Berlin strategic offensive operation (Berlin operation, Capture of Berlin) - an offensive operation of Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War, which ended with the capture of Berlin and victory in the war.
The military operation was carried out in Europe from April 16 to May 9, 1945, during which the territories captured by the Germans were liberated and Berlin was taken under control. The Berlin operation was the last in the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War.
Included Berlin operation The following smaller operations were carried out:
- Stettin-Rostock;
- Seelovsko-Berlinskaya;
- Cottbus-Potsdamer;
- Stremberg-Torgauskaya;
- Brandenburg-Ratenow.
The goal of the operation was to capture Berlin, which would allow Soviet troops to open the way to join the Allies on the Elbe River and thus prevent Hitler from prolonging World War II for a longer period.
Progress of the Berlin operation
In November 1944, the General Staff of the Soviet Forces began planning an offensive operation on the approaches to the German capital. During the operation it was supposed to defeat the German Army Group “A” and finally liberate the occupied territories of Poland.
At the end of the same month, the German army launched a counteroffensive in the Ardennes and was able to push back the Allied forces, thereby putting them almost on the brink of defeat. To continue the war, the Allies needed the support of the USSR - for this, the leadership of the United States and Great Britain turned to the Soviet Union with a request to send their troops and conduct offensive operations in order to distract Hitler and give the Allies the opportunity to recover.
The Soviet command agreed, and the USSR army launched an offensive, but the operation began almost a week earlier, which resulted in insufficient preparation and, as a result, large losses.
By mid-February, Soviet troops were able to cross the Oder, the last obstacle on the way to Berlin. There were a little more than seventy kilometers left to the capital of Germany. From that moment on, the battles took on a more protracted and fierce character - Germany did not want to give up and tried with all its might to hold back the Soviet offensive, but it was quite difficult to stop the Red Army.
At the same time, preparations began on the territory of East Prussia for the assault on the Konigsberg fortress, which was extremely well fortified and seemed almost impregnable. For the assault, the Soviet troops carried out thorough artillery preparation, which ultimately bore fruit - the fortress was taken unusually quickly.
In April 1945, the Soviet army began preparations for the long-awaited assault on Berlin. The leadership of the USSR was of the opinion that in order to achieve the success of the entire operation, it was necessary to urgently carry out the assault, without delaying it, since prolongation of the war itself could lead to the fact that the Germans could open another front in the West and conclude a separate peace. In addition, the leadership of the USSR did not want to give Berlin to the Allied forces.
The Berlin offensive operation was prepared very carefully. Huge reserves of military weapons were transferred to the outskirts of the city. military equipment and ammunition, the forces of three fronts were pulled together. The operation was commanded by Marshals G.K. Zhukov, K.K. Rokossovsky and I.S. Konev. In total, more than 3 million people took part in the battle on both sides.
Storm of Berlin
The assault on the city began on April 16 at 3 am. Under the light of searchlights, one and a half hundred tanks and infantry attacked the German defensive positions. A fierce battle lasted for four days, after which the forces of three Soviet fronts and troops of the Polish army managed to encircle the city. On the same day, Soviet troops met with the Allies on the Elbe. As a result of four days of fighting, several hundred thousand people were captured and dozens of armored vehicles were destroyed.
However, despite the offensive, Hitler had no intention of surrendering Berlin; he insisted that the city must be held at all costs. Hitler refused to surrender even after Soviet troops approached the city; he threw all available human resources, including children and the elderly, onto the battlefield.
On April 21, the Soviet army was able to reach the outskirts of Berlin and start street battles there - German soldiers fought to the last, following Hitler's order not to surrender.
On April 29, Soviet soldiers began storming the Reichstag building. On April 30, the Soviet flag was hoisted on the building - the war ended, Germany was defeated.
Results of the Berlin operation
The Berlin operation put an end to the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War. As a result of the rapid advance of Soviet troops, Germany was forced to surrender, all chances of opening a second front and concluding peace with the Allies were severed. Hitler, having learned about the defeat of his army and the entire fascist regime, committed suicide.
A photo selection dedicated to the final part of the Berlin offensive operation of 1945, during which the Red Army captured the capital of Nazi Germany and victoriously ended the Great War Patriotic War and Second world war in Europe. The operation lasted from April 25 to May 2.
1. A battery of 152-mm ML-20 howitzer guns of the 136th artillery brigade of the 313th rifle division is preparing to fire on Berlin.
2. Broken German Focke-Wulf Fw.190 fighters at the Juterborg airfield near Berlin.
3. Soviet soldiers at the window of a house during the storming of Berlin.
4. Civilians in line for food at the Soviet field kitchen in Berlin.
5. German prisoners of war on the streets of Berlin, captured by Soviet troops (1).
6. A broken German anti-aircraft gun on a Berlin street. In the foreground is the body of a killed member of the gun crew.
7. A broken German anti-aircraft gun on a Berlin street.
8. Soviet tank T-34-85 in a pine forest south of Berlin.
9. Soldiers and T-34-85 tanks of the 12th Guards Tank Corps of the 2nd Guards Tank Army in Berlin.
10. Burnt German cars on the streets of Berlin.
11. A dead German soldier and a T-34-85 tank of the 55th Guards Tank Brigade on a Berlin street.
12. Soviet signal sergeant at the radio during the fighting in Berlin.
13. Residents of Berlin, fleeing street fighting, go to areas liberated by Soviet troops.
14. A battery of 152-mm howitzers ML-20 of the 1st Belorussian Front in position on the approaches to Berlin.
15. A Soviet soldier runs near a burning house during a battle in Berlin.
16. Soviet soldiers in the trenches on the outskirts of Berlin.
17. Soviet soldiers on horse-drawn carts pass near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
18. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
19. White flags on Berlin houses after the surrender.
20. Soviet soldiers listen to an accordion player while sitting on the frame of a 122-mm M-30 howitzer on a Berlin street.
21. The crew of the Soviet 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun model 1939 (61-K) is monitoring the air situation in Berlin.
22. Destroyed German cars near a building in Berlin.
23. Photo of Soviet officers next to the bodies of the dead company commander and Volkssturm soldier.
24. The bodies of the dead company commander and Volkssturm soldier.
25. Soviet soldiers are walking along one of the streets of Berlin.
26. Battery of Soviet 152-mm howitzer guns ML-20 near Berlin. 1st Belorussian Front.
27. Soviet tank T-34-85, accompanied by infantry, moves along a street on the outskirts of Berlin.
28. Soviet artillerymen fire on the street on the outskirts of Berlin.
29. A Soviet tank gunner looks out of the hatch of his tank during the Battle of Berlin.
30. Soviet self-propelled guns SU-76M on one of the streets of Berlin.
31. The facade of the Berlin Hotel Adlon after the battle.
32. The body of a killed German soldier next to a Horch 108 car on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin.
33. Soldiers and commanders of the 7th Guards Tank Corps near the T-34-85 tank with its crew in Berlin.
34. Sergeant Trifonov’s 76-mm gun crew at lunch on the outskirts of Berlin.
35. Soldiers and T-34-85 tanks of the 12th Guards Tank Corps of the 2nd Guards Tank Army in Berlin.
36. Soviet soldiers run across the street during the battle in Berlin.
37. Tank T-34-85 on a square in Berlin.
39. Soviet artillerymen prepare a BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher for a salvo in Berlin.
40. Soviet 203-mm howitzer B-4 fires in Berlin at night.
41. A group of German prisoners escorted by Soviet soldiers on the streets of Berlin.
42. Crew of the Soviet 45-mm anti-tank gun 53-K model 1937 in a battle on the streets of Berlin near the T-34-85 tank.
43. The Soviet assault group with a banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
44. Soviet artillerymen write on shells “To Hitler”, “To Berlin”, “Across the Reichstag” (1).
45. T-34-85 tanks of the 7th Guards Tank Corps in the suburbs of Berlin. In the foreground, the skeleton of a destroyed German car is burning.
46. A salvo of BM-13 (Katyusha) rocket launchers in Berlin.
47. Guards rocket mortar BM-31-12 in Berlin.This is a modification of the famous Katyusha rocket launcher (by analogy it was called “Andryusha”).
48. A damaged Sd.Kfz.250 armored personnel carrier from the 11th SS Division “Nordland” on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin.
49. Commander of the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, three times Hero Soviet Union, Guard Colonel Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin at the airfield.
50. Killed German soldiers and a BM-31-12 rocket launcher (a modification of the Katyusha, nicknamed “Andryusha”) on a Berlin street.
51. Soviet 152-mm howitzer-gun ML-20 on the street of Berlin.
52. Soviet tank T-34-85 from the 7th Guards Tank Corps and captured Volkssturm militia on the streets of Berlin.
53. Soviet tank T-34-85 from the 7th Guards Tank Corps and captured Volkssturm militia on the streets of Berlin.
54. Soviet traffic policewoman against the backdrop of a burning building on a Berlin street.
55. Soviet tanks T-34-76 after the battle on the streets of Berlin.
56. Heavy tank IS-2 near the walls of the destroyed Reichstag.
57. Formation of military personnel of the Soviet 88th separate heavy tank regiment in Berlin's Humboldt-Hain Park at the beginning of May 1945. The formation is carried out by the regiment's political officer, Major L.A. Glushkov and deputy regiment commander F.M. Hot.
58. A column of Soviet IS-2 heavy tanks on the streets of Berlin.
59. A battery of Soviet 122-mm howitzers M-30 on the streets of Berlin.
60. The crew is preparing a BM-31-12 rocket artillery mount (a modification of the Katyusha with M-31 shells, nicknamed “Andryusha”) on a Berlin street.
61. A column of Soviet IS-2 heavy tanks on the streets of Berlin. In the background of the photo you can see ZiS-5 trucks from the logistics support.
62. Column of a unit of Soviet IS-2 heavy tanks on the streets of Berlin.
63. A battery of Soviet 122-mm howitzers, model 1938 (M-30), fires at Berlin.
64. Soviet tank IS-2 on a destroyed street in Berlin. Elements of camouflage are visible on the car.
65. French prisoners of war shake hands with their liberators - Soviet soldiers. Author's title: “Berlin. French prisoners of war released from Nazi camps."
66. Tankers of the 44th Guards Tank Brigade of the 11th Guards Tank Corps of the 1st Guards Tank Army on vacation near the T-34-85 in Berlin.
67. Soviet artillerymen write on shells “To Hitler”, “To Berlin”, “Across the Reichstag” (2).
68. Loading wounded Soviet soldiers onto a ZIS-5v military truck for evacuation.
69. Soviet self-propelled guns SU-76M with tail numbers “27” and “30” in Berlin in the Karlshorst area.
70. Soviet orderlies transfer a wounded soldier from a stretcher to a cart.
71. View of the Brandenburg Gate in captured Berlin. May 1945.
72. Soviet tank T-34-85, shot down on the streets of Berlin.
73. Soviet soldiers in battle on Moltke Strasse (now Rothko Street) in Berlin.
74. Soviet soldiers resting on an IS-2 tank. The author's title of the photo is “Tankers on vacation.”
75. Soviet soldiers in Berlin at the end of the fighting. In the foreground and behind, behind the car, are ZiS-3 guns of the 1943 model.
76. Participants of the “last Berlin conscription” at a collection point for prisoners of war in Berlin.
77. German soldiers in Berlin surrender to Soviet troops.
78. View of the Reichstag after the battles. German 8.8 cm FlaK 18 anti-aircraft guns are visible. To the right lies the body of a dead German soldier. The author's title of the photo is “Final”.
79. Berlin women cleaning the street. The beginning of May 1945, even before the signing of the Act of Surrender of Germany.
80. Soviet soldiers in position in a street battle in Berlin. A street barricade built by the Germans is used as cover.
81. German prisoners of war on the streets of Berlin.
82. Soviet 122-mm howitzer M-30 horse-drawn in the center of Berlin. On the shield of the gun there is an inscription: “We will avenge the atrocities.” In the background is the Berlin Cathedral.
83. Soviet machine gunner at a firing position in a Berlin tram car.
84. Soviet machine gunners in a street battle in Berlin, taking a position behind the fallen tower clock.
85. A Soviet soldier walks past the murdered SS Hauptsturmführer in Berlin at the intersection of Chaussestrasse and Oranienburgerstrasse.
86. Burning building in Berlin.
87. A Volkssturm militiaman killed on one of the streets of Berlin.
88. Soviet self-propelled gun ISU-122 in the suburbs of Berlin. Behind the self-propelled guns there is an inscription on the wall: “Berlin will remain German!” (Berlin bleibt deutsch!).
89. A column of Soviet self-propelled guns ISU-122 on one of the streets of Berlin.
90. Former Estonian tanks of English construction Mk.V in Berlin's Lustgarten park. The building of the Old Museum (Altes Museum) can be seen in the background. These tanks, rearmed with Maxim machine guns, took part in the defense of Tallinn in 1941, were captured by the Germans and transported to Berlin for an exhibition of trophies. In April 1945, they allegedly took part in the defense of Berlin.
91. Shot from a Soviet 152-mm howitzer ML-20 in Berlin. On the right you can see the track of the IS-2 tank.
92. Soviet soldier with a Faustpatron.
93. A Soviet officer checks the documents of German soldiers who surrendered. Berlin, April-May 1945
94. The crew of the Soviet 100-mm BS-3 cannon fires at the enemy in Berlin.
95. Infantrymen from the 3rd Guards Tank Army attack the enemy in Berlin with the support of a ZiS-3 cannon.
96. Soviet soldiers hoist the banner over the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. This is one of the banners installed on the Reistag in addition to the official hoisting of the banner by Egorov and Kantaria.
97. Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft from the 4th Air Army (Colonel General of Aviation K.A. Vershinin) in the sky over Berlin.
98. Soviet soldier Ivan Kichigin at the grave of a friend in Berlin. Ivan Aleksandrovich Kichigin at the grave of his friend Grigory Afanasyevich Kozlov in Berlin in early May 1945. Signature on the back of the photo: “Sasha! This is the grave of Kozlov Gregory.” There were such graves all over Berlin - friends buried their comrades near the place of their death. About six months later, reburial from such graves to memorial cemeteries in Treptower Park and Tiergarten began. The first memorial in Berlin, inaugurated in November 1945, was the burial of 2,500 Soviet soldiers in the Tiergarten park. At its opening, in front of the monument-memorial, the Allied troops marched in a solemn parade along anti-Hitler coalition.
100. A Soviet soldier pulls a German soldier out of a hatch. Berlin.
101. Soviet soldiers run to a new position in battle in Berlin. The figure of a murdered German sergeant from the RAD (Reichs Arbeit Dienst, pre-conscription labor service) in the foreground.
102. Units of the Soviet heavy self-propelled artillery regiment at the crossing of the Spree River. On the right is the self-propelled gun ISU-152.
103. Crews of Soviet 76.2 mm ZIS-3 divisional guns on one of the streets of Berlin.
104. A battery of Soviet 122-mm howitzers model 1938 (M-30) fires at Berlin.
105. A column of Soviet IS-2 heavy tanks on one of the streets of Berlin.
106. Captured German soldier at the Reichstag. Famous photograph, often published in books and on posters in the USSR under the title "Ende" (German: "The End").
107. Soviet tanks and other equipment near the bridge over the Spree River in the Reichstag area. On this bridge, Soviet troops, under fire from the defending Germans, marched to storm the Reichstag. The photo shows IS-2 and T-34-85 tanks, ISU-152 self-propelled guns, and guns.
108. Column of Soviet IS-2 tanks on the Berlin highway.
109. Dead German woman in an armored personnel carrier. Berlin, 1945.
110. A T-34 tank from the 3rd Guards Tank Army stands in front of a paper and stationery store on Berlin Street. Vladimir Dmitrievich Serdyukov (born in 1920) sits at the driver’s hatch.
How did this most important historical event take place? What preceded it, what were the plans and alignment of forces of the warring parties. How the operation of the Soviet troops to capture Berlin developed, the chronology of events, the storming of the Reichstag with the hoisting of the Victory Banner and the significance of the historical battle.
The capture of Berlin and the fall of the Third Reich
By mid-spring 1945, the main events were unfolding across a large part of Germany. By this time, Poland, Hungary, almost all of Czechoslovakia, Eastern Pomerania and Silesia had been liberated. Red Army troops liberated the capital of Austria, Vienna. The defeat of large enemy groups in East Prussia, Courland, and the Zemland Peninsula was completed. Most of the Baltic Sea coast remained with our army. Finland, Bulgaria, Romania and Italy were withdrawn from the war.
In the south, the Yugoslav army, together with Soviet troops, cleared most of Serbia and its capital Belgrade from the Nazis. From the west, the Allies crossed the Rhine and the operation to defeat the Ruhr group was coming to an end.
The German economy was experiencing enormous difficulties. Raw materials areas of previously occupied countries were lost. The decline in industry continued. Military production fell by more than 60 percent in six months. In addition, the Wehrmacht experienced difficulties with mobilization resources. Sixteen-year-old boys were already subject to conscription. However, Berlin still remained not only the political capital of fascism, but also a major economic center. In addition, Hitler concentrated his main forces with enormous combat potential in the Berlin direction.
That is why the defeat of the Berlin group of German troops and the capture of the capital of the Third Reich was so important. The Battle of Berlin and its fall was supposed to put an end to the Great Patriotic War and become a natural outcome of the Second World War of 1939-1945.
Berlin offensive operation
All participants in the anti-Hitler coalition were interested in the speedy completion of hostilities. Fundamental questions, namely: who will take Berlin, the division of spheres of influence in Europe, the post-war structure of Germany and others were resolved in Crimea at a conference in Yalta.
The enemy understood that the war was strategically lost, but in the current situation he tried to extract tactical benefits. His main task was to prolong the war in order to find ways to enter into separate negotiations with the Western allies of the USSR in order to obtain more favorable terms of surrender.
There is also an opinion that Hitler had hope for the so-called retaliation weapon, which was at the stage of final development and was supposed to change the balance of power. That is why the Wehrmacht needed time, and losses did not play any role here. Therefore, Hitler concentrated 214 divisions on the Soviet-German front, and only 60 on the American-British front.
Preparation of an offensive operation, position and tasks of the parties. Balance of forces and means
On the German side, the defense of the Berlin direction was entrusted to army groups "Center" and "Vistula". The construction of layered defense was carried out from the beginning of 1945. The main part of it was the Oder-Neissen line and the Berlin defensive region.
The first was a deep defense of three stripes up to forty kilometers wide, with powerful strongholds, engineering barriers and areas prepared for flooding.
Three so-called defensive rings were set up in the Berlin defensive area. The first, or external, was prepared at a distance of twenty-five to forty kilometers from the center of the capital. It included strongholds and points of resistance in settlements, defense lines along rivers and canals. The second main, or internal, up to eight kilometers deep, ran along the outskirts of Berlin. All milestones and positions were tied to unified system fire. The third city circuit coincided with the ring railway. The command of the Nazi troops divided Berlin itself into nine sectors. The streets leading to the city center were barricaded, the first floors of buildings were turned into long-term firing points and structures, trenches and caponiers were dug for guns and tanks. All positions were connected by communication passages. For covert maneuvers, it was planned to actively use the metro as rolling roads.
The operation of the Soviet troops to capture Berlin began to be developed during the winter offensive.
Plan for the "Battle of Berlin"
The command’s plan was to break through the Oder-Neissen line with coordinated strikes from three fronts, then, developing the offensive, reach Berlin, encircle the enemy group, cut it into several parts and destroy it. Subsequently, no later than 15 days from the start of the operation, reach the Elbe to join the Allied forces. To do this, the Headquarters decided to involve the 1st and 2nd Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts.
Due to the fact that the Soviet-German front narrowed, the Nazis in the Berlin direction managed to achieve an incredible density of troops. In some areas it reached 1 division per 3 kilometers of front line. Army Groups Center and Vistula included 48 infantry, 6 tank, 9 motorized divisions, 37 separate infantry regiments, 98 separate infantry battalions. The Nazis also had approximately two thousand aircraft, including 120 jets. In addition, about two hundred battalions, the so-called Volkssturm, were formed in the Berlin garrison, their total number exceeded two hundred thousand people.
The three Soviet fronts outnumbered the enemy and had the 21st combined arms army, 4 tank and 3 air forces, in addition, 10 separate tank and mechanized and 4 cavalry corps. It was also planned to involve the Baltic Fleet, the Dnieper Military Flotilla, long-range aviation and part of the country's air defense forces. In addition, Polish formations took part in the operation - they included 2 armies, a tank and aviation corps, 2 artillery divisions, and a mortar brigade.
At the beginning of the operation, Soviet troops had an advantage over the Germans:
- in personnel by 2.5 times;
- in guns and mortars 4 times;
- in tanks and self-propelled artillery units by 4.1 times;
- in airplanes 2.3 times.
Start of operation
The offensive was about to begin April 16. In front of him, in the offensive zone of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts, one rifle battalion from each tried to open fire weapons on the front line of the enemy’s defense.
IN 5.00 On the appointed date, artillery preparation began. After that 1 1st Belorussian Front under the command of Marshal Zhukov went on the offensive, delivering three blows: one main and two auxiliary. The main one is in the direction of Berlin through the Seelow Heights and the city of Seelow, auxiliary ones are to the north and south of the capital of Germany. The enemy stubbornly resisted, and it was not possible to take the heights from a swoop. After a series of outflanking maneuvers, it was only towards the end of the day that our army finally took the city of Seelow.
On the first and second days of the operation, fighting took place in the first line of defense of the German fascists. Only on April 17 was it finally possible to make a hole in the second lane. The German command tried to stop the offensive by bringing available reserves into the battle, but were unsuccessful. The battles continued on April 18 and 19. The pace of progress remained very slow. The Nazis were not going to give up; their defenses were filled with a large number of anti-tank weapons. Dense artillery fire, constrained maneuver due to difficult terrain - all this influenced the actions of our troops. Nevertheless, on April 19, at the end of the day, they broke through the third and final line of defense of this line. As a result, in the first four days the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front advanced 30 kilometers.
The offensive of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Konev was more successful. During the first 24 hours, the troops crossed the Neisse River, broke through the first line of defense and penetrated to a depth of 13 kilometers. The next day, throwing the main forces of the front into battle, they broke through the second line and advanced 20 kilometers. The enemy retreated across the Spree River. The Wehrmacht, preventing a deep bypass of the entire Berlin group, transferred the reserves of the Center group to this area. Despite this, our troops crossed the Spree River on April 18 and broke the front line of the defense of the third zone. At the end of the third day, in the direction of the main attack, the 1st Ukrainian Front advanced to a depth of 30 kilometers. In the process of further movement, by the second half of April, our units and formations cut off Army Group Vistula from the Center. Large enemy forces were semi-encircled.
The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, commanded by Marshal Rokossovsky, According to the plan, the attack was supposed to take place on April 20, but in order to facilitate the task, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front began to cross the Oder on the 18th. By their actions they drew part of the enemy’s forces and reserves onto themselves. Preparations for the main phase of the operation were completed.
Storm of Berlin
All 3 Soviet fronts before April 20 basically completed the task of breaking through the Oder-Neissen line and destroying Nazi troops in the suburbs of Berlin. It was time to move on to the assault on the German capital itself.
Start of the battle
On April 20, troops of the 1st Belorussian Front began shelling the outskirts of Berlin with long-range artillery, and 21 broke through the first bypass line. From April 22, fighting took place directly in the city. The distance between the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front advancing from the northeast and the 1st Ukrainian Front from the south decreased. The preconditions were created for the complete encirclement of the German capital, and the opportunity also arose to cut off from the city and encircle a large group of the enemy’s 9th Infantry Army, numbering up to two hundred thousand people, with the task of preventing its breakthrough to Berlin or retreat to the west. This plan was put into effect on April 23 and 24.
To avoid encirclement, the Wehrmacht command decided to withdraw all troops from western front and throw the 9th Army to the relief blockade of the capital and the encircled 9th Army. On April 26, part of the forces of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts took up defensive positions. It was necessary to prevent a breakthrough from both inside and outside.
The battles to destroy the encircled group continued until May 1. In some areas, fascist German troops managed to break through the defense ring and go westward, but these attempts were stopped in time. Only small groups were able to break through and surrender to the Americans. In total, in this sector, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts managed to capture about 120 thousand soldiers and officers, a large number of tanks and field guns.
On April 25, Soviet troops met with American troops on the Elbe. Through well-organized defense and access to the Elbe, units of the 1st Ukrainian Front created a very successful bridgehead. It became important for the subsequent attack on Prague.
Climax of the Battle of Berlin
Meanwhile in Berlin fighting reached its apogee. Assault troops and groups advanced deeper into the city. They consistently moved from building to building, from block to block, from area to area, destroying pockets of resistance, disrupting the control of the defenders. In the city, the use of tanks was limited.
However, tanks played an important role in the Battle of Berlin. Tempered in tank battles on the Kursk Bulge, during the liberation of Belarus and Ukraine, the tank crews were not intimidated by Berlin. But they were used only in close cooperation with infantry. Single attempts, as a rule, led to losses. Artillery units also encountered certain application features. Some of them were assigned to assault groups for direct fire and destructive shooting.
Storming of the Reichstag. Banner over the Reichstag
On April 27, battles for the city center began, which were not interrupted day or night. The Berlin garrison did not stop fighting. On April 28, it flared up again near the Reichstag. It was organized by the troops of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. But our soldiers were able to get close to the building only on April 30.
The assault groups were given red flags, one of which, belonging to the 150th Rifle Division of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, later became the Victory Banner. It was erected on May 1 on the pediment of the building by soldiers of the rifle regiment of the Idritsa division M.A. Egorov and M.V Kantaria. It was a symbol of the capture of the main fascist stronghold.
Victory Standard Bearers
While in full swing preparations were underway for the Victory Parade in June 1945, the question did not even arise about who to appoint as the standard bearers of the Victory. It was Egorov and Kantaria who were tasked with acting as assistants to the flag bearer and carrying the Victory Banner across the main square of the country.
Unfortunately, the plans were not allowed to come true. The front-line soldiers who defeated the fascists were unable to cope with combat science. In addition, battle wounds were still making themselves felt. Despite everything, they trained very hard, sparing neither effort nor time.
Marshal G.K. Zhukov, who hosted that famous parade, looked at the rehearsal of carrying the banner and came to the conclusion that it would be too difficult for the heroes of the Battle of Berlin. Therefore, he ordered the removal of the Banner to be canceled and the parade to be held without this symbolic part.
But 20 years later, two heroes still carried the Victory Banner across Red Square. This happened at the 1965 Victory Parade.
Capture of Berlin
The capture of Berlin did not end with the storming of the Reichstag. By May 30, the German troops defending the city were cut into four parts. Their management was completely disrupted. The Germans were on the brink of disaster. That same day, the Fuhrer took his own life. On May 1, the Chief of the Wehrmacht General Staff, General Krebe, entered into negotiations with the Soviet command and proposed a temporary cessation of hostilities. Zhukov put forward the only demand - unconditional surrender. It was rejected and the assault resumed.
In the dead of night on May 2, the commander of the defense of the German capital, General Weidling, surrendered, and our radio stations began to receive a message from the Nazis asking for a ceasefire. By 15.00 the resistance had completely ceased. The historical assault is over.
The Battle of Berlin ended, but the offensive operation continued. The 1st Ukrainian Front began a regrouping, the purpose of which was to attack Prague and liberate Czechoslovakia. At the same time, by May 7, the 1st Belorussian reached a broad front towards the Elbe. The 2nd Belorussian reached the shore of the Baltic Sea, and also entered into interaction with the 2nd British Army positioned on the Elbe. Subsequently, he began the liberation of the Danish islands in the Baltic Sea.
Results of the assault on Berlin and the entire Berlin operation
The active phase of the Berlin operation lasted just over two weeks. Its results are as follows:
- a large group of Nazis was defeated, the Wehrmacht command practically lost control of the remaining troops;
- the bulk of Germany's top leadership was captured, as well as almost 380 thousand soldiers and officers;
- experience gained in application different kinds troops in urban battles;
- made an invaluable contribution to Soviet military art;
- According to various estimates, it was the Berlin operation that dissuaded the leadership of the United States and Britain from starting a war against the USSR.
On the night of May 9, Field Marshal Keitel signed an act in Potsdam that meant the complete and unconditional surrender of Germany. So May 9 became the Day Great Victory. A conference was soon held there, at which the fate of post-war Germany was decided and the map of Europe was finally redrawn. There were still a few months left before the end of the Second World War of 1939-1945.
All heroes of the battle were noted by the leadership of the USSR. More than six hundred people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In addition, in order to recognize special services to the Fatherland, a medal was developed "For the capture of Berlin." Interesting fact– the fighting in the German capital was still ongoing, but in Moscow they had already presented a sketch of the future medal. The Soviet leadership wanted Russian soldiers to know that wherever they fought for the glory of their Motherland, their heroes would find their rewards.
More than a million people were awarded. In addition to our soldiers, soldiers of the Polish army who particularly distinguished themselves in battle also received medals. There are a total of seven such awards, established for victories in cities outside the borders of the USSR.
1.9 million people
6,250 tanks
more than 7,500 aircraft
Polish troops: 155,900 people
1 million people
1,500 tanks
more than 3,300 aircraft
78,291 killed
274,184 injured
215.9 thousand units. small arms
1,997 tanks and self-propelled guns
2,108 guns and mortars
917 aircraft
Polish troops:
2,825 killed
6,067 injured
OK. 400 thousand killed
OK. 380 thousand captured
| Great Patriotic War |
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Berlin strategic offensive operation- one of the last strategic operations of Soviet troops in the European Theater of Operations, during which the Red Army occupied the capital of Germany and victoriously ended the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War in Europe. The operation lasted 23 days - from April 16 to May 8, 1945, during which Soviet troops advanced westward to a distance of 100 to 220 km. The width of the combat front is 300 km. As part of the operation, the following frontal offensive operations were carried out: Stettin-Rostok, Seelow-Berlin, Cottbus-Potsdam, Stremberg-Torgau and Brandenburg-Ratenow.
The military-political situation in Europe in the spring of 1945
In January-March 1945, troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts, during the Vistula-Oder, East Pomeranian, Upper Silesian and Lower Silesian operations, reached the line of the Oder and Neisse rivers. The shortest distance from the Küstrin bridgehead to Berlin was 60 km. Anglo-American troops completed the liquidation of the Ruhr group of German troops and by mid-April advanced units reached the Elbe. The loss of the most important raw material areas caused a decline in industrial production in Germany. Difficulties in replacing the casualties suffered in the winter of 1944/45 have increased. Nevertheless armed forces Germany still represented an impressive force. According to the intelligence department of the General Staff of the Red Army, by mid-April they included 223 divisions and brigades.
According to the agreements reached by the heads of the USSR, USA and Great Britain in the fall of 1944, the border of the Soviet occupation zone was supposed to pass 150 km west of Berlin. Despite this, Churchill put forward the idea of getting ahead of the Red Army and capturing Berlin, and then commissioned the development of a plan for a full-scale war against the USSR.
Goals of the parties
Germany
The Nazi leadership tried to prolong the war in order to achieve a separate peace with England and the United States and split the anti-Hitler coalition. At the same time, holding the front against the Soviet Union became crucial.
USSR
The military-political situation that had developed by April 1945 required the Soviet command to prepare and carry out an operation in the shortest possible time to defeat a group of German troops in the Berlin direction, capture Berlin and reach the Elbe River to join the Allied forces. The successful completion of this strategic task made it possible to thwart the plans of the Nazi leadership to prolong the war.
- Capture the capital of Germany, the city of Berlin
- After 12-15 days of the operation, reach the Elbe River
- Deliver a cutting blow south of Berlin, isolate the main forces of Army Group Center from the Berlin group and thereby ensure the main attack of the 1st Belorussian Front from the south
- Defeat the enemy group south of Berlin and operational reserves in the Cottbus area
- In 10-12 days, no later, reach the Belitz - Wittenberg line and further along the Elbe River to Dresden
- Deliver a cutting blow north of Berlin, protecting the right flank of the 1st Belorussian Front from possible enemy counterattacks from the north
- Press to the sea and destroy German troops north of Berlin
- Two brigades of river ships will assist the troops of the 5th Shock and 8th Guards Armies in crossing the Oder and breaking through enemy defenses on the Küstrin bridgehead
- The third brigade will assist the troops of the 33rd Army in the Furstenberg area
- Ensure mine defense of water transport routes.
- Support the coastal flank of the 2nd Belorussian Front, continuing the blockade of Army Group Courland pressed to the sea in Latvia (Courland Pocket)
Operation plan
The operation plan provided for the simultaneous transition of troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts to the offensive on the morning of April 16, 1945. The 2nd Belorussian Front, in connection with the upcoming major regrouping of its forces, was supposed to launch an offensive on April 20, that is, 4 days later.
When preparing the operation special attention focused on issues of camouflage and achieving operational and tactical surprise. The front headquarters developed detailed action plans for disinformation and misleading the enemy, according to which preparations for an offensive by the troops of the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts were simulated in the area of the cities of Stettin and Guben. At the same time, intensified defensive work continued in the central sector of the 1st Belorussian Front, where the main attack was actually planned. They were carried out especially intensively in areas clearly visible to the enemy. It was explained to all army personnel that the main task was stubborn defense. In addition, documents characterizing the activities of troops in various sectors of the front were planted at the enemy’s location.
The arrival of reserves and reinforcement units was carefully disguised. Military echelons with artillery, mortar, and tank units on Polish territory were disguised as trains transporting timber and hay on platforms.
When conducting reconnaissance, tank commanders from the battalion commander to the army commander dressed in infantry uniforms and, under the guise of signalmen, examined crossings and areas where their units would be concentrated.
The circle of knowledgeable persons was extremely limited. In addition to army commanders, only the chiefs of army staffs, heads of operational departments of army headquarters and artillery commanders were allowed to familiarize themselves with the Headquarters directive. Regimental commanders received tasks verbally three days before the offensive. Junior commanders and Red Army soldiers were allowed to announce the offensive task two hours before the attack.
Regrouping of troops
In preparation for the Berlin operation, the 2nd Belorussian Front, which had just completed the East Pomeranian operation, in the period from April 4 to April 15, 1945, had to transfer 4 combined arms armies over a distance of up to 350 km from the area of the cities of Danzig and Gdynia to the line of the Oder River and replace the armies of the 1st Belorussian Front there. Poor condition railways and an acute shortage of rolling stock did not allow full use of the opportunities railway transport Therefore, the main burden of transportation fell on motor transport. The front was allocated 1,900 vehicles. The troops had to cover part of the route on foot.
Germany
The German command foresaw the offensive of the Soviet troops and carefully prepared to repel it. From the Oder to Berlin, a deeply layered defense was built, and the city itself was turned into a powerful defensive citadel. First-line divisions were replenished with personnel and equipment, and strong reserves were created in the operational depths. A huge number of Volkssturm battalions were formed in Berlin and near it.
Nature of defense
The basis of the defense was the Oder-Neissen defensive line and the Berlin defensive region. The Oder-Neissen line consisted of three defensive lines, and its total depth reached 20-40 km. The main defensive line had up to five continuous lines of trenches, and its front edge ran along the left bank of the Oder and Neisse rivers. A second defense line was created 10-20 km from it. It was the most equipped in engineering terms at the Seelow Heights - in front of the Kyustrin bridgehead. The third stripe was located 20-40 km from the front edge. When organizing and equipping the defense, the German command skillfully used natural obstacles: lakes, rivers, canals, ravines. All settlements were turned into strong strongholds and were adapted for all-round defense. During the construction of the Oder-Neissen line, special attention was paid to the organization of anti-tank defense.
The saturation of defensive positions with enemy troops was uneven. The greatest density of troops was observed in front of the 1st Belorussian Front in a zone 175 km wide, where the defense was occupied by 23 divisions, a significant number of individual brigades, regiments and battalions, with 14 divisions defending against the Kyustrin bridgehead. In the 120 km wide offensive zone of the 2nd Belorussian Front, 7 infantry divisions and 13 separate regiments defended. There were 25 enemy divisions in the 390 km wide zone of the 1st Ukrainian Front.
In an effort to increase the resilience of their troops in defense, the Nazi leadership tightened repressive measures. Thus, on April 15, in his address to the soldiers of the eastern front, A. Hitler demanded the execution on the spot of everyone who gave the order to withdraw or would withdraw without an order.
Composition and strengths of the parties
USSR
Total: Soviet troops - 1.9 million people, Polish troops - 155,900 people, 6,250 tanks, 41,600 guns and mortars, more than 7,500 aircraft
Germany
Following the orders of the commander, on April 18 and 19 the tank armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front marched uncontrollably towards Berlin. The rate of their advance reached 35-50 km per day. At the same time, the combined arms armies were preparing to eliminate large enemy groups in the area of Cottbus and Spremberg.
By the end of the day on April 20, the main strike group of the 1st Ukrainian Front was deeply wedged into the enemy’s position and completely cut off the German Army Group Vistula from Army Group Center. Sensing the threat caused by the rapid actions of the tank armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front, the German command took a number of measures to strengthen the approaches to Berlin. To strengthen the defense, infantry and tank units were urgently sent to the area of the cities of Zossen, Luckenwalde, and Jutterbog. Overcoming their stubborn resistance, Rybalko’s tankers reached the outer Berlin defensive perimeter on the night of April 21. By the morning of April 22, Sukhov's 9th Mechanized Corps and Mitrofanov's 6th Guards Tank Corps of the 3rd Guards Tank Army crossed the Notte Canal, broke through the outer defensive perimeter of Berlin, and by the end of the day reached the southern bank of the Teltow Canal. There, encountering strong and well-organized enemy resistance, they were stopped.
At 12 noon on April 25, west of Berlin, the advanced units of the 4th Guards Tank Army met with units of the 47th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. On the same day, another significant event occurred. An hour and a half later, General Baklanov's 34th Guards Corps of the 5th Guards Army met with American troops on the Elbe.
From April 25 to May 2, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front fought fierce battles in three directions: units of the 28th Army, 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies took part in the assault on Berlin; part of the forces of the 4th Guards Tank Army, together with the 13th Army, repelled the counterattack of the 12th German Army; The 3rd Guards Army and part of the forces of the 28th Army blocked and destroyed the encircled 9th Army.
All the time from the beginning of the operation, the command of Army Group Center sought to disrupt the offensive of the Soviet troops. On April 20, German troops launched the first counterattack on the left flank of the 1st Ukrainian Front and pushed back the troops of the 52nd Army and the 2nd Army of the Polish Army. On April 23, a new powerful counterattack followed, as a result of which the defense at the junction of the 52nd Army and the 2nd Army of the Polish Army was broken through and German troops advanced 20 km in the general direction of Spremberg, threatening to reach the rear of the front.
2nd Belorussian Front (April 20-May 8)
From April 17 to 19, troops of the 65th Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front, under the command of Colonel General P.I. Batov, conducted reconnaissance in force and advanced detachments captured the Oder interfluve, thereby facilitating subsequent crossings of the river. On the morning of April 20, the main forces of the 2nd Belorussian Front went on the offensive: the 65th, 70th and 49th armies. The crossing of the Oder took place under the cover of artillery fire and smoke screens. The offensive developed most successfully in the sector of the 65th Army, which was largely due to engineering troops army. Having established two 16-ton pontoon crossings by 1 p.m., the troops of this army captured a bridgehead 6 kilometers wide and 1.5 kilometers deep by the evening of April 20.
We had a chance to observe the work of sappers. Working up to your neck in ice water Among the explosions of shells and mines, they made a crossing. Every second they were threatened with death, but people understood their soldier’s duty and thought about one thing - to help their comrades on the west bank and thereby bring victory closer.
More modest success was achieved on the central sector of the front in the 70th Army zone. The left-flank 49th Army met stubborn resistance and was unsuccessful. All day and all night on April 21, front troops, repelling numerous attacks by German troops, persistently expanded bridgeheads on the western bank of the Oder. In the current situation, front commander K.K. Rokossovsky decided to send the 49th Army along the crossings of the right neighbor of the 70th Army, and then return it to its offensive zone. By April 25, as a result of fierce battles, front troops expanded the captured bridgehead to 35 km along the front and up to 15 km in depth. To build up striking power, the 2nd Shock Army, as well as the 1st and 3rd Guards Tank Corps, were transported to the western bank of the Oder. At the first stage of the operation, the 2nd Belorussian Front, through its actions, shackled the main forces of the 3rd German Tank Army, depriving it of the opportunity to help those fighting near Berlin. On April 26, formations of the 65th Army took Stettin by storm. Subsequently, the armies of the 2nd Belorussian Front, breaking enemy resistance and destroying suitable reserves, stubbornly advanced to the west. On May 3, Panfilov's 3rd Guards Tank Corps, southwest of Wismar, established contact with the advanced units of the 2nd British Army.
Liquidation of the Frankfurt-Guben group
By the end of April 24, formations of the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front came into contact with units of the 8th Guards Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, thereby encircling the 9th Army of General Busse southeast of Berlin and cutting it off from the city. The surrounded group of German troops began to be called the Frankfurt-Gubensky group. Now the Soviet command was faced with the task of eliminating the 200,000-strong enemy group and preventing its breakthrough to Berlin or to the West. To accomplish the last task, the 3rd Guards Army and part of the forces of the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front took up active defense in the path of a possible breakthrough of German troops. On April 26, the 3rd, 69th, and 33rd armies of the 1st Belorussian Front began the final liquidation of the encircled units. However, the enemy not only put up stubborn resistance, but also repeatedly made attempts to break out of the encirclement. By skillfully maneuvering and skillfully creating superiority in forces on narrow sections of the front, German troops twice managed to break through the encirclement. However, each time the Soviet command took decisive measures to eliminate the breakthrough. Until May 2, the encircled units of the German 9th Army made desperate attempts to break through battle formations 1st Ukrainian Front to the west, to join the 12th Army of General Wenck. Only a few small groups managed to penetrate through the forests and go west.
Assault on Berlin (April 25 - May 2)
A salvo of Soviet Katyusha rocket launchers hits Berlin
At 12 noon on April 25, the ring closed around Berlin when the 6th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 4th Guards Tank Army crossed the Havel River and linked up with units of the 328th Division of the 47th Army of General Perkhorovich. By that time, according to the Soviet command, the Berlin garrison numbered at least 200 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and 250 tanks. The city's defense was carefully thought out and well prepared. It was based on a system of strong fire, strongholds and resistance units. The closer to the city center, the denser the defense became. Massive stone buildings with thick walls gave it particular strength. The windows and doors of many buildings were sealed and turned into embrasures for firing. The streets were blocked by powerful barricades up to four meters thick. The defenders had a large number of faustpatrons, which in the context of street battles turned out to be a formidable anti-tank weapon. Of no small importance in the enemy’s defense system were underground structures, which were widely used by the enemy to maneuver troops, as well as to shelter them from artillery and bomb attacks.
By April 26, six armies of the 1st Belorussian Front (47th, 3rd and 5th shock, 8th Guards, 1st and 2nd Guards Tank armies) and three armies of the 1st Belorussian Front took part in the assault on Berlin. th Ukrainian Front (28th, 3rd and 4th Guards Tank). Taking into account the experience of capturing large cities, assault detachments were created for battles in the city, consisting of rifle battalions or companies, reinforced with tanks, artillery and sappers. The actions of assault troops, as a rule, were preceded by a short but powerful artillery preparation.
By April 27, as a result of the actions of the armies of two fronts that had deeply advanced to the center of Berlin, the enemy grouping in Berlin stretched out in a narrow strip from east to west - sixteen kilometers long and two or three, in some places five kilometers wide. The fighting in the city did not stop day or night. Block after block, Soviet troops advanced deeper into enemy defenses. So, by the evening of April 28, units of the 3rd Shock Army reached the Reichstag area. On the night of April 29, the actions of the forward battalions under the command of Captain S. A. Neustroev and Senior Lieutenant K. Ya. Samsonov captured the Moltke Bridge. At dawn on April 30, the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, adjacent to the parliament building, was stormed at the cost of considerable losses. The path to the Reichstag was open.
On April 30, 1945 at 14:25, units of the 150th Infantry Division under the command of Major General V.M. Shatilov and the 171st Infantry Division under the command of Colonel A.I. Negoda stormed the main part of the Reichstag building. The remaining Nazi units offered stubborn resistance. We had to fight for literally every room. In the early morning of May 1, the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division was raised over the Reichstag, but the battle for the Reichstag continued all day and only on the night of May 2 did the Reichstag garrison capitulate.
Helmut Weidling (left) and his staff officers surrender to Soviet troops. Berlin. May 2, 1945
On May 1, only the Tiergarten and the government quarter remained in German hands. The imperial chancellery was located here, in the courtyard of which there was a bunker at Hitler's headquarters. On the night of May 1, by prior agreement, the Chief of the General Staff of the Germans arrived at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army ground forces General Krebs. He informed the army commander, General V.I. Chuikov, about Hitler’s suicide and the proposal of the new German government to conclude a truce. The message was immediately transmitted to G.K. Zhukov, who himself called Moscow. Stalin confirmed his categorical demand for unconditional surrender. At 18:00 on May 1, the new German government rejected the demand for unconditional surrender, and Soviet troops were forced to continue the assault with renewed vigor.
At one o'clock in the morning on May 2, the radio stations of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian: “We ask you to cease fire. We are sending envoys to the Potsdam Bridge.” A German officer who arrived at the appointed place, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin, General Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance. At 6 a.m. on May 2, Artillery General Weidling, accompanied by three German generals, crossed the front line and surrendered. An hour later, while at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army, he wrote a surrender order, which was duplicated and, with the help of loudspeaker installations and radio, delivered to enemy units defending in the center of Berlin. As this order was communicated to the defenders, resistance in the city ceased. By the end of the day, the troops of the 8th Guards Army cleared the central part of the city from the enemy. Some units that did not want to surrender tried to break through to the west, but were destroyed or scattered.
Losses of the parties
USSR
From April 16 to May 8, Soviet troops lost 352,475 people, of which 78,291 were irretrievable. The losses of Polish troops during the same period amounted to 8,892 people, of which 2,825 were irretrievable. The losses of military equipment amounted to 1,997 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2,108 guns and mortars, and 917 combat aircraft.
Germany
According to combat reports from the Soviet fronts:
- Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front in the period from April 16 to May 13
killed 232,726 people, captured 250,675
Disputes continue between Russian and foreign historians about when the war with de jure and de facto ended. Nazi Germany. On May 2, 1945, Soviet troops took Berlin. This was a major success in military and ideological terms, but the fall of the German capital did not mean the final destruction of the Nazis and their accomplices.
Achieve surrender
At the beginning of May, the leadership of the USSR set out to achieve the adoption of the act of surrender of Germany. To do this, it was necessary to come to an agreement with the Anglo-American command and deliver an ultimatum to representatives of the Nazi government, which since April 30, 1945 (after the suicide of Adolf Hitler) was headed by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz.
The positions of Moscow and the West diverged quite strongly. Stalin insisted on the unconditional surrender of all German troops and pro-Nazi formations. The Soviet leader was aware of the Allies' desire to preserve part of the Wehrmacht's military machine in combat-ready condition. Such a scenario was absolutely unacceptable for the USSR.
In the spring of 1945, Nazis and collaborators left their positions on the Eastern Front en masse to surrender to Anglo-American troops. War criminals were counting on leniency, and the allies were considering using the Nazis in a potential confrontation with the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA). The USSR made concessions, but ultimately achieved its goal.
On May 7, the first act of surrender was signed in Reims, France, where Army General Dwight Eisenhower had his headquarters. The chief of the Wehrmacht operational headquarters, Alfred Jodl, put his signature on the document. The representative of Moscow was Major General Ivan Susloparov. The document came into force on May 8 at 23:01 (May 9 at 01:01 Moscow time).
The act was drawn up on English and assumed the unconditional surrender of only the German armies. May 7 Susloparov, without receiving instructions from headquarters Supreme Commander, signed a document with the proviso that any allied country may demand to conclude another similar act.
- Signing of the act of surrender of Germany in Reims
After the signing of the act, Karl Dönitz ordered all German formations to fight their way to the west. Moscow took advantage of this and demanded to immediately conclude a new act of comprehensive surrender.
On the night of May 8–9, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, the second act of surrender was solemnly signed. The signatories agreed that the Reims document was preliminary, and the Berlin document was final. The representative of the USSR in Karlshorst was Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal Georgy Zhukov.
Be proactive
Some historians consider the liberation of Europe by Soviet troops from the Nazi occupiers to be “a cakewalk” compared to the battles that were fought on the territory of the USSR.
In 1943, the Soviet Union solved all the main problems in the military-industrial complex and received thousands of modern tanks, aircraft and artillery pieces. The army command staff had gained the necessary experience and already knew how to outplay the Nazi generals.
In mid-1944, the Red Army, which was part of Europe, was perhaps the most effective land military machine in the world. However, politics began to actively interfere in the campaign for the liberation of European peoples.
The Anglo-American troops that landed in Normandy sought not so much to help the USSR defeat Nazism as to prevent the “communist occupation” of the Old World. Moscow could no longer trust its allies with its plans and therefore acted proactively.
In the summer of 1944, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief determined two strategic directions of attack against the Nazis: northern (Warsaw - Berlin) and southern (Bucharest - Budapest - Vienna). The regions between the main wedges remained under Nazi control until mid-May 1945.
In particular, Czechoslovakia turned out to be such a territory. The liberation of the eastern part of the country - Slovakia - began with the crossing of the Red Army of the Carpathians in September 1944 and ended only eight months later.
In Moravia (the historical part of the Czech Republic), Soviet soldiers appeared on May 2-3, 1945, and on May 6, the Prague strategic operation began, as a result of which the capital of the state and almost the entire territory of Czechoslovakia were liberated. Large-scale hostilities continued until May 11-12.
- Soviet troops cross the border of Austria during the Great Patriotic War
- RIA Novosti
Rush to Prague
Prague was liberated later than Budapest (February 13), Vienna (April 13) and Berlin. The Soviet command was in a hurry to capture key cities in Eastern Europe and the German capital and thus move as far west as possible, realizing that the current allies could soon turn into ill-wishers.
The advance into Czechoslovakia was not of strategic importance until May 1945. In addition, the advance of the Red Army was slowed down by two factors. The first is the mountainous terrain, which sometimes negated the effect of the use of artillery, aircraft and tanks. The second is that the partisan movement in the republic was less massive than, for example, in neighboring Poland.
At the end of April 1945, the Red Army needed as soon as possible finish off the Nazis in the Czech Republic. Near Prague, the Germans guarded Army Groups “Center” and “Austria” in the amount of 62 divisions (more than 900 thousand people, 9,700 guns and mortars, over 2,200 tanks).
The German government, led by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, hoped to preserve the “Center” and “Austria” by surrendering to Anglo-American troops. Moscow was aware of the preparation by the allies of a secret plan for war with the USSR in the summer of 1945, called “The Unthinkable.”
To this end, Great Britain and the United States hoped to preserve as many Nazi units as possible. Naturally, the lightning defeat of the enemy group was in the interests of the Soviet Union. After a not without difficulty regrouping of forces and means, the Red Army launched several massive attacks on the “Center” and “Austria”.
Early in the morning of May 9, the 10th Guards Tank Corps of the 4th Guards Tank Army was the first to enter Prague. On May 10-11, Soviet troops completed the destruction of the main centers of resistance. In total, over almost a year of fighting in Czechoslovakia, 858 thousand enemy troops surrendered to the Red Army. USSR losses amounted to 144 thousand people.
- A Soviet tank is fighting in Prague. 1st Belorussian Front. 1945
- RIA Novosti
"Defense against the Russians"
Czechoslovakia was not the only country on whose territory fighting continued after May 9. In April 1945, Soviet and Yugoslav troops were able to clear most of Yugoslavia from Nazis and collaborators. However, the remnants of Army Group E (part of the Wehrmacht) managed to escape from the Balkan Peninsula.
The Red Army carried out the liquidation of Nazi formations on the territory of Slovenia and Austria from May 8 to May 15. In Yugoslavia itself, battles with Hitler's accomplices took place until about the end of May. Scattered resistance by Germans and collaborators in liberated Eastern Europe lasted about a month after the surrender.
The Nazis offered stubborn resistance to the Red Army on the Danish island of Bornholm, where infantrymen of the 2nd Belorussian Front landed on May 9 with fire support from the Baltic Fleet. The garrison, which, according to various sources, numbered from 15 thousand to 25 thousand people, hoped to hold out and surrender to the allies.
The commandant of the garrison, Captain 1st Rank Gerhard von Kamtz, sent a letter to the British command, which was stationed in Hamburg, asking for a landing on Bornholm. Von Kamptz emphasized that “until this time I am ready to hold the line against the Russians.”
On May 11, almost all the Germans capitulated, but 4,000 people fought with the Red Army until May 19. Exact quantity There are no known dead Soviet soldiers on the Danish island. You can find data on tens and hundreds of people killed. Some historians say that the British nevertheless landed on the island and fought with the Red Army.
This was not the first incident in which the Allies conducted joint operations with the Nazis. On May 9, 1945, German units stationed in Greece under the leadership of Major General Georg Bentack surrendered to General Preston's 28th Infantry Brigade, without waiting for the main British forces to arrive.
The British were locked in fighting with the Greek communists, who had banded together to form the People's Liberation Army ELAS. On May 12, the Nazis and the British launched an offensive against the partisan positions. It is known that German soldiers participated in the battles until June 28, 1945.
- British soldiers in Athens. December 1944
Foci of resistance
Thus, Moscow had every reason to doubt that the Allies would not support the Wehrmacht fighters who found themselves both on the front line and in the rear of the Red Army.
Military publicist and historian Yuri Melkonov noted that powerful Nazi groups in May 1945 were concentrated not only in the Prague area. The 300,000-strong German troops in Courland (western Latvia and part of East Prussia) posed a certain danger.
“German groups were scattered throughout Eastern Europe. In particular, large formations were located in Pomerania, Königsberg, and Courland. They tried to unite, taking advantage of the fact that the USSR threw its main forces at Berlin. However, despite the difficulties in supply, the Soviet troops defeated them one by one,” Melkonov told RT.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, between May 9 and May 17, the Red Army captured about 1.5 million enemy soldiers and officers and 101 generals.
Of these, 200 thousand people were accomplices of Hitler - mainly Cossack formations and soldiers of the Russian liberation army(ROA) former Soviet military leader Andrei Vlasov. However, not all collaborators were captured or killed in May 1945.
Fairly intense fighting in the Baltic states continued until 1948. It was not the Nazis who resisted the Red Army, but the Forest Brothers, an anti-Soviet partisan movement that emerged in 1940.
Another large-scale center of resistance was Western Ukraine, where anti-Soviet sentiments were strong. From February 1944, when the liberation of Ukraine was completed, until the end of 1945, nationalists carried out about 7,000 attacks and sabotage against the Red Army.
The combat experience gained while serving in various German formations allowed Ukrainian fighters to actively resist Soviet troops until 1953.
