Changes

On May 11, 1949, Moscow lifted the blockade of West Berlin. The Berlin Crisis of 1948–1949 solidified the division of Europe. Shortly before the blockade's end, the Western Allies created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Two weeks after the end of the blockade, West Germany's state was established, soon followed by East Germany's creation. The incident solidified the demarcation between East and West in Europe; it was one of the few places on earth where the U.S. and Soviet armed forces stood face-to-face. It also transformed Berlin, once equated with Prussian militarism and Nazism, into a symbol of democracy and freedom in the fight against Communism.