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With Berlin as the backdrop, the author uses three themes in weaving the story. The first theme outlines the strategic decision making which contrasts the leadership of the Allies and the Soviet Union during the Berlin crisis. A stark difference emerges immediately. The democratically elected leaders of the Allies set the strategy. For example, President Truman said, "we stay," and turned the formation of policy over to his appropriate cabinet members. General Marshall, Secretary of State and James Forrestal, Secretary of Defense, set broad policy which protected the strategic interest of the United States and delegated operational decisions to command officers in the field. Generals Clay, LeMay, Tunner, and their staffs made the tactical decisions while keeping Washington briefed. The author goes to great lengths to show how those in the field made the big decisions with minimal interference from the highest level.
Decision making by the Soviet Union was the opposite. Haydock uses extensive documentation from a variety of sources to illustrate Soviet decision making as a highly rigid, centralized system that required all matters to be cleared with Moscow - that is, with Stalin. Such tightly controlled decision making begged for delay as every action went back to Moscow for a reaction.
The second theme is operational or tactical. Haydock goes to great lengths to describe the birth, growth, and triumph of the Berlin Airlift. As the Soviets closed the surface routes to Berlin, a hasty effort to supply the city by air was made by the area commanders. The question, "can it be done?" was not addressed; however, the question, "how can we do it?" was a constant for the next six months. One could classify the beginning air supply effort as long on optimism and short on reality. On Saturday, July 26, 1948, a collection of C-47s made thirty-four flights into Templehof with 80 tons of food and medicine. The Berlin Airlift had commenced.
Manpower and material began to flow to the operational bases in West Germany. General Tunner arrived to provide leadership. The C-54s began to arrive from bases all over the world. The "bicycle chain" was applied to the corridors which kept a steady stream of aircraft moving toward the landing fields in Berlin and back to the supply airfields. January, 1949, was a critical month. The weather was bad and the City was down to twelve days of food and coal. On Easter Sunday, 1949, flying at one minute intervals, 1,398 flights, lifted 12,941 tons into Berlin in a twenty-four hour period. The Soviets lifted the blockade on May 12, 1949, but air operations continued until September. One could argue that the Airlift was the greatest humanitarian effort the world has seen, demonstrating good leadership, diplomatic steadiness, and peaceful use of airpower can advance the strategic interests of a nation.
The third theme weaves human interest stories into the larger mosaic of the Airlift. Into every day of this monumental effort, Haydock finds a story that brings this huge operation down to the human level. For example, Lieutenant Gail Halverson's dropping little parachutes containing chocolate candy to the chldren of Berlin - and going down in history as the "Candy Bomber." Or Ruth Andreas-Friedrich describing the Soviet sacking of the city and the associated fear as the survivors hovered in the bombed out buildings.
City Under Siege is a well documented, clearly written description of one of the great events of the century. Highly recommended reading for those interested in history, foreign policy, humanitarian efforts, and especially for those who participated.
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