Introduction
While at the end of the second world war, the battle of Berlin proved to be an influential act on the war. Lasting from the April 16 to May 2 1945 the battle involves the Soviet Union fighting against German forces, which led to the collapse of Nazi Germany. In this blog post, the author will focus on the characteristics, importance, main phases of the battle, and influence on the outcome of World War II Battle of Berlin.
Background
Towards the end of the second world war and more particularly by early 1945 Germany was in a very bad military and politically. The Allies were pressing from several directions, and Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich was preparing for its demise. The Battle of Berlin was the last and the largest in the series of operations on the East that took place.
Key Events
1. Soviet Offensive
It has been initiated by Marshal Georgy Zhukov’s enormous Soviet attack against the Germans that defended the town. Such tactic worked so well as the Red Army advancing with thousands of tanks and artillery support broke through the German defenses.
2. Street-to-Street Fighting
When the Soviet forces entered deeper into Berlin, house-to-house fighting began.Subsequently, as the fighting drew deeper into Berlin, street fighting occurred. The German defenders, comprising of the S.s units and Hitler youth offered stiff resistance leading to a high knock down both ways.
3. The Fall of the Reichstag
Which of the sights is associated with the Battle of Berlin, perhaps, each will remember the penetration into the building of the German parliament called the Reichstag. Soviet soldiers reportedly waved a victorious Soviet flag on top of the Reichstag building during the win over Nazi Germany.
4. Hitler’s Death
Replacing the name for the year 1945 into a calendar format, we are reminded that on the 30th of April the leader of Germany, Adolf Hitler, committed suicide as Soviet advances encroached on his bunker. This event was a turning point and effected morale of the German defenders.
5. German Surrender
German general Helmuth Weidling surrendered the last of the German forces in the city when Hitler was dead and Berlin on May,2, 1945. The final stage of the war for the control of Germany’s capital was marked officially as the end of war in Europe.
Significance
The Battle of Berlin had several key implications for World War II and its aftermath:
- From it, Nazi Germany was fully vanquished and the German armed forces unconditionally surrended.
- It demonstated the force of Soviet army and their capacity for the destruction of elaborate fortifications.
- Soviet capture of Berlin led to the split of Germany into East and West thus the beginning of Cold War.
- Pugachev’s Campaign: Battle of Berlin remained the last acts of Holocaust, having found concentration camps in liberated Berlin.
Conclusion
The Berlin battle was a key point and the war in Europe came to an end as Nazi Germany was defeated. It should be emphasized that the battle under discussion is significant not only because it develops a military victory but because of various consequences affordable to Germany and all considered geopolitics. When the Battle of Berlin is being explained, one can come to value the events that led to such a battle, as well as the outcomes that took place during one of the most crucial battles in history.