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The Fall of Berlin Judy S, Kim H, Bella G, Aidan M Thesis The attack initiated on Germany’s capital, Berlin; by the Soviets, under the leadership of Zhukov and Konev, surrounded the city of Berlin and obliterated it. While Heinrici’s control of the Army Group Vistula helped slow the impending attack, he was given orders and to fight until death—which he ignored—and was relieved of duty, leading to the Reichstag’s fall from the Soviet attack. The collapse of Berlin, along with Germany’s surrender, marked the end of the Nazi regime and the end of World War II with the Soviet Union and Allies victorious. People Involved Zhukov: Led the attack on Berlin Konev: Led Red Army troops on the Eastern Front Hitler: Führer, went into hiding in the Führerbunker and committed suicide Göring: Tried to take command of Nazi Germany, and was released after hitler died Goebbels: Went to the Führerbunker with Hitler, and committed suicide Himmler: Commanded Germany’s Eastern Front until Heinrici took command Heinrici: Succeeded Himmler as commander of the Army Group Vistula, the failed to follow orders Hermann Göring vs. Rudolph Wegener (Carsten Norgaard) from The Man From the High Castle Battle of Berlin Overview ● It was fought between April and May 1945 ● Although the Reichstag was not the center of command for the Nazis, it was symbolic of it, so the goal of the Soviets was to remove that symbol of the German people ● Over two million artillery shells were fired into Berlin and the surrounding area in three weeks. ● Russia’s vast tank superiority counted for little in the debris ridden streets of Berlin. ● May 2nd 1945, Berlin surrendered to the Russians and the war in Europe all but ended. Germany unconditionally surrendered on May 7th. Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front ● The army had some trouble because Hitler changed the Eastern Front’s leader from Himmler to Col Gen G. Heinrici ○ This caused a delay which made Stalin really mad ● Stalin ordered Konev to direct his armoured forces at Berlin so it result with two Soviet Fronts advancing for the city. ● By April 20th, the German forces defending outer Berlin were overrun by Zhukov’s Front ● On April 23, Stalin agreed that Zhukov won the race to Berlin, and all of Berlin was surrounded by April 25th ● Over 30,000 Germans were transported westward hoping to surrender to America and not Russia Gotthard Heinrici Army Group Vistula ● The Army Group Vistula was comprised of Army Group A (shattered in the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive), Army Group Centre (destroyed on the East Prussian Offensive), and a variety of new formations ○ This was to protect Berlin from advancing Soviet forces from the Vistula River ● Before the Battle of Berlin, Heinrici had gained command of the 4th Army ○ He learned successful defence strategies against the Soviets, this included: ■ Withdrawing and counterattacking advancing forces ● In Aug 1944, Heinrici became commander of the 1st Panzer Army ● In March 1945, he succeeded Himmler as Army Group Vistula ○ He was given orders by Hitler to hold Berlin at all costs, but he refused, and was relieved of his command on 28th April 1945 ● After the war he became a prisoner of war by the British, but was released in 1948 ● Attacked by aircrafts from the Red Air Force, as Soviet forces closed on the city. ● British bombers dropped 46,000 tons of bombs ● Americans dropped 23,000 tons of bombs Berlin’s fortifications ● Lack of resources. ● The Germans used building and rubble for counterattacks. ● The Reichstag had some obstacles that the Soviets had to get through before making it there, they included: ○ Water filled antitank ditches and trenches ○ Lots of guns ○ The Reichstag was heavily fortified ● Germany’s last defence was the Volkssturm ,which consisted of old men, children and women. ● General Wenck-leader of the 12th Army-leads a counter-offensive attack against the Soviets ● His army is eventually halted by the Soviets Soviets ● Total of three fronts called 2nd Byelorussian Front-led by Rokossovsky, 1st Byelorussian Front-led by Zhukov, and the 1st Ukrainian Front led by Konev. ● As the Red Army pushed across Poland to the River Oder they could muster a very strong fighting force. ● Joseph Stalin had effectively ordered his two leading generals – Zhukov and Konev – to race to the German capital. ● Russian victory saw the end of Hitler’s Third Reich. ● Berlin surrendered to Marshal Zhukov, who received the honour of being the conqueror of Berlin. Soviet Treatment of the Surrendered “Those who were forced to surrender to the Soviets knew what lay ahead of them: the Siberian gulags (the last German pows were released in 1954). It was a fate shared by civilians as well — not only were men and boys shipped back east to replenish the labor supply, but also women and girls who “were marched off to the Soviet Union for forced labor ‘in forests, peat bogs and canals for fifteen to sixteen hours a day.’ A little over half of them died in the following two years. Of the survivors, just under half had been raped.” (Beevor) Statistics Germany Russia Soldiers 596,500 1,670,000 (20 armies) Artillery 8,230 28,000 Tanks 700 3,300-6,300 Aircraft 1,300 8,500-10,000 Russians: 80,000 men killed and 275,000 wounded or missing 2,000 Russian tanks were destroyed. Germans: 150,000 were killed during the battle. First Hand Accounts ● “We started to fire at the masses,' says one former German machine gunner. 'They weren't human beings for us. It was a wall of attacking beasts who were trying to kill us. You yourself were no longer human.' There was confusion all around. According to one Russian veteran, Soviet artillery was fired without proper guidance, killing scores of Red Army soldiers” (Remme) ● “Friday, April 20, was Hitler's fifty-sixth birthday, and the Soviets sent him a birthday present in the form of an artillery barrage right into the heart of the city, while the Western Allies joined in with a massive air raid”(Remme). One of the Last Soviet Soldiers to Storm the Nazi Reichstag “Nikolay’s regiment began its invasion of the Reichstag in the early morning of the last day of April in 1945. Stalin declared that it was in the hands of the Soviet Red Army the next day so the USSR’s May Day parades could celebrate the victory across the country. Even though Stalin had made the announcement, the actual fighting to take the building continued all day on the 30th of April and on through to the early morning of the 1st of May. Even when the troops erected the Red Flag over the building, there was still fighting going on inside.” Adolf Hitler’s death ● Hitler moved into the Führerbunker, this was below the Chancellery buildings in Berlin ● Hitler claimed the Reich was a failure and how there was nothing left for him to do but to stay in Berlin and fight till the end ● Left authority to Admiral Dönitz, Goebbels, and Bormann ● Hitler and his wife then went into their private quarters Several moments later a gunshot was heard. Goebbels entered and found the body of Hitler on the sofa, with a gunshot to his head. ● Eva Braun died from swallowing poison. Joseph Goebbels’ death ● He was to become one of Hitler’s successors, and become Chancellor, The day after Hitler committed suicide, Goebbels took his own life ● Put their children to sleep (drugged them) then poisoned the six children ● Ordered the SS officers to shoot him and his wife Magda ● They had their bodies burned afterwards Himmler’s death ● Himmler was secretly proposing the surrender of German troops to the west ● He was captured by British soldiers, he used the name Heinrich Hitzinger to cover his identity ● He was searched and they found two cyanide phials were found, but as a doctor was examining him he bit down on another hidden in his tooth, and died Göring’s letter to hitler "My Führer! In view of your decision to remain in the fortress of Berlin, do you agree that I take over at once the total leadership of the Reich, with full freedom of action at home and abroad as your deputy, in accordance with your decree of June 29, 1941? If no reply is received by 10 o'clock tonight, I shall take it for granted that you have lost your freedom of action, and shall consider the conditions of your decree as fulfilled, and shall act for the best interests of our country and our people..." Hermann Göring’s death ● When Hitler committed suicide, he was released, and he went to find American troops to surrender ● At the Nürnberg Trials, he refused taking part in any of the nazi activities, but was still sentenced to death ○ He asked to be shot instead of being hanged, but they didn't allow it ● On the day of the planned execution he took a cyanide capsule Gotthard Heinrici Death ● Between 28 May , 1945 and May 19, 1948, he was taken captive by british troops. ● After, he was released back into the world. ● He died sometime between 10-13 Dec 1971 Results ● 4 May 1945 General Kinzel and Admiral H. G. von Friedeburg signed the surrender paperwork relating to german forces in the Netherlands, Northwest Germany, Friesian Islands, Heligoland and Schleswig-Holstein. ● The final documents signed by Field Marshal Keitel (Wehrmacht), Admiral Friedeburg (Kriegsmarine) and General Stumpff (Luftwaffe) appeared before Marshal Zhukov, General de Lattre de Tassigny, Tedder and Spaatz. ○ This marked the end of the european part of WW2 on 8 May 1945 ● The Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) was formed in 1945, it is the largest political party in Germany Timeline April April April April April April May 1st, May 2nd, May 7- Oct 15th, 16th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, 26th, 1945 30th, 1945 1945 8th, 1945 1946 1945 1945 1945 1945 1945 -Stalin -Hitler’s -Berlin’s -Soviet - -Soviets - -Berlin -German -Göring released Birthday suburbs forces American take over Himmler, surrenders forces commits his armies -Massive fall surround and Soviet Reichstag his wife -The war officially suicide with the air raids, the city, Armies -Hitler Magda in Europe surrender objective and a slowly meet at and his and their officially to capture Soviet take over the Elbe newly six kids ends Berlin union Nazi River.
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