In 1945 the Soviets , Americans , British and French divided Germany into occupation zones . Berlin , although in the Soviet zone , also was divided among the four powers . On 18 June 1948 , the three Western sectors agreed on a new common German currency , coming into force on 20 June , that ended the use of occupation currency and introduced the Deutsche Mark . The Soviets considered this move a breach of agreements reached at the 1945 Potsdam Conference , which stated that Germany would be treated as one economic unit . In response to the currency reform action by the West , on 23 June the Soviets cut off electrical power to a large part of the western sectors of Berlin . The next day , 24 June the Soviet Union blocked western all road , rail and barge access through the Soviet occupation zone of Germany to the three Western-held sectors of Berlin , beginning the Berlin Blockade . The Soviets also now rejected western arguments of their occupation rights in Berlin , and legal claims to unimpeded use of the highways and railroads to the city
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
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