The Berlin Airlift was established to provide vital supplies to West Berlin following the Soviet blockade that began in 1948. The intent behind the airlift was to support West Berliners, who were cut off from essential resources, and to demonstrate the commitment of the Western Allies to resist Soviet pressure in Cold War Europe. Over the course of nearly a year, American and British planes delivered food, fuel, and other necessities to sustain the population. The successful airlift not only averted a humanitarian crisis but also solidified the divisions between East and West Berlin and symbolized the larger ideological conflict between the two superpowers.