The Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin marked the end of WWII in Europe;however it was not the last battle. It was fought between April and May 1945 and the Russian Victory saw the end of Hitler's Third Reich. Russians in Berlin put both the young and old on the front line . 45,000 of Berlins defenders were either children or old age pensioners. Germans were issued with portable anti- tank weaponry and could use hit and run tactics against russian tanks. 80,000 Russian men were killed and 275,000 wounded or missing. 150,000 Germans were killed. The Battle of Berlin was known to the Soviets as the "Berlin Offensive Operation." Two Soviet groups attacked Berlin from the east and south and a third took over German forces from the north. Soviet forces sustained 20,000–25,000 dead in the city and 81,116 for the entire operation. Berlin's defenses were built in a series of rings emanating from the city center. The outer defense ring was 25 miles from the city's center and was a basic defense line in the east. The next defense line was an obstacle belt blocking all road junctions to the north and south of the city.Then was an outer defense ring extending about 60 miles and was prepared with fallback positions. The outskirts were also barracaded with a continuous anti tanks ditch. The most effective defense ring was the the Citadelle in the center of the city. All side streets were closed to prevent vehicle movement and cellars and upper storeys of building were used as strong points. Citadelle contained the three large flak towers which were used to aid anti aircraft batteries. April 21st the first Russian artillery landed in Berlin. April 26- First Series of Bridge Demolitions took place to slow the russians April 27- to the southwest of the city the airport at Gatow fell April 28-the 2nd Guards Tank Army's 79th Rifle Corps caught first glimpse of Reichstag Building April 30- By the morning, Russian forces had expanded the bridgehead on the southern side of the Moltke Bridge At 3:00 that day Hitler committed suicied and by 5:00 efforts were put towards contacting the Russians to negotiate surrender terms At 6:00 the attacks were finally stopped with an attempt to break into the Reichstage and raise a banner before the May Day celebration at Moscow May 1st - General Weidling assembled the comanders of the defence zone to agree that surrender negotiations should soon begin with the Russians. May 2- All troops would accept surrender at 7:00 and all fighting would cease at 1:00 that day "The esteem that the battle carried with STAVKA is shown by the fact that over six hundred officers and men received the honour 'Hero of the Soviet Union' for their actions in Berlin. Success in Berlin marked the virtual end of the conflict on the eastern front and marked the beginning of the reshaping of Europe as the city and the country were divided amongst the victors" (http://www.theeasternfront.co.uk/battles/battlesberlin.htm).
"Catastrophe was inevitable, if the Fuhrer did not reverse his decision to defend Berlin to the last man, sacrificing all who were left alive in the city for the sake of a crazy ideal. The struggle was devoid of all sense or purpose'' (General Weidling, April 29th).