This post in Mental Floss depicts the operation. You should read the whole piece, but the short story is that a USAF pilot, Lt. Gail Halvorsen made the day for some young, starving West Berliners when he dropped a payload of American chocolate candy.
While in doing so he was technically violating regulations, Operation: Vittles' commanding officer recognized the psychological benefit of Halvorsen's mission and initiated a series of daily candy drops.
In the end, the Airlift thwarted Stalin's plans to isolate West Germany via blockade and demonstrated the American commitment to the welfare of West Berlin, thereby making credible the general US commitment to the welfare of all Western Europeans.
What do Operation: Vittles and Operation: Little Vittles say about the Cold War (in specific) and about the sources of power (in general)?
I think that operation vittles and little vittles shows that if the United States was pursuing hegemonic intentions then they understood the meaning of winning the support of the people and the psychological and moral support of the masses. The Soviets clearly did not pursue their support, which I believe may have hurt the power struggle of the USSR.
ReplyDeleteThe adherence to American-made candy is also interesting – the USAF pilots were literally dropping pieces of the United States (pieces of Western capitalism) into Berlin, playing up Western influence in quite an unconventional – but effective – way. The target audience, younger children, would grow up with a starry, altruistic impression of the United States because of the magical experiences they had with it as children, as if it were a higher power handing them joy from the sky. What this says about the Cold War is that the conflict had much to do with perception: not only which party was perceived to be more powerful, but which party was perceived to be more benevolent. Because there was no on-the-ground, tangible conflict, the Cold War was a conflict of ideas, and a conflict of psychology. Winning the support of an involved group was tantamount to a physical battle in a hot conflict. In order to come out on top during the Cold War, the United States had to rely on, obviously, “cold” tactics, which were often subliminal.
ReplyDelete"The adherence to American-made candy is also interesting – the USAF pilots were literally dropping pieces of the United States (pieces of Western capitalism) into Berlin, playing up Western influence in quite an unconventional – but effective – way."
DeleteThat's a great metaphor. I never really thought about it that way. Very nice.
I also think it is interesting to think about how influential a small gesture such as giving candy to West Berliners was during the time. The fact that this simple act of kindness had such an impact on these people further emphasizes the neglect West Berliners must have felt from their government.
ReplyDeleteOperation: Vittles and Operation: Little Vittles illustrate the difference between the ideology of the United States and the ideology of the Soviet Union. The fact that the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin without giving the United States any notice illustrates the aggressive nature of the Soviet Union. Also, the Soviet’s Union ability to cut the people of West Berlin off from food and water illustrates the Soviet Union’s lack of care for people it may potentially govern. Operation: Vittles illustrates the United States’ commitment to West Germany, democracy, and the containment of the Soviet Union. It can also be argued that the only reason the United States remained committed to West Germany was because it provided the United States with power and influence in Germany and Europe. I believe Operation: Little Vittles greatly contradicts that argument. Operation: Little Vittles was initiated by Lt. Gail Halvorsen, not the government of the United States, and illustrates the good will of the American people and their commitment to helping people in need. Although Operation: Little Vittles was adopted by the government of the United States, I believe that it illustrates an extension of Lt. Gail Halvorsen’s original purpose: the commitment to helping people in need.
ReplyDelete