Berlin Blockade Document Analysis

1. What type of document is this? What is its purpose?      
These documents are memos or "Memorandum" to the president. The purpose of these memos are to inform the president of the situation in Berlin at the time. 
 2. When was it written? Why is that significant?     
 These documents were written on June 30th 1948. This is significant because this is prior to the Berlin airlift, when supplies were brought in to supply citizens of Berlin.
3. Who created the document? Who received the document?     
 The Document was created by the CSI, specifically Hillenkoetter and was received by the president of the united States.
4. Who is Marshal Sokolovsky?     
 Marshal Sokolovsky was the head of Russian officials, he also started the meeting that is being referred to in the document.
5. How did the CIA get information of the meeting between Marshal Sokolovsky and German members of the German industrial committee?      
 The CIA got this information from a trusted person/spy. This is known because there is no name given but the information is said to be true and reliable.
  6. What were the three Soviet alternatives as they presented themselves when this document was written? What policy did the Soviets pursue over the course of the next nine months? Why?     
The three Soviet alternatives as they presented themselves when this document was written were to start a war, life travel restrictions on Berlin or "leave entire Berlin to west, giving them the rail line." The policy the Soviets pursued over the course of the next nine months was to have Berlin become part of the Soviet's zone in order to keep it from the West, and the other three options, were not necessarily options that could be executed. 

7. Stalin stated in a speech on February 9, 1946, "he [Stalin] blamed the last war on 'capitalist monopolies' and warning that, since the same forces still operated, the USSR must treble the basic materials of national defense such as iron and steel, double coal and oil production, and to delay the manufacture of consumer goods until rearmament was complete." Who are the "capitalist monopolies?" How does this statement enlighten the Soviet viewpoint against the United States? Were the Allies justified in cancelling the shipments of German reparations to the Soviets at the end of World War II? Why did the Soviets rely so heavily on Germany for food and industry?        

The capitalist monopolies were basically America and anyone who decided with along side with America. This viewpoint shows that Stalin believed we were basically taking over everything in an unfair way and that we were becoming this huge "monopoly" perhaps against the Soviets. The allies were justified in cancelling the shipments of German reparations to the soviets at the end of WWII because Stalin was trying to make all countries go communist, and he really needed Berlin in order to do so, so cutting off such things made it hard for him to take over Berlin, seeing as America was in the way. The soviets relied heavily on Germany for food and industry because of their geographic location, seeing as the Soviet Union was along side Germany, as well as other countries take over by Stalin and turned Commie.