Wednesday 5-19-10

[4Nathan]

Today Jenna is going to continue presenting on the Berlin Blockade and Airlift. Stalin wanted to cut off all access to Berlin and takeover the city. No roads or rail roads could be used to enter or leave Berlin. 2.5 million people were at risk because they were not getting the supplies that they needed. Stalin decided to put up a blockade. The blockade eventually led to the airlife. Stalin blockaded East Berlin. It began in June of 1948 ntil September 1949. The airlift supplies necessities to East Berlin by air. The airlift provided 1534 tons of food daily to keep the people alive. Other things like gas, oil, coal, and clothes were also needed to support East Berlin. Over 277000 flights were made to get the supplies to Berlin. The Soviet Union could have shot down the planes but choose to wait because shooting down the planes would lead to war. After the blockade stopped Berlin was split into two sector a East federal republic and the West was democratic.

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Now Duy is starting to present on China becoming Communist. After the Nationalist leader Sun Yat Sen died in 1925 Chiang Jai Shek became the leader of that party. Chiang started the Northern Expedition. He recruited warlords and armies. Chiang supported the Kuomintang (KMT). Chiang hated what the communists were doing. The Communists were pushed out by Chiang. Mao started his own force and communist society. Chiang arrested and executed hundreds of communists. After the killing of the communists Mao formed an alliance with Zhu De and Lin Biao and they called it the Red Army. The Chinese Civil War began in April 1927. It was fought between the KMT and the communists. Both sides fought to transform China. In 1934 Mao and the communists were surrounded and were forced to retreat and it was called the Long March. Many of the people retreated to regroup and attack again. In 1936 the Long March ended. The KMT and the communist party came together to fight in the Second-Sino Japanese War. Chiang was held prisoner and was really forced to side with Zao. Soviet Volunteers, Germany, and the US helped China. Japan surrendered in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan was reclaimed. It was the largest Asian war. Chiang tried to get rid of the communists after the war, but the communists had massive support from the Soviet Union. The communist part defeated Chiang. The KMT government was forced to retreat to Tawain. The Communist forces increased from 1 million to 4 million.