The Battle of Berlin, April–May 1945

Abstract

This chapter examines a unique urban operation conducted on a colossal scale. Nearly 3 million combatants on both sides fought in and around a relatively small city of 2.8 million. It considers the geostrategic importance of Berlin and why it was the key objective to end the war. It looks at the geography, people, and character of the city and how the Soviets applied lessons learned from Stalingrad and Kursk to achieve their inexorable advance west. It highlights the tragedy of this fight to the death for the defenders and the local population, the retributive nature of the Soviet advance, including the mass rape of German women, but set against the enormous Soviet casualties and the German atrocities in the east. It concludes with a brief description of the aftermath and identifies five important lessons.