In World war II, couple key battles lead to the downfall of the Fatherland Germany in the Eastern front. The Soviets, which was a severely wounded country, was able to, absorb it’s casualties inflicted by the German armies, and create and much, much tougher army to crush all German resistance and turn the German offensive into a German defensive battle. The Germans should never attack a giant that lead to it’s downfall of the Soviets entering Berlin and crush it’s last and final resistance, the Reichstag.However, it was said easy, but done with huge sacrifices by massive amount of Russian people. 12,244,100 estimated people were either KIA or MIA or wounded.
Many people thought that the Motherland, was never going to be able to defeat the Germans, because the lack of supplies, weapons, ammunition, and a constant death of men charging at tanks resulting in bloody slaughter and massacre. Before, every 4 Russian soldier shared a rifle, and they weren’t even professional soldiers, they were farmers recruited into army by force and promise of money. they were only militia and some lower class people, however, they have the will to fight because of their leader’s personal message that was broadcasted all over Russia, boosting it’s morale greatly as they all think Stalin, their leader was also standing side by side fighting with them. However, much of Soviets has no courage assaulting German army when they see them well equipped, well supplied, and well trained. So Stalin issued a red order with was no retreat and fight to death. That was still used all the way until Soviet Union collapsed in the 80s and 90s.
Well, Some of the most famous battles were the battle of Stalingrad,Kursk, and the Seelow heights that seem like to last for eternity just trying to win it. Stalingrad, named after Stalin, was a city Hitler decide to capture because if he captured it, Stalin will be very mad and seriously upset with means devastating Soviet morale. Over couple months the Soviets side lost and gain lost and gain this huge city just trying to preserve it for keeping morale high all around the Motherland Russia. Finally, the 5th time Russian tried and finally, the 6 German army were so devastated that they fought to their last breathe, the coldness was the reason why, the Russian was able to turn war into their favour by delaying the germans long enough to change time from the German’s side to their side as the Germans were out of supplies and were dying trying to fight the coolness, finally the Russian attacked and the Germans surrender because they prefer to surrender then to die fighting melee with the russians which out numbers them by any type of military 10 to 1.
Well, after the battle, morale boost even more saying that the Germans can be defeated and there is possibility of winning. Then the tide really changed because an all out counter offensive was made as troops attacked and civilian joined in to army with a dream of punching Hitler in the face. That was where the Russian generals said: “alright, the lets get the show on the road!!” by the time troops are mustered, the russian’s tough t 34 tank outnumbered the poorly equipped,outgunned, and under supplied Panzer tanks nearly 20 to 1, which was very easy to crush, but for the troops, that was where frightening numbers happened, when Germany mustered 100,000 troops in very hard difficulties, the Russian put up a strong army of 3000000 easily with well, 15 Russian trying to kill a single German soldier. One day, things well change, and things really changed now.
The soviets got to a point where a final decision was made by the German to put one of their elite general, Von Manstein to command the huge German army of 912,460 men, 2,928 tanks, 9,966 guns and mortars, and 2,110 aircraft to defeat the Russian, it was obvious of course, a piece of cake to defeat the Germans as the russian put up a huge army of 1,910,361 men, 5,128 tanks, 25,013 guns and mortars, and 2,792 to 3,549 aircraft to assault the Germans. The germans developed a superior tank , the famed Tiger tanks to stop the Russian, but to counter the Tiger tank, a good way to destroy enemy tanks when you have twice the amount, get close with full speed and run into it straightly, you won’t get killed but the enemy will because they didn’t use sloping armour which offers more defensive capabilities. All you have to do was climb out, and go to the other tanks and work with them. Using this tactics, the German tanks were easily outmatched which was also because winter came and their treads can cannon got stuck by the snow and their engine can’t fire up causing them to be slaughtered easily like a sitting duck.
Well, as all German resistance were crushed. it was time to push straight into the heart of Germany, Berlin and the Reichstag. One obstacle was left standing before a push can be set on Berlin. One last push, the Seelow height. The Germans put in every thing they got, every soldier on the Eastern front were deployed there to stop the Russian army. However, the numbers are really not much compared to the Russian, by this time, there is no way the German can defeat Russia, with American and British liberating France and are moving full speed toward the fatherland. The Russian strength:16,934 guns and mortars,3,059 tanks, and a huge 1,000,000 troops.However there were frightening numbers of the German army: 2,625 guns,587 tanks,and 112,143 soldiers ready to fight to the death. It seemed that there will be no retreat for the Germans. The Germans were easily slaughtered and massacred and the Soviet let the Germans paid for what they’ve done to them 5 years ago in Stalingrad. Now a final push to Berlin.
There are 300,00 elite guards soldier defending Berlin. However, the American and British have bombarded them with Artillery and Air strike almost for a whole 3 months and Berlin is in ruin. Now the Soviets, advancing into the city, block by block, they killed anyone who oppose them. They fought through railway, buildings, road, districts, everything in Berlin, they done a sweep in it to kill any Nazi fascists. Finally, about 30000 German troops were left standing to defend the Reichstag to the death and Hitler too. There is no hope to win. A final battle took place where inside, the SS honor guard fought to their last breathe, bring every soviet with them as many as they can. The resistance was still overwhelmed and a soldier, who has the flag of the Soviet, ran and got to the roof of Reichstag when 1 last German soldier puts a bullet in him. He wasn’t killed, he forced himself to put the flag on and other soldiers were busy killing that soldier, which didn’t take long. Couple more came and help him put the flag on and then, the flag was on and the 3rd Reich was officially defeated as they yelled in their famous yell, the URA!!!!!
sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Eastern_Front_of_World_War_II
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/09/world-war-ii-the-eastern-front/100150/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648813/World-War-II/53583/The-Eastern-Front-October-1943-April-1944
Wow!! Never thought world war II left so many people dead…