Berlin 1945 - defense and liberation

Berlin 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 spring, more than 3 million inhabitants and about 300,000 of the stolen civilian population of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition lived in Berlin. Here remained the whole top of Nazi Germany: Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Goering and others.

Preparing an operation

The Soviet leadership planned to take the city at the end of the Berlin offensive operation. This task was assigned to the troops of the First Ukrainian and Byelorussian Fronts. At the end of April, the forward units met, the city was besieged.
Allies of the USSR on the anti-Hitler coalition refused to participate in the operation. Berlin 1945 was an extremely important strategic goal. In addition, the fall of the city would invariably lead to victory in the propaganda plan. The Americans were developing the plan of the assault in 1944. After securing the troops in Normandy, it was planned to make a throw to the north to Ruhr and begin the attack of the city. But in September, the Americans suffered huge losses in the Netherlands and refused the operation.
The Soviet troops of both fronts had more than 2 million manpower and about 6,000 tanks. Of course, all of them could not participate in the assault. To strike were concentrated 460 thousand people, also took part the Polish formation.

Defense of the city

The defense of Berlin in 1945 was prepared very carefully. The garrison numbered more than 200 thousand people. It is rather difficult to name the exact figure, since civilians were actively involved in the defense of 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 facilities. At the approaches to the city, concrete bunkers were hastily installed.
Berlin in 1945 defended the best troops of the Reich, including the SS. Also, a so-called Volkssturm was created - the militia units recruited from civilians. They were actively armed with faust patrons. This is a single-shot anti-tank gun, which shoots with bullet shells. Machine-gun calculations were in buildings and simply on city streets.

Offensive

Berlin 1945 already for several months was under regular bombing. In the 44th, the attacks of the British and Americans increased. Before that, in 1941, under Stalin's personal order, a number of secret operations were conducted by Soviet aircraft, as a result, a number of bombs were dropped on the city.
On April 25 massive artillery preparation began. Soviet aviation ruthlessly suppressed the firing points. Howitzers, mortars, and MLRS were directly aimed at Berlin. April 26 in the city began the most fierce fighting in the entire war. The density of city development was a huge problem for the Red Army. The attack was extremely difficult because of the abundance of barricades and dense fire.
Large losses in armored vehicles were caused by a number of anti-tank groups of Volkssturm. To take one city block, it was first treated with artillery. The fire ceased only when the infantry was approaching the German positions. Then the tanks destroyed the stone buildings blocking the way, and the Red Army moved on.

The liberation of Berlin (1945)

Marshal Zhukov prikazal use the experience of the Battle of Stalingrad. In a similar situation, Soviet troops successfully used small mobile groups. Attached to the infantry were several armored cars, a group of sappers, mortar men and artillerymen. Also sometimes, such a unit included firemen. They were needed to destroy the enemy, who hid in underground communications.
The rapid advance of Soviet troops led to the encirclement of the Reichstag district already three days after the start of active fighting. In a small area in the center of the city 5 thousand Hitlerites concentrated. A moat was dug around the building, because of which a tank breakthrough became impossible. All available artillery fired the building. On April 30 the shells breached the Reichstag wall. At 14 hours 25 minutes a red flag was raised above the buildings. The photo that captured 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 in large numbers. Chief of Staff Krebs requested a cease-fire. Zhukov conveyed the proposal of the German side personally to Stalin. The commander-in-chief demanded only unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. The Germans rejected this ultimatum. Immediately after that, heavy fire fell on Berlin. The fighting lasted a few 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 parade of victory in Berlin in 1945 showed the world the might of the liberating Red Army and the Soviet people. Taking the Nazi lair forever remained one of the most important moments in the history of mankind.