That is a tough question: West Germany and Berlin, the Soviets declared the new currency void in the eastern partition under their control. Days later, the Soviet government closed supply lines to West Berlin. The United States Air Force and the British Royal Air Force organized a massive effort to deliver needed food, coal, and medical supplies into Berlin to thwart the Soviet blockade. The round-the-clock operation, which became known as the Berlin Airlift, sustained the residents of West Berlin for over a year, and secured the freedom of West Berlin from Soviet control.<span> </span>
The 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States-including former slaves-and guaranteed all citizens "equal protection of the laws."
