Berlin in 1945 was the largest city of the Reich and its center. Here were the headquarters of the commander in chief, the Reich Chancellery, the headquarters of most armies and many other administrative buildings. By the spring, more than 3 million inhabitants and about 300 thousand of the stolen civilian population of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition lived in Berlin.
Here remained the entire elite of Nazi Germany: Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Goering and others.
Operation preparation
The Soviet leadership planned to take the city at the end of the Berlin offensive. This task was assigned to the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and Belorussian fronts. In late April, the advanced units met, the city was besieged.
The allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition refused to participate in the operation. Berlin in 1945 was an extremely important strategic goal. In addition, the fall of the city would invariably lead to a propaganda victory. The Americans developed the plan for the assault back in 1944. After the troops were consolidated in Normandy, it was planned to throw north to the Ruhr and begin the attack of the city. But in September, the Americans suffered huge losses in the Netherlands and abandoned the operation.
Soviet troops on both fronts had more than 2 million manpower and about 6 thousand tanks. Of course, they all could not participate in the assault. 460 thousand people were concentrated for the strike, and Polish formations also took part.
City defense
The defense of Berlin in 1945 was prepared very carefully. The garrison totaled over 200 thousand people. The exact figure is difficult to name, since the civilian population was actively involved in protecting the Nazi capital. The city was surrounded by several lines of defense. Each building was turned into a fortress. Barricades were built on the streets. Almost the entire population was obliged to take part in the construction of engineering structures. Concrete bunkers were hastily installed at the approaches to the city.
Berlin in 1945 was defended by the best troops of the Reich, including the SS. The so-called Volkssturm was also created - militias recruited from civilians. They were actively armed with Faustpatrons. This is a single-shot anti-tank gun that fires communicative projectiles. Machine-gun crews were in buildings and just on city streets.
Offensive
Berlin in 1945 has been under regular bombardment for several months. In the 44th, attacks by the British and Americans became more frequent. Prior to this, in 1941, on a personal order from Stalin, a number of secret operations by Soviet aircraft were carried out, as a result a number of bombs were dropped on the city.
On April 25, massive artillery fire began. Soviet aviation ruthlessly suppressed firing points. Howitzers, mortars, MLRS hit Berlin direct fire. On April 26, the most fierce battles for the entire war began in the city. For the Red Army, the density of the city was a huge problem. It was extremely difficult to advance because of the abundance of barricades and dense fire.
Large losses in armored vehicles were caused by many anti-tank Volkssturm groups. To take one city block, it was first treated with artillery.
The fire stopped only when the infantry approached the German positions. Then the tanks destroyed the stone buildings that blocked the way, and the Red Army moved on.
The Liberation of Berlin (1945)
Marshal Zhukov ordered to use the experience of the Stalingrad battles. In a similar situation, Soviet troops successfully used small mobile groups. Several armored vehicles, a group of sappers, mortars and artillerymen were attached to the infantry. Also, sometimes flamethrowers entered such a unit. They were needed to destroy the enemy, who was hiding in underground communications.
The rapid advance of Soviet troops led to the encirclement of the Reichstag area just 3 days after the start of active fighting. On a small site in the city center, 5,000 Nazis concentrated. A moat was dug around the building, making a tank breakthrough impossible. All available artillery bombarded the building. April 30 shells breached a wall in the Reichstag. At 14.25 hours a red flag was hoisted over the buildings.
A photograph capturing this moment will later become one of the
symbols of victory.The fall of Berlin (1945)
After the capture of the Reichstag, the Germans began to flee en masse. Chief of General Staff Krebs requested a ceasefire. Zhukov personally transmitted the proposal of the German side to Stalin. The commander in chief demanded only unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. The Germans rejected such an ultimatum. Immediately after this, heavy fire fell on Berlin. The fighting continued for several more days, as a result of which the Nazis were finally defeated, the Great Patriotic War and World War II in Europe were over. The victory parade in Berlin in 1945 showed the world the power of the liberation Red Army and the Soviet people. The capture of the Nazi lair forever remained one of the most important moments in the history of mankind.