On April 16th, 1945 the Red Army
launched their fourth largest offensive along the Eastern
Front during World War II. The objective was to seize Berlin
before the Western Allies. Sixteen days later, the former
capital of the Third Reich fell to the conquering armies of
Generals Georgi Zhukov and his rival, Ivan Koniev. The cost
to capture the largest urban complex on mainland Europe from
a handful of understrength Heer and Waffen-SS divisions,
supported by Volkssturm and Hitlerjugend formations armed
mainly with Panzerfaust anti-armour rockets, was
exceptionally high. The Red Army suffered more casualties
among its soldiers than during the six month siege of
Stalingrad, and it lost more armoured vehicles than during
the Battle of Kursk. Central Berlin was left a wasteland.
Now this ground breaking study is back in print completely
revised. Previously unpublished first person accounts from
both the German and Soviet perspectives supplement archival
documents that include new data from the operational war
diaries of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts. The
book is highly illustrated throughout with period images of
the city, aerial overviews, and wartime photos. With
separate 64 page Map volume.
Revised and Expanded 2nd
Edition
New in d/w -
large format, 511pp, 304 b/w photos, Map book: 44 colour
maps, 12 colour plates
