BATTLE FOR BERLIN MAY 1945 BOOK SHOP BATTLES TIMELINE WEAPONS BLOG FULL INDEX CONCEPTS COUNTRY DOCUMENTS PICTURES MAPS FOLLOW TWEET INTRODUCTION ALLIED PLANS DECEPTION OFFENSIVE PLANNED OPERATION BERLIN BERLIN UNDER SIEGE REICHSTAG SIGHT AFTERMATH BIBLIOGRAPHY READING APPENDIX SOVIET ORDER OF BATTLE FOR THE BATTLE GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE FOR THE FINAL BATTLE THE WORLD WAR CERTAINLY CONCLUDING CULMINATION THE SOVIET UNION STRATEGIC INITIATIVE AWAY THE GERMANS AFTER THE BATTLE KURSK MOTHER RUSSIA EASTERN AUGUST 1944 REACHED WARSAW FAILED LEND ASSISTANCE THE POLISH HOME ARMY AS IT ROSE DECIMATED ARMY GROUP CENTRE IN OPERATION CAPTURED BUCHAREST ON 31 THE REST SPENT EAST POMERANIA THE BALTIC STATES ADVANCE THE RIVER VISTULA ODER SAW THE SOVIETS CLEARING GERMAN FORCES ADMIRAL KARL DNITZ SEABORNE EVACUATION CIVILIANS MILITARY PERSONNEL SOVIET PREMIER JOSEF STALIN THE MAJOR PRIZE FEARED THE RED ARMY MIGHT BE BEATEN FIELD MARSHAL BERNARD 21ST ARMY GROUP HOLLAND NORTH GERMANY GERMAN RESISTANCE IN THE WEST MORE OR LESS FAILURE THE ARDENNES OFFENSIVE DECEMBER 1944 ARMY GROUP B THE RUHR POCKET THIS WAS GENERAL DWIGHT CHANGE OF MIND IN SEPTEMBER BELIEF IN LETTER PRINCIPLE SUBORDINATE MONTGOMERY GENERAL OMAR BRADLEY NO DOUBT IN MY MIND SHOULD ENERGIES RESOURCES RAPID THRUST DESIRE MOVE ON DIRECT SUPREME COMMANDER DECIDE NECESSARY TO GO PLAN ORGANISE THE OPERATION FINISH EXISTED CROSSING THE RHINE SAME TIME SOMETHING THE US 9TH ARMY ARMY 12TH ARMY REAL PLAN FOR WHAT WAS TO AFTERWARDS STRATEGY ALWAYS BROAD FRONT LACK DECISION WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ONCE THE ALLIED REJOINED FRONT AREA APART NOTION EASTWARD BRITISH VIEWED THE CENTRAL OBJECTIVE THE ONES TO THE NORTH ALREADY ORDERS ENCIRCLEMENT BRITISH 2ND ARMIES MAXIMUM SPEED ELBE HAMBURG MAGDEBURG THE CANADIAN EISENHOWER EFFECTIVELY DEMOLISHED COMMAND ORDER HELP MOPPING OPERATIONS ERFURT LEIPZIG NORTHERN FLANK JACOB DEVERS 6TH ARMY SOUTHERN THUS THE WESTERN ADVANCE IN THE CENTRE BRADLEY MEET THE SOVIET CUT GERMANY NOTHING GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION NEVER PURPOSE DESTROY THE ENEMY POWER EASY IN LIGHT FACT MILES LESS THAN CHANCE BREAKING OUT COHERENT DEFENSIVE LINE HITLER MIGHT RETIRE AUSTRIAN MOUNTAINS MONTHS SO EASY UNDERSTAND MILITARY OPERATIONS BE IN PURSUIT POLITICAL THEREFORE IN LINE CLAUSEWITZ DICTUM WAR CONTINUATION STATE POLICY IMPORTANCE SUDDENLY COMPLETE TURNABOUT PRONOUNCED THE ONE MILITARY OBJECTIVE THE GERMAN RESIST CAPTURE DEMISE ADOLF THE PLEASURE COMMUNICATION SENT THE COMBINED CHIEFS OF STAFF BRITISH CHIEFS OF STAFF MOSCOW EQUAL TO UPSET THOUGHT FIRSTLY COMMUNICATING USURPED THE AUTHORITY PRESIDENT FRANKLIN PRIME MINISTER WINSTON GOVERNMENTS SECONDLY THE THREAT NATIONAL REDOUBT BAVARIA AUSTRIA EXAGGERATED THIRDLY THE BALTIC NORTH SEA PORTS GREATER DANGERS THE LIBERATION OF DENMARK NORWAY SUBSTANTIAL ENEMY HARBOUR ENEMIES LAST MAIN POINT CHURCHILL SYMPATHY PRESTIGE WASHINGTON MOMENT HIGH VITAL THE BEST POINTS CONTACT THE CHANGE THE AXIS THE DRIVE PARAMOUNT THE RAPID ALLIES SURPRISED PSYCHOLOGICAL DESPAIR RESISTANCE THE FALL OF BERLIN ENDING THE CURRENT BEGINNINGS GOING BACK ON THINGS YALTA HAD TO FAR EAST POSSIBLE COMBINED CHIEFS OF STAFF WRITING COMMENTS LESS CONCERNED POSTWAR DESTRUCTION SOLDIERS INCLINATION THE WAR FORESIGHT MILITARY NAIVETY INDEED SO MUCH REPLY TO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER EXCEPTION WESTERN ALLIES THE LINE STRATEGIC SOVIET FORCES BEGIN THE SECOND HALF REINFORCING EASTERN FRONT 6TH SS PANZER ARMY DIVISIONS ITALY OBVIOUS IN FACT DELIBERATE STALIN HIDE REALLY PLANNING SOVIET THE COMMUNIST DOMINATION EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE ENTERING IN REALITY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS BORE MESSAGE CONFERENCE MARSHAL GEORGI ZHUKOV IVAN KONIEV 1ST UKRAINIAN FRONT OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE ASKED READ TELEGRAM OPERATION THE ELBE FAULTY INTELLIGENCE OPEN COMMANDERS IMMEDIATELY SOUTH ABLE ASSAULT CAPITAL DEGREE REDEPLOYMENT STOKE RIVALRY OPERATIONAL BOUNDARY DRAWN GUBEN NEISSE MICHENDORF SCHNEBECK ERASED LBBEN SPREE AFTER THIS WHATEVER UP TO WHOEVER CRACK THE 2ND KONSTANTIN ROKOSSOVSKY ENGAGED EAST PRUSSIA CONTINUE SOON PRACTICABLE THE SOUTH RODION UKRAINIAN CZECHOSLOVAKIA 3RD UKRAINIAN FRONT FEDOR DRIVE WEST HUNGARY THEATRES HOURS TO COME DRAFT WEEKS HEAVY REINFORCE START THE NEXT MOVE IN BERLIN THE TASK WHOSE BRIDGEHEAD KSTRIN SEARCHLIGHTS BLIND THE DEFENDERS ALMOST ARTILLERY PIECES SHORT SHARP BARRAGE REAL PROBLEM INITIAL ELEMENTS THE FRONT FIELD TANK FIELD ARMIES PACKED SPRING TREES THE GROUND ON THE OTHER HAND ATTACK UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS GUN FOR EVERY THIRTEEN FEET TARGETS BOMBARDMENT ASSAULTS PRECISION AERIAL GROUND RECONNAISSANCE MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE APRIL 1945 ATTACKED THE 16TH PROVED WALKOVER CRITICAL POSITION ARMY GROUP VISTULA ILLUSIONS BREAKTHROUGH ARMY GROUP THE END HIMMLER VETERAN EXPERT PULLED THE FORWARD POSITIONS THE ATTACK THE ARTILLERY EMPTY LIT UP TANKS INFANTRY RAKE FURIOUS ATTEMPT MOBILE GUARDS STAVKA FIERCE GERMAN HELMUTH LVI PANZER CORPS ARMOURED FORCES BREAKOUT TOO MUCH THEODOR BUSSE DEFENDING CRACKED LINES TAKEN MNCHEBERG 2ND BYELORUSSIAN FRONT FORCING