The purpose of the Berlin Airlift in the late 1940s was to provide essential supplies to West Berlin during the Berlin Blockade imposed by the Soviet Union. Following World War II, tensions grew between the Western Allies and the USSR, leading to the blockade in 1948, which aimed to cut off all ground access to the city. In response, the United States and its allies organized the airlift, delivering food, fuel, and other necessities to sustain the isolated residents. The airlift symbolized Western commitment to contain communism and underscored the onset of the Cold War.