Translated with AI
The Russian Defense Ministry is publishing a selection of declassified documents from the Central Archives of the Military Department, which tell about the conduct of the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation and the storming of the capital of Nazi Germany by Soviet troops, Interfax reports.
"The new multimedia project 'The Last Assault Before Victory' on the website of the military department contains directives and orders of the Headquarters of the Supreme Command, operational reports, information summaries, coded telegrams, combat logs, historical photographs, diagrams and plans, award sheets for participants in the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation and other documents that have not previously been presented to the general public," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement released on Friday.
The department notes that "the Berlin strategic offensive operation, which began on April 16, 1945, was one of the largest and most complex campaigns of the Great Patriotic War; it required a huge effort, tactical skill and incredible sacrifices."
In particular, according to published documents, the Berlin Defense Headquarters "demanded that the population participate in battles against Soviet troops on the streets, in houses, underground – in the subway, in the underground sewer network."
"In addition, combat units were formed from representatives of the Hitler Youth youth organization, most of whom were teenagers, to fight Soviet tanks. Cadets and service personnel from all military schools armed with Faustpatrones were sent to defend the city. Almost 200 Volkssturm (German militia) battalions were formed from the city's residents, for which a general mobilization of the male population from 15 to 65 years old inclusive was carried out in the city. The Berlin garrison numbered more than 200 thousand people. Police and SS units were concentrated in the city," the report says.
Among the published documents is the interrogation protocol of the commander of the defense of Berlin, General of Artillery Helmut Weidling, which, in particular, talks about the condition of Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler in the last days of his life.
"When I saw Hitler on April 24 (I had seen him for the last time last year), I was amazed, a wreck of a man sat in front of me, his head was dangling, his hands were shaking, his voice was slurred and trembling. Every day his appearance became worse and worse. On April 29, I was completely shocked by his appearance. At the same time, this was my last report to him, he seemed to me to be just a dreamer, for example, to my words: "My Fuhrer, as a soldier, I must say that there is no longer any possibility to defend Berlin and you. Maybe there is still a chance for you to get out of here …", he answered: "It is pointless to get out, my orders are not carried out by anyone anyway …". At that time, Krebs, Hitler's adjutant, infantry general Borkdorf, Goebbels, Bormann were present," Weidling said.
He also believed that the version about Hitler's suicide was true, the interrogation protocol shows.
"I believe," said the general, "that after April 29 (the last meeting with Hitler) there was no way for him to get out of Berlin. I cannot imagine that Hitler was alive and that a vile staging was simply staged, for that would be the most vile and, perhaps, the most stupid act of National Socialism."
Weidling surrendered to the Soviet troops, signing a decree on the capitulation of the capital's garrison. About 70 thousand Wehrmacht soldiers laid down their arms. In the Berlin operation carried out by the Soviet troops, the Germans lost up to 380 thousand soldiers and officers killed, 400 thousand were captured, according to published materials.
