The Russian Army Captures Berlin (20 abr 1945 ano – 20 abr 1945 ano)

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On May 2, 1945, the Russian Army successfully captured Berlin by attacking from the north, east, and south with a massive army of over 1.5 million soldiers. Both the Belorussian and the Ukrainian fronts met to surround the city in a nearly unprecedented display of military power. The attack on the city began on April 20th and resulted in Hitler's suicide in the Eagle's Nest on April 30th. Just two days later, General Helmuth Weidling (the garrison commander) surrendered the city to the Russians. Within five days, all of the armies of the Third Reich collapsed and surrendered ("Battle of Berlin").

The battle was brutal and saw steep casualties on both sides; the Germans feared reprisal for their war crimes during the invasion of Russia. The Russians did not disappoint, and they destroyed much of the city while raping and killing a significant portion of the civilian population. The Hitler Youth supported the Nazi defense effort, and one battalion sent into combat had an average age of just 14 years old. On the other hand, Soviet Marshals Ivan Konev and Georgy Zhukov risked and suffered enormous casualties in their own personal race to capture the city first ("Battle of Berlin"). Stalin was determined to capture Berlin, and these two generals made the race to the Reichstag their personal competition and ambition ("Zhukov: the Soviet General). This race foreshadowed one that would run for decades: the Cold war itself. Following the invasion of Russia, Russia installed leftist, communist governments in many countries in Eastern Europe, which led to extreme political tension with the United States of America ("Cold War").

-- Jonathan Gerkin

Works Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ivan Stepanovich Konev". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivan-Stepanovich-Konev. Accessed 24 January 2025.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Cold War". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War. Accessed 24 January 2025.

Swift, John. "Battle of Berlin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Berlin. Accessed 24 January 2025.

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