Berlin

Subject to Change:

Introduction - the factors that combined to make the utter defeat of Germany - and the devastation of its capital - unavoidable.

Chapter 1 - the campaigns that led to the eve of the Battle of Berlin; the great Soviet advance across the Vistula and to the Oder; the drive by the Western Allies over the Rhine and across Germany.
Chapter 2 - both Soviet and German preparations for the final battle.
Chapter 3 - the assault begins. The defence of the Seelow Heights.
Chapter 4 - Konev's breakthrough. The advance of 1st Ukrainian Front into eastern Germany, separating the German Army Group Centre from Army Group Vistula. German countermeasures and the Battle of Bautzen.
Chapter 5 - The advance by Konev and Zhukov on Berlin. The beginning of Soviet artillery bombardment of the city. Rokossovsky attacks across northern Germany towards the lower Elbe.
Chapter 6 - The Halbe pocket. The encirclement of Ninth Army. Hitler agrees for Ninth Army to try to move west while Twelfth Army, deployed along the middle Elbe, marches east to link up before attacking north to relieve the pressure on Berlin.
Chapter 7 - The battle within the Berlin urban area commences in earnest.
Chapter 8 - Climax at the Reichstag. Hitler commits suicide.
Chapter 9 - The remnants of the garrison attempt to break out. The final surrender in the city.
Chapter 10 - The last battles of the Third Reich. The final disintegration of Ninth Army, and link-ups by the Red Army with British forces in the north and American forces in the centre and south.
Chapter 11 - Aftermath. A brief outline of the course of events in Berlin after the war and the division of the city, and the onset of the Cold War.
Conclusions.