Berlin and the American Military : A Cold War Chronicle

by Grathwol, Robert P.

• ISBN13: 9780814731338
• ISBN10: 0814731333
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-10-01
• Publisher: New York Univ Pr

Summary

For the five decades after World War II, Berlin remained under the control of two contending superpowers, the United States-supported by Great Britain and France-and the Soviet Union. A cauldron of tension, intrigue and conflict, the city served as microcosm of the Cold War that divided all of Europe, a symbol that became concrete with the construction in 1961 of the Berlin Wall, which cut the city in two for the next 28 years.Robert P. Grathwol and Donita M. Moorhus here tell the story in words and pictures of that city and the thousands of American soldiers and their families who served and lived there. Although American troops entered Berlin as conquerors, they became in a few short years protectors of West Berlin's citizens. They developed a unique relationship with the city's inhabitants who understood that American soldiers served as guarantors of U.S. resolve that West Berlin would remain free. The book also recounts how American military personnel helped preserve the conditions that allowed Berliners to reduce the Wall to rubble in November of 1989 as a prelude to the peaceful reunification of Germany.

Author Biography

Robert P. Grathwol has taught European and German history at the University of Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and Washington State University. Since 1988 he has concentrated his research and writings on studies of the Cold War, particularly the American military in Europe since 1945. Donita M. Moorhus is an oral historian, researcher, and writer who has conducted topical and full-life interviews with a wide range of individuals, including active duty and retired officers of the U.S. military, members of Congress, and high-ranking U.S. government officials. She and Dr. Grathwol have also coauthored two studies of military construction during the Cold War.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Foreword	ix
The Authors	x
Acknowledgments	xi
Preface: From Cold War Outpost to Millennial Capital	xiii
Berlin from Grandeur to Defeat	1	(8)
American Occupation in Berlin, 1945--1948	9	(22)
The Blockade of Berlin and the Allied Airlift, 1948--1949	31	(26)
The American Bond with Berlin, 1949--1958	57	(22)
Crisis in Berlin, 1958--1962	79	(28)
Enduring the Wall, 1962--1973	107	(32)
Living with the Wall, 1973--1988	139	(26)
Unification and Withdrawal, 1989--1994	165	(26)
Information about Individuals Giving Testimony	191	(1)
Commanders in Berlin	192	(1)
Acronyms	193	(1)
Photographs and Illustrative Material	193	(1)
Suggested Readings on Berlin and Germany	194	(1)
Index	195