Berlin's Final Stand

On April 16th 1945 the Battle of Berlin started; it was the final major battle of WW2 in Europe. Fought between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany it marked the end of the Nazi regime.

The Soviet Union had been advancing towards Berlin since early 1945, and they had already captured much of Eastern Germany. By April 1945, the Red Army had surrounded Berlin and was ready to launch a massive assault on the city.

The Germans had been preparing for the Soviet attack for months. They had built extensive fortifications and had stockpiled weapons and ammunition. However, the German troops were outnumbered and outgunned by the Soviet forces, who had far more tanks, artillery, and aircraft.

The battle began with a massive artillery bombardment by the Soviets. The German defenders launched a desperate counter attack, but they were eventually overwhelmed by the sheer force of the Soviet assault. The Soviets used their tanks to smash through German defenses, while infantry units cleared out buildings and other fortified positions.

The fighting was brutal and intense. The Germans fought fiercely, but they were eventually forced to retreat. The Soviet forces pushed deeper into the city, and by April 30, they had captured the Reichstag, the German parliament building. On May 1, 1945, Soviet forces raised the Soviet flag over the Reichstag, symbolizing their victory over Nazi Germany. The battle of Berlin had ended, but the war in Europe would continue for a few more weeks until the Germans officially surrendered on May 8, 1945.

The Battle of Berlin was one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, killing or wounding almost half a million people and it marked the end of the Nazi regime. The battle was a turning point in the war, and it showed the world that the Soviet Union was a major military power; sowing the seeds of the Cold War that would follow.