Which allied nation captured Berlin in 1945?

The Soviet Union and its Red Army captured Berlin in 1945. The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European theater of World War II. Only the Soviet Red Army and, to a much more lesser extent, Polish soldiers, took down and captured Berlin, the citadel of Nazism. Sole credit for Berlin's capture is now given to the Soviet Union. Later in time American, British and French zones of occupation were added.

The final chapter in the destruction of Hitler's Third Reich began on April 16, 1945 when Stalin unleashed the brutal power of 20 armies, 6,300 tanks and 8,500 aircraft with the objective of crushing German resistance and capturing Berlin. By prior agreement, the Allied armies (positioned approximately 60 miles to the west) halted their advance on the city in order to give the Soviets a free hand. The depleted German forces put up a stiff defense, initially repelling the attacking Russians, but ultimately succumbing to overwhelming force on or about April 23, 1945.

Before the Battle of Berlin was over, German Führer Adolf Hitler and some of his followers committed suicide. The city's defenders surrendered on May 2, 1945 but fighting continued to the north west, west, and south west of the city until the end of the war in Europe on May 8 as German units fought westward so that they could surrender to the Western Allies rather than to the Soviets.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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33 Comments

Michael Doherty

Like, Saby, Cari, you need to spend a day in a library. That’s the building in your town where they keep lots of books.

Florence McKenna Hiscock

Gen. Patton wasn't happy to take a back seat on that one.

David Holmes

Seems that more than a few people don't know much about Modern History.

John W Shreve

David Hunt, The Soviets only had to fight a one front war. The U.S. and Great Britain kept them supplied. Without the Allies keeping the Germans busy in France, Italy, and Africa, the Nazis would have crushed the Soviets. Of course, it was Satan vs. Beelzebub.

JRW

Helga U. Williams, it was a terrible time. But don't forget what Hitler's troops did to Soviet citizens. Both in their advance and retreat from Moscow. They were also largely women. Soviet troops had just experienced that and many of them were bent on revenge. Rightly or wrongly.

JRW

John W Shreve, Germany

Ben

It took the combine power of allied forces to topple the Nazi's Germany of the British, American, French and the Soviets. The beginning of the cold war and communist rule in Europe. The US and the British should have been there first or along side with the Soviets.

carla michael

Patton wanted to go there badly.

schnides

David Hunt, at the end of ww2 Truman stopped Patton from entering Berlin, then stopped him from taking Russia. If it were not for the USA and the weather russia would have been taken over by Germany.

schnides

The USA would have been the captors if the President had not stopped General Patton from taking it.

Helga U. Williams

Yes, the Russians raped and plundered their way all the way to victory. It was a terrible experience for the people that were left in Berlin, mainly women. As a Berliner, my mother never referred to Hitler in any other way than "monster" or "pig". He cost her her husband and a seven-year-old child! Unfortunately, the civilians always are the innocent victims of a war, and the Western Allies did not find out until later what the Russians were all about!

Odd Joe

First significant defeat of Germany was by mainly Australians at the seige of Tobruk in 1941. Similarly, the first significant defeat of Japan was on the Kokoda track, inflicted by Australian troops...

Char

David Holmes, no I do not care for war I tend to learn these things a bit here and there..not good reading book after book to me..

Char

David Hunt, I had no clue Russia was that involved..

Carroll Price

David Hunt, True. Britian and the US conducted a mop-up operation across France against mostly young, inexperienced troops. By the war's end, and after months of fighting, the US had made little progress toward pushing German troops out of Italy.