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THE FALL OF BERLIN 243

BERLIN

Ministry of

the Interior

(Gestapo)

Humboldt

Basin

Tiergarten

Hitler’s

bunker

Spr

ee

R

iv

er

Brandenburg

Gate

Reichstag

Lehrter

Station

Hall of

Congress

Reichs

Chancellery

18th

Panzergrenadier

3rd

Shock

Army

8th Guards Army

1st Ukrainian

Front

THE FALL OF BERLIN

In April 1945, the city of Berlin—already devastated by two years of Allied bombing—faced

an overwhelming Red Army advance that drove the war in Europe to its bloody finale. The

human cost was vast on both sides as vengeful Soviet troops attacked the German capital.

APR 15 ,1945 APR 20 APR 25 APR 30 MAY 5 MAY 10

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1

TIMELINE

GERMANY OVERRUN

Prevented from escaping westwards due to the

advancing British and American armies, Germany’s

remaining armies were overwhelmed by the Red Army

in just a few weeks from April to May 1945. By the time

Berlin surrendered on May 2, Hitler had already been

dead for two days.

KEY

British and

US forces

Soviet forces

German forces

By mid-April 1945, the Red Army had amassed 2.5 million troops,

6,000 tanks, and more than 40,000 artillery pieces along the Oder

and Neisse Rivers in preparation for their final assault on Berlin.

Caught between the advancing British and American armies to

the west and the Red Army’s 200 divisions to the east were around

1 million German soldiers and 1,500 tanks. Many of the German

soldiers were sick, wounded, or starving, but found themselves

motivated to fight by their fear of what the Red Army might do

in retribution for the millions of Soviet soldiers killed in the war.

Wishing to avoid a clash between the US and the Soviets,

Eisenhower told Stalin that the US would not advance on Berlin.

Stalin did not believe this and sped up his plans, pitting two

generals—Konev and Zhukov—against each other in a race for

the capital. Following a massive artillery bombardment of the city,

the Red Army surrounded Berlin by April 25. Hitler, hiding in his

bunker, pinned his hopes on a planned counterattack by his 9th

and 12th Armies. It never came. Instead, the Red Army closed in

and, as it tightened its grip on the city center, Hitler and Goebbels

committed suicide. Berlin surrendered to the Soviets on May 2, and

five days later the war in Europe was over.

HITLER’S FATE APRIL 30, 1945

As the Soviets closed in on his bunker beneath the

Reichs Chancellery, Hitler raged, blaming his generals

for the encroaching defeat. Just after midnight on April

29, he married his mistress, Eva Braun, and finalized

his will. The next day, Hitler shot himself and Braun

took cyanide. Goebbels became the Chancellor of

Germany, but on May 1, he, too, committed suicide.

With the high command fleeing, dead, or captured,

Weidling was left to negotiate with the Soviets.

6

Site of Hitler’s suicide in underground bunker

Soviet attacks

BATTLE IN THE CITY APRIL 29 –MAY 2, 1945

Berlin’s defense was left to a muddled group of 100,000

men and boys commanded by General Helmuth

Weidling. They could not prevent the Soviet soldiers

from crossing the Spree River on April 29 and taking

the Ministry of the Interior and Gestapo headquarters.

By April 30, the Soviets controlled the Reichstag,

and Weidling was running short of ammunition. The

remnants of the Berlin garrison tried to escape the city

and surrender to the Americans, but only a handful

made it. On May 2, Soviet troops captured the Reichs

Chancellery and the city surrendered.

5

FINAL DAYS IN BERLIN

In the last days of the Battle of Berlin,

the Soviets stormed the heart of Nazi

government while beneath the city

streets, the drama of Hitler’s final

days played out.

Apr 30 Hitler and Eva

Braun commit suicide in

his underground bunker.

Their bodies are taken

above ground and burned.

Apr 29 Soviet soldiers capture

the Gestapo headquarters

before being forced out by a

Waffen-SS counterattack.

Apr 29–May 2

Heavy fighting takes

place in the Tiergarten.

Apr 28

The 3rd Shock

Army crosses the

Moltke bridge.

Apr 30–May 1 The

Soviets fight their way

into the Reichstag.

Apr 15

Apr 18

Apr 25

German defensive lines ALLIED TERRITORIAL GAINS

Front lines of German

counterattacks

German territory, 28 Apr

Apr 28

Urban

areas

US_242-243_Fall_of_Berlin.indd 243 22/03/19 2:40 PM