The Battle of Berlin was one of the great last actions of the Second World War in Europe, that is why is important to remember. It was fought in the spring of ’45 that forms the backdrop of the final collapse of the Third Reich. Now let’s look closer at what exactly happened as for when this decisive battle started and main events that led to liberation of Berlin.
The Start of the Battle
The battle of Berlin started on the 16 April, 1945. This was to signal the beginning of the Soviet thrust into the German capital to take control of the city and the entire eastern Europe region. During World War II, the Soviet Union’s Red Army under Marshal Georgy Zhukov, began a huge attack against the well-fortified German positions.
The Soviet Offensive
Owing to a giant 2.5 million strong combat force, the Red Army began a two-fronted assault on Berlin. Their move was however checked by german military as other german forces bitterly confront their capital. Applying to the Soviets the experience gathered in the urban warfare they found themselves in an extremely difficult theater of operations with each street and building providing the Germans with natural defenses.
The fighting in the Soviet’s attack being mostly on the streets and also involving constant shelling. SS forces and tanks attacked in a number of directions, destroying many German strong points and gradually creeping forward on one sector after another of Stalingrad. What they faced soon became a desperate and without any mercy fight for position as Soviets moved in towards their prey.
The Fall of Berlin
When the Soviets were pushing their way further into Berlin, the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler knew that the time was up. In his shelter under the city of Berlin, Hitler committed suicide, the act that marked the death of the Nazis. On 30th April, 1945, Hitler gored his own throat after giving a final speech to his military commanders; this is in contradiction to some literature that he shot himself before biting a cyanide capsule which was to be followed by having his head shattered by a bullet fired by his secretary Josef, Hitler’s bride, Eva Braun died by poison.
At the same time, Soviet forces pressed their advance on Berlin, meeting stiffening German defense as the city’s enemy forces fell back. The German defender commander General Helmuth Weidling and his men capitulated in Berlin on May 2, 1945. This surrender indeed brought the battle of Berlin to its conclusion.
The Aftermath
When Berlin fell, it was only a matter of days before Germany thoroughly surrendered unconditionally. The defeat became official when on 7th of May 1945 General Alfred Jodl signed German Instrument of surrender. World War II was an unfortunate event in human history and Berlin of great importance in this war.
There was no doubt as to the gravity of the ramifications that were consequent to the Battle of Berlin. Joan widening of WW2 the capture of Nazi German and Berlin made a great ending of the war in Europe. It also prepared the ground for further division of Berlin and Germany into the east and the West and made the city centre of tension within the Cold War period.
The Legacy
The Battle of Berlin is an important historical event indeed, because it reflects the end of Nazi Germany and victory of the Allies. War endure scarifies of individual and group bravery; people form both sides of conflict remain indomitable. Few personal experiences illustrate the grim reality of the horror of war better than the battle and the later struggle for freedom from the oppression reminded people about the origins of the war.
In conclusion to this therefore we realize that the Battle of Berlin begun on April 16, 1945 and ended on May 2nd 1945 when the Germans finally surrendered. It is over the period of this major confrontation between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany that Berlin fell and with it the World War II in Europe. It is impossible to overstate the important of the Battle of Berlin to history; it remained a symbol of the valour of forces involved.
Table of Contents
