Battle of Berlin:
On 2 May 1945:
The Battle of Berlin marked the end of World War Two in Europe. The Battle for Berlin, along with the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic and D-Day, was important in the European sector. It was fought between April and May 1945, and the Russian victory saw the end of Hitler's Third Reich. It also effected the occupation of the city by the Red Army before it was divided into four as a result of the wartime meetings between the Allies.
Both men had just forty-eight hours to come up with a draft plan. After weeks of heavy fighting, they had hoped to be able to stop, rest, re-equip and reinforce their commands before the start of the next big offensive in May. They would use over 140 searchlights to blind the defenders and almost 10,000 artillery pieces in a short sharp barrage of 30 minutes. Concealment was a real problem for Zhukov as the initial assault elements of the front (which contained four field and two tank armies, with another four field armies supporting the flanks) was packed into the small bridgehead and spring had come late this year with many trees still leafless and the ground sodden. Koniev on the other hand prepared to attack under cover of darkness with a barrage that would last 145 minutes. The Soviets deployed one gun for every thirteen feet of front. The targets for the bombardment and initial assaults were targeted with as much precision as possible, but despite extensive aerial and ground reconnaissance.
Europe would never be the same again. Despite years of Cold War tension, the continent would remain free of war for decades to come, unprecedented in European history. Crucially, by the time that Germany re-emerged as a single and united nation in 1990, the megalomania that had brought death and destruction to the continent in the first half of the century had been well and truly purged.
The Russians lost 80,000 men killed. There were 275,000 wounded or missing in the lead up to the battle and in the battle itself. Two thousand Russian tanks were destroyed. 150,000 Germans were killed during the battle.
On 2 May 1945:
The Battle of Berlin marked the end of World War Two in Europe. The Battle for Berlin, along with the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic and D-Day, was important in the European sector. It was fought between April and May 1945, and the Russian victory saw the end of Hitler's Third Reich. It also effected the occupation of the city by the Red Army before it was divided into four as a result of the wartime meetings between the Allies.
Both men had just forty-eight hours to come up with a draft plan. After weeks of heavy fighting, they had hoped to be able to stop, rest, re-equip and reinforce their commands before the start of the next big offensive in May. They would use over 140 searchlights to blind the defenders and almost 10,000 artillery pieces in a short sharp barrage of 30 minutes. Concealment was a real problem for Zhukov as the initial assault elements of the front (which contained four field and two tank armies, with another four field armies supporting the flanks) was packed into the small bridgehead and spring had come late this year with many trees still leafless and the ground sodden. Koniev on the other hand prepared to attack under cover of darkness with a barrage that would last 145 minutes. The Soviets deployed one gun for every thirteen feet of front. The targets for the bombardment and initial assaults were targeted with as much precision as possible, but despite extensive aerial and ground reconnaissance.
Europe would never be the same again. Despite years of Cold War tension, the continent would remain free of war for decades to come, unprecedented in European history. Crucially, by the time that Germany re-emerged as a single and united nation in 1990, the megalomania that had brought death and destruction to the continent in the first half of the century had been well and truly purged.
The Russians lost 80,000 men killed. There were 275,000 wounded or missing in the lead up to the battle and in the battle itself. Two thousand Russian tanks were destroyed. 150,000 Germans were killed during the battle.