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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3
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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.
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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
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