 1949 because they realized it was not achieving their goal of forcing the Western Allies out of the city. The blockade had led to the Berlin Airlift, where the Allies supplied West Berlin by air, showing the Soviets that their blockade was ineffective.