In 1946, at the culmination of World War II, four victorious allies stood together, unified. Three of these world powers, the United States, France, and Britain, were all governed by the ideals of capitalism and democracy. In contrast, the Soviet Union was the pinnacle of communist thought. The relationship of the Allies was based on a common interest in the post-war future of Germany. Soon it was apparent that the Soviet concept of post-war Germany differed from its peers. Two events concerning the German question proved to be essential in identifying the heightening tension between the Allies. .
In 1948 the Berlin Blockade marked the first true crisis of the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade marked the end of cooperative rule in Germany, and an extreme heightening in Cold War tensions. Secondly, in 1961 the Berlin Crisis, an extension of the prior circumstance, threatened to spark an international war. Lastly, blame must be assessed regarding these separate events. Historians of the Cold War are divided, in the most general sense, into two categories. The traditionalist view maintains that the Soviets carry the burden of guilt. Revisionists are reluctant to place blame on the Soviets alone. Rather, the Soviets were put in situations where they had no choice but to act offensively.
The Allied Control Council (ACC), established in 1945 at the Yalta Conference, was charged with the responsibility of governing Germany. The ACC consisted of the leaders of the four allied nations- France, United States, Soviet Union, and Great Britain. Later, at Potsdam, is was agreed that Germany was to be divided into four sections, each under the jurisdiction of one ally. Berlin was not to be included in any of these zones. Rather, Berlin was to be under the authority of an "Allied Kommandatura" which answered to the ACC. Furthermore, the newly formed ACC was to carry out the "five d's": demilitarization, denazification, de-industrialization, decentralization, and democratization.
