Where is the Reichstag. Reichstag: light and dark page in history
From April 28 to May 2, 1945, the forces of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions of the 79th rifle corps 3rd Shock Army 1st Belorussian Front an operation was carried out to take over the Reichstag. This event is dedicated to this collection of facts, old photos and videos.
Everyone heard about the capture of the Reichstag by Soviet soldiers. But what do we really know about him? We will talk about who was sent against the Red Army, how they searched for the Reichstag and how many banners there were.
Who goes to Berlin
Those who wanted to take Berlin in the Red Army were more than enough. Moreover, if for the commanders - Zhukov, Konev, Rokossovsky, this was also a matter of prestige, then for ordinary soldiers who were already "one foot at home" this was another terrible battle. Participants in the assault will remember it as one of the most difficult battles of the war.
Nevertheless, the idea that their detachment would be sent to Berlin in April 1944 could only cause jubilation among the soldiers. The author of the book: "Who Took the Reichstag: Heroes by Default", Yamskoy N. talks about how they were waiting for a decision on the composition of the offensive troops in the 756th regiment:
“Officers gathered at the headquarters dugout. Neustroev burned with impatience, offering to send someone for Major Kazakov, who was supposed to arrive with the results of the decision. One of the officers joked: “What are you, Stepan, spinning around in place? I would take off my boots and go! During the time that you were running back and forth, you would already be near Berlin!”
Soon the cheerful and smiling Major Kazakov returned. And it became clear to everyone: we are going to Berlin!”
Attitude
Why was it so important to take the Reichstag and hoist a banner on it? This building, where the highest legislative body of Germany sat since 1919, during the years of the Third Reich, de facto, did not play any role. All legislative functions were performed in the Krol-Opera, the building opposite. However, for the Nazis, this is not just a building, not just a fortress. For them, this was the last hope, the capture of which would demoralize the army. Therefore, during the storming of Berlin, the command focused precisely on the Reichstag. Hence Zhukov's order to the 171st and 150th divisions, which promised gratitude and government awards to those who set a red flag over a gray, unsightly and half-ruined building.
Moreover, its installation was a paramount task.
“If there are no our people in the Reichstag and a banner is not installed there, then take all measures at any cost to hoist a flag or a flag at least on the column of the main entrance. At any price!"
- was an order from Zinchenko. That is, the banner of victory should have been installed even before the actual capture of the Reichstag. According to eyewitnesses, when trying to fulfill the order and install a banner on the building still defended by the Germans, many “lone volunteers, the bravest people” died, but this is what made the act of Kantaria and Yegorov heroic.
"Sailors of the SS Special Forces"
Even as the Red Army advanced towards Berlin, when the outcome of the war became obvious, Hitler either panicked or wounded pride played a role, but he issued several orders, the essence of which was that all of Germany should perish along with the defeat of the Reich. The plan "Nero" was carried out, implying the destruction of all cultural property on the territory of the state, the evacuation of residents was difficult. Subsequently, the high command will utter the key phrase: "Berlin will defend itself to the last German."
So, for the most part, it didn't matter who they sent to their deaths. So, in order to detain the Red Army at the Moltke Bridge, Hitler transferred to Berlin “sailors of the SS Special Forces Detachment”, who were ordered to delay the advance of our troops to government buildings at any cost.
They turned out to be sixteen-year-old boys, yesterday's cadets of the naval school from the city of Rostock. Hitler spoke to them, calling them heroes and the hope of the nation. His order itself is interesting: “to throw back a small group of Russians that broke through to this bank of the Spree and prevent it from reaching the Reichstag. It takes quite a bit to hold on. Soon you will receive new weapons of great power and new planes. Wenck's army approaches from the south. The Russians will not only be driven out of Berlin, but also driven back to Moscow.”
Did Hitler know about the real number of "a small group of Russians" and about the state of affairs when he gave the order? What did he expect? At that time, it was obvious that for an effective battle with Soviet soldiers, a whole army was needed, and not 500 young boys who did not know how to fight. Perhaps Hitler expected positive results from separate negotiations with the allies of the USSR. But the question of what secret weapon was discussed, and hung in the air. One way or another, hopes were not justified, and many young fanatics died without benefiting their homeland.
Where is the Reichstag?
During the assault, there were incidents. On the eve of the offensive, at night it turned out that the attackers did not know what the Reichstag looked like, and even more so, where it was located.
This is how the battalion commander, Neustroev, who was ordered to storm the Reichstag, described this situation: “The colonel orders:
"Come out quickly to the Reichstag!". I hang up. Zinchenko's voice still sounds in my ears. And where is he, the Reichstag? The devil knows! It's dark and deserted ahead."
Zinchenko, in turn, reported to General Shatilov: “Neustroev’s battalion took up its starting position in the semi-basement of the southeastern part of the building. Only now some house interferes with him - the Reichstag closes. We will bypass it on the right. " He replies in bewilderment: "What other house? crawl opera? But he should be on the right from the "Himmler's house". There can be no building in front of the Reichstag ... ".
However, the building was Squat in two and a half floors with towers and a dome at the top. Behind him, two hundred meters away, the outlines of a huge, twelve-story house could be seen, which Neustovev took as his final goal. But the gray building, which they decided to bypass, was suddenly met with advancing solid fire.
It is rightly said that one head is good, but two is better. The mystery of the location of the Reichstag was resolved upon arrival at Neustroev Zinchenko. As the commander himself describes:
“Zinchenko looked at the square, and at the hidden gray building. And then, without turning around, he asked: "So what's stopping you from going to the Reichstag?" "This is a low building," I replied. "So this is the Reichstag!"
Battles for rooms
How was the Reichstag taken? The usual reference literature does not go into detail, describing the assault as a one-day "swoop" Soviet soldiers on the building, which, under this pressure, was just as quickly surrendered by his garrison. However, things were different. The building was defended by selected SS units, which had nothing more to lose. And they had an advantage. They were well aware of its plan and the layout of all its 500 rooms. Unlike the Soviet soldiers, who had no idea what the Reichstag looked like. As the private of the third company I.V. Mayorov said: “We knew practically nothing about the internal location. And this made it very difficult to fight with the enemy. In addition, from the continuous automatic and machine-gun fire, explosions of grenades and faustpatrons in the Reichstag, such smoke and plaster dust rose that, mixing, they obscured everything, hung in the rooms with an impenetrable veil - nothing is visible, as in the dark. One can judge how difficult the assault was, that the Soviet command set the task on the first day to capture at least 15-10 rooms out of the 500 mentioned.
How many flags were
The historical banner hoisted on the roof of the Reichstag was assault flag 150th rifle division Third Shock Army, established by Sergeant Yegorov and Kantaria. But it was far from the only red flag over the German parliament. The desire to reach Berlin and establish soviet flag many people dreamed of over the defeated enemy den of the Nazis, regardless of the order of the command and the promise of the title of "Hero of the USSR". However, the latter was another useful incentive.
According to eyewitnesses, there were neither two, nor three, nor even five victory banners on the Reichstag. The whole building literally "blushed" from Soviet flags, both homemade and official ones. According to experts, there were about 20 of them, some were shot down during the bombing. The first was set up by senior sergeant Ivan Lysenko, whose detachment built a banner from a mattress of red matter. Ivan Lysenko's award list reads:
“April 30, 1945 at 2 p.m. Comrade. Lysenko was the first to break into the Reichstag building, exterminated more than 20 German soldiers with grenade fire, reached the second floor and hoisted the banner of victory. For his heroism and courage in battle, he deserves the title of Hero Soviet Union».
Moreover, his detachment fulfilled its main task at the same time - to cover the standard-bearers, who were instructed to hoist the victorious banners on the Reichstag.
In general, each detachment dreamed of setting its own flag on the Reichstag. With this dream, the soldiers went all this way to Berlin, each kilometer of which cost lives. Therefore, is it really so important whose banner was the first, and whose "official". All of them were equally important.
The fate of autographs
Those who failed to hoist the banner left reminders of themselves on the walls of the taken building. As eyewitnesses describe: all the columns and walls at the entrance to the Reichstag were covered with inscriptions in which the soldiers expressed feelings of joy of victory. They wrote to everyone - with paints, charcoal, a bayonet, a nail, a knife:
“The shortest way to Moscow is through Berlin!”
“And we girls were here. Glory Soviet soldier!"; “We are from Leningrad, Petrov, Kryuchkov”; “Know ours. Siberians Pushchin, Petlin"; "We are in the Reichstag"; "I walked with the name of Lenin"; "From Stalingrad to Berlin"; "Moscow - Stalingrad - Orel - Warsaw - Berlin"; "Got to Berlin."
Some of the autographs have survived to this day - their preservation was one of the main requirements for the restoration of the Reichstag. However, today their fate is often called into question. So, in 2002, representatives of the conservatives Johannes Singhammer and Horst Günther proposed to destroy them, arguing that the inscriptions "aggravate modern Russian-German relations."
1. Fireworks in honor of the Victory on the roof of the Reichstag. Soldiers of the battalion under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union S. Neustroev.
2. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
3. Soviet cargo and cars on a ruined street in Berlin. Behind the ruins you can see the Reichstag building.
4. Rear Admiral Fotiy Ivanovich Krylov (1896-1948), head of the River Emergency Rescue Directorate of the USSR Navy, awards a diver with an order for clearing mines on the Spree River in Berlin. In the background is the Reichstag building.
6. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
7. A group of Soviet officers inside the Reichstag.
8. Soviet soldiers with a banner on the roof of the Reichstag.
9. The Soviet assault group with the banner moves to the Reichstag.
10. The Soviet assault group with the banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
11. Commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Division, Major General P.M. Shafarenko in the Reichstag with colleagues.
12. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag
13. Soldiers of the 150th Rifle Idritsko-Berlin, Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree, division on the steps of the Reichstag (among the depicted scouts are M. Kantaria, M. Egorov and the Komsomol organizer of the division, Captain M. Zholudev). In the foreground is the 14-year-old son of the regiment, Zhora Artemenkov.
14. The Reichstag building in July 1945.
15. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake.
16. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake. Pictured is the south entrance of the building.
17. Soviet photojournalists and cameramen at the Reichstag building.
18. The wreckage of an inverted German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
19. Autograph of Soviet soldiers on the column of the Reichstag: “We are in Berlin! Nikolay, Peter, Nina and Sasha. May 11, 1945.
20. A group of political workers of the 385th Infantry Division, headed by the head of the political department, Colonel Mikhailov, near the Reichstag.
21. German anti-aircraft guns and killed German soldier at the Reichstag.
23. Soviet soldiers on the square near the Reichstag.
24. Red Army signalman Mikhail Usachev leaves his autograph on the wall of the Reichstag.
25. A British soldier leaves his autograph among the autographs of Soviet soldiers inside the Reichstag.
26. Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria go out with a banner to the roof of the Reichstag.
27. Soviet soldiers hoist a banner over the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. This is one of the banners installed on the Reystag in addition to the official hoisting of the banner by Yegorov and Kantaria.
28. The famous Soviet singer Lidia Ruslanova performs "Katyusha" against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag.
29. The son of the regiment Volodya Tarnovsky puts his autograph on the column of the Reichstag.
30. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
31. A captured German soldier at the Reichstag. The famous photograph, often published in books and on posters in the USSR under the name "Ende" (German: "The End").
32. Fellow soldiers of the 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment near the wall of the Reichstag, in the storming of which the regiment took part.
33. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag.
34. Two Soviet officers on the steps of the Reichstag.
35. Two Soviet officers on the square in front of the Reichstag building.
36. Soviet mortar soldier Sergei Ivanovich Platov leaves his autograph on the column of the Reichstag.
37. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag. A photograph of a Soviet soldier hoisting the Red Banner over the Reichstag, which later became known as the Banner of Victory - one of the main symbols of the Great Patriotic War.
38. Commander of the 88th separate heavy tank regiment P.G. Mzhachikh against the backdrop of the Reichstag, in the storming of which his regiment also took part.
39. Fellow soldiers of the 88th separate heavy tank regiment at the Reichstag.
40. Soldiers who stormed the Reichstag. Reconnaissance Platoon 674 rifle regiment 150th Infantry Idritsa Division.
41. Mikhail Makarov, infantryman who reached Berlin. in front of the Reichstag.
How Nazi Germany Surrendered
The last act of the Great Patriotic War stretched out in time, from which some discrepancies arise in its interpretation.
So how did Nazi Germany actually surrender?
German disaster
By the beginning of 1945, Germany's position in the war had become simply catastrophic. The rapid offensive of the Soviet troops from the East and the allied armies from the West led to the fact that the outcome of the war became clear to almost everyone.
From January to May 1945, the agony of the Third Reich actually took place. More and more units rushed to the front, not so much with the aim of turning the tide, but with the aim of delaying the final catastrophe.
Under these conditions, atypical chaos reigned in the German army. Suffice it to say that there is simply no complete information about the losses suffered by the Wehrmacht in 1945 - the Nazis no longer had time to bury their dead and draw up reports.
April 16, 1945 Soviet troops launched an offensive operation in the direction of Berlin, the purpose of which was to capture the capital of Nazi Germany.
Despite the large forces concentrated by the enemy, and his defensive fortifications in depth, in a matter of days, Soviet units broke through to the outskirts of Berlin.
Not allowing the enemy to be drawn into protracted street battles, on April 25, Soviet assault groups began advancing towards the city center.
On the same day, on the Elbe River, Soviet troops joined with American units, as a result of which the Wehrmacht armies that continued to fight were divided into groups isolated from each other.
In Berlin itself, units of the 1st Belorussian Front advanced towards the government offices of the Third Reich.
Parts of the 3rd shock army broke into the Reichstag area on the evening of April 28. At dawn on April 30, the building of the Ministry of the Interior was taken, after which the way to the Reichstag was opened.
Capitulation of Hitler and Berlin
Adolf Hitler, who was at that time in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery, "surrendered" in the middle of the day on April 30, committing suicide. According to the testimony of the Fuhrer's comrades-in-arms, last days his greatest fear was that the Russians would bombard the bunker with sleep gas shells, after which he would be put up in a cage in Moscow for the amusement of the crowd.
Around 21:30 on April 30, units of the 150th Infantry Division captured the main part of the Reichstag, and on the morning of May 1, a red flag was raised over it, which became the Banner of Victory.
The fierce battle in the Reichstag, however, did not stop, and the units defending it stopped resistance only on the night of May 1-2.
On the night of May 1, 1945, the commander arrived at the location of the Soviet troops general staff German ground forces General Krebs, who announced the suicide of Hitler, and requested a truce while the new German government took over. The Soviet side demanded unconditional surrender, which was refused at about 18:00 on May 1.
By this time, only the Tiergarten and the government quarter remained under German control in Berlin. The refusal of the Nazis gave the Soviet troops the right to re-launch the assault, which did not last long: at the beginning of the first night of May 2, the Germans requested a ceasefire on the radio and announced their readiness to surrender.
At 6 am on May 2, 1945, the commander of the defense of Berlin, General of Artillery Weidling, accompanied by three generals, crossed the front line and surrendered. An hour later, while at the headquarters of the 8th guards army, he wrote a surrender order, which was duplicated and, with the help of loud-speaking installations and radio, brought to enemy units defending in the center of Berlin. By the end of the day on May 2, resistance in Berlin had ceased, and individual German groups that continued to fighting, were destroyed.
However, Hitler's suicide and the final fall of Berlin did not mean the surrender of Germany, which still had more than a million soldiers in the ranks.
Eisenhower's soldierly honesty
The new government of Germany, headed by Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, decided to "save the Germans from the Red Army", continuing the fighting on the Eastern Front, while civilian forces and troops were fleeing to the West. The main idea was capitulation in the West in the absence of capitulation in the East. Since, in view of the agreements between the USSR and the Western Allies, it is difficult to achieve surrender only in the West, a policy of private surrenders at the level of army groups and below should be pursued.
On May 4, the German group in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany capitulated to the army of the British Marshal Montgomery. On May 5, Army Group G surrendered to the Americans in Bavaria and Western Austria.
After that, negotiations began between the Germans and the Western Allies for a complete surrender in the West. However, the American General Eisenhower disappointed the German military - surrender must take place both in the West and in the East, and the German armies must stop where they are. This meant that not everyone would be able to escape from the Red Army to the West.
The Germans tried to protest, but Eisenhower warned that if the Germans continued to play for time, his troops would forcibly stop everyone fleeing to the West, whether soldiers or refugees. In this situation, the German command agreed to sign an unconditional surrender.
Improvisation by General Susloparov
In this form, the act of surrender of Germany was signed on the German side by the Chief of the Operational Staff of the OKW, Colonel General Alfred Jodl, on the Anglo-American side, Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Smith, on behalf of the USSR - by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command at command of the Allies, Major General Ivan Susloparov. As a witness, the act was signed by the French brigadier general Francois Sevez. The signing of the act took place at 2:41 on May 7, 1945. It was supposed to come into force on May 8 at 23:01 CET.
The signing of the act was to take place at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims. On May 6, members of the Soviet military mission, General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, were summoned there, and they were informed of the impending signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Germany.
Nobody would envy Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov at that moment. The fact is that he did not have the authority to sign the surrender. Having sent a request to Moscow, he did not receive a response by the beginning of the procedure.
In Moscow, they rightly feared that the Nazis would achieve their goal and sign a capitulation to the Western allies on favorable terms for them. Not to mention the fact that the very execution of the surrender at the American headquarters in Reims categorically did not suit the Soviet Union.
The easiest thing for General Susloparov at that moment was not to sign any documents at all. However, according to his recollections, an extremely unpleasant collision could have developed: the Germans surrendered to the allies by signing the act, and they remain at war with the USSR. Where this situation will lead is unclear.
General Susloparov acted at his own peril and risk. In the text of the document, he made the following note: this protocol on military surrender does not exclude the further signing of another, more perfect act of the surrender of Germany, if any allied government declares so.
In this form, the act of surrender of Germany was signed on the German side by the Chief of the Operational Staff of the OKW, Colonel General Alfred Jodl, on the Anglo-American side, Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Smith, on behalf of the USSR - by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command at Command of the Allies, Major General Ivan Susloparov. As a witness, the act was signed by the French brigadier general Francois Sevez. The signing of the act took place at 2:41 on May 7, 1945. It was supposed to come into force on May 8 at 23:01 CET.
Interestingly, General Eisenhower declined to participate in the signing, citing the low status of the German representative.
Temporary effect
Already after the signing, an answer was received from Moscow - General Susloparov was forbidden to sign any documents.
The Soviet command believed that 45 hours before the entry into force of the document German forces used to escape to the West. This, in fact, was not denied by the Germans themselves.
As a result, at the urging Soviet side, it was decided to hold another ceremony of signing the unconditional surrender of Germany, which was organized on the evening of May 8, 1945 in the German suburb of Karlshorst. The text, with few exceptions, repeated the text of the document signed in Reims.
From the German side, the act was signed by Field Marshal General, Chief of the Supreme High Command Wilhelm Keitel, Air Force representative - Colonel General Stupmf and Navy - Admiral von Friedeburg. Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force, British Marshal Tedder. US Army General Spaats and French General de Tassigny put their signatures as witnesses.
It is curious that General Eisenhower was going to come to sign this act, but was stopped by the objection of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill: if the allied commander had signed the act in Karlshorst without signing it in Reims, the significance of the Reims act would have seemed insignificant.
The signing of the act in Karlshorst took place on May 8, 1945 at 22:43 CET, and it entered into force, as agreed back in Reims, at 23:01 on May 8. However, according to Moscow time, these events occurred at 0:43 and 1:01 on May 9.
It was this discrepancy in time that caused the Victory Day in Europe to be May 8, and in the Soviet Union - May 9.
To each his own
After the entry into force of the act of unconditional surrender, the organized resistance of Germany finally ceased. This, however, did not prevent individual groups solving local problems (as a rule, a breakthrough to the West) from engaging in battles after May 9th. However, such fights were short-lived and ended in the destruction of the Nazis who did not comply with the terms of surrender.
As for General Susloparov, Stalin personally assessed his actions in the current situation as correct and balanced. After the war, Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov worked at the Military Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, died in 1974 at the age of 77, and was buried with military honors at the Vvedensky cemetery in Moscow.
The fate of the German commanders Alfred Jodl and Wilhelm Keitel, who signed the unconditional surrender at Reims and Karlshorst, was less enviable. The International Tribunal at Nuremberg recognized them as war criminals and sentenced them to death. On the night of October 16, 1946, Jodl and Keitel were hanged in the gymnasium of the Nuremberg prison.
That's how it all ended. But it was very interesting for me to look at these photos - the end point of the route to the West for our soldiers.
On May 1, 1945, the Victory flag was hoisted on the Reichstag building. On May 2, after fierce fighting, the Red Army completely cleared the building of the enemy. Over the next weeks, thousands of soldiers of the Soviet Army and many of the allies signed there.
After the unification of the two Germanys in 1990, it was decided to move the united parliament to the Reichstag.
The English architect Norman Foster, who carried out the reconstruction, along with the construction of a new glass dome, decided to preserve some of the Red Army graffiti. The inscriptions on the outer walls were erased, leaving several fragments in the gallery around the plenary hall and on the ground floor - with a total length of about 100 meters. The Germans claim that they transferred the original inscriptions to the inner walls of the Reichstag using a unique technology.
In the early 2000s, conservative deputies from the Christian Social Union tried to pass a decision to eliminate some of the inscriptions, but did not succeed. "These are not heroic monuments created by order of the authorities," said the Social Democrat Eckard Bartel on this occasion, "but a manifestation of the triumph and suffering of a little man."
At the mention of the Reichstag, many have a very definite association - Second World War, a waving Soviet flag ... What was the Reichstag then, and what has it become now?
Building history
In 1884, the Duke of Normandy, William I the Conqueror, laid the first stone of this building in the very center of the German capital. This was the beginning of the long laborious construction of a highly controversial facility. It could have started earlier if not for the major incident associated with it. The problem was that the place chosen for the construction of the government building belonged to the famous diplomat Radzinsky and his family, and he was not going to give up his territory. Thus, the state managed to take possession of the land only three years after his death, when the diplomat's son gave his permission.
Long before that, a competition among the best architects had already been held, according to the results of which a Russian candidate was elected. However, he simply did not live up to the start of work, so another competition had to be held. The German Paul Wollot won. And Emperor Wilhelm, who laid the first stone, did not wait for the completion of construction, so the finished building was accepted by Wilhelm II.
According to the architect Paul Vollot, the Reichstag was the main symbol the whole empire. Four towers at the corners acted as the four German kingdoms, and the central dome symbolized the greatest Kaiser himself. Wilhelm was not happy about this, he considered that it would be better if the dome was dedicated to the Parliament.
Reichstag fire in 1933
At the beginning of the year, Hitler was appointed to the position of Reich Chancellor, and the first thing he did was to order the Reichstag to be dissolved and new elections to be organized. But a week before the expected date of the election, a message came in that the building was on fire. It spread quickly, and soon the entire Reichstag was engulfed in flames. It was only around midnight that it was extinguished.
As it turned out, the arson was organized by a former communist pyromaniac. True, there is a version according to which a whole assault detachment took part in it, using underground passages. Arsonist Marinus van der Lubbe was released from prison in 2008 under an amnesty.
Reichstag in Hitler's time
Under the Weimar Republic, the building was used as a base for the Air Force, which was led by Hermann Göring. This man, in general, played a significant role in the history of the building - in particular, he connected his palace with it through an underground tunnel. This was the reason that the Soviet troops sought to capture the Reichstag. It seemed that its destruction would symbolize the destruction of all fascist beliefs. On many Russian shells, phrases like “According to the Reichstag!” were written in red paint. In 1945, they finally managed to hoist the banner over the stronghold of the Nazis.
Capture of the Reichstag and surrender
In 1945, it was already difficult to recognize the majestic structure in the Reichstag, which it was before the war - numerous bombings practically razed it to the ground along with the soldiers inside.
The Nazis tried to defend the building to the last, and the Soviet soldiers put into the assault all the hatred that had accumulated over the four war years. The Reichstag was so associated in their eyes with evil that even after the capture, they continued to shoot at it for a long time. In addition, all the walls were covered with insults to Hitler and his henchmen (after the restoration, only the most censored ones were left, without racism and immorality).
For the Germans, the main "wall of memory" also symbolizes the deliverance from Hitler's tyranny. Soldiers of the Soviet army left their signatures on it - they wrote their names, names of lovers, cities, dates. In the 1990s, there was talk of removing the wall so that it would not remind of the horrors of war, but the majority voted against such a decision. To date, the wall has been treated with a special protective solution so that the environment does not harm it.
Photo: Flag over the Reichstag in 1945
Recovery process
The Reichstag stood in a dilapidated state until 1954, when it was decided to blow up the ruins. Two years later, the government ordered restoration work, as a result of which the building acquired its current appearance. However, now the Parliament did not sit there, but an institute was founded historical sciences. However, from 1991 to 1999, another reconstruction was carried out, and the Parliament was returned to the Reichstag. The building has acquired two elevators and a glass-and-steel dome with an observation deck. A total of 600 million marks were invested in the global reconstruction.
Reichstag today
If possible, it is worth visiting this building, because nowadays there are quite a lot of interesting things here. Of course, first of all, these are Russian messages on the wall of memory, but also a huge high-tech dome 23 meters high, inside of which there is a cone of mirrors. A special computer program constantly adjusts the tilt of the mirrors to create the perfect light. Architect Norman Foster received the Pulitzer Prize for being able to create a fundamentally new building while maintaining the spirit of the old. With its fairly large size, the building looks quite light, even airy.
I must say that at first it was planned to build a building with a flat roof, but such a project was clearly missing something, but the transparent dome fit in just perfectly, giving grandeur. In addition, it also plays a functional role - energy.
For tourists, the Reichstag is open from 08 to 00 hours daily, but only as part of excursion groups. Last group comes in at 22:00. There is a restaurant on the top floor from 09:00 to 16:30. To climb up the dome observation deck, you need to climb a 40-meter-high spiral staircase. A unique view of the capital opens from the site at any time of the day or night. Entrance to the building is free, but you must first register on the official website, preferably at least a month in advance.
The Reichstag is the most visited parliamentary building on the planet, about eight thousand people come here every day. There is even an opportunity to attend the plenary session. Another way to get inside the Reichstag is to book a table in a restaurant. Reviews about it are very good - snow-white tablecloths, excellent food, friendly service and, of course, a beautiful view from the window. Remember that when visiting the Reichstag, it is imperative to have an identity card with you.
The final battle in the Great Patriotic War became the battle for Berlin, or the Berlin strategic offensive, which was held from April 16 to May 8, 1945.
On April 16, at 03:00 local time, aviation and artillery preparation began on the sector of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts. After its completion, 143 searchlights were turned on to blind the enemy, and the infantry, supported by tanks, went on the attack. Encountering no strong resistance, she advanced 1.5-2 kilometers. However, the further our troops advanced, the stronger the resistance of the enemy grew.
Troops of the 1st Ukrainian front carried out a swift maneuver to reach Berlin from the south and west. On April 25, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts joined up west of Berlin, completing the encirclement of the entire enemy Berlin grouping.
The liquidation of the Berlin enemy grouping directly in the city continued until May 2. The assault had to take every street and house. On April 29, fighting began for the Reichstag, the possession of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front.
Before the assault on the Reichstag, the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army presented its divisions with nine Red Banners, specially made according to the type of the State Flag of the USSR. One of these Red Banners, known under No. 5 as the Banner of Victory, was transferred to the 150th Rifle Division. Similar self-made red banners, flags and flags were in all advanced units, formations and subunits. They, as a rule, were awarded to assault groups, which were recruited from among volunteers and went into battle with main task- break into the Reichstag and install the Banner of Victory on it. The first - at 22:30 Moscow time on April 30, 1945, hoisted an assault red banner on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculptural figure "Goddess of Victory" - reconnaissance artillerymen of the 136th Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, senior sergeants G.K. Zagitov, A.F. Lisimenko, A.P. Bobrov and Sergeant A.P. Minin from the assault group of the 79th Rifle Corps, commanded by Captain V.N. Makov, the assault group of artillerymen acted jointly with the battalion of captain S.A. Neustroeva. Two or three hours later, also on the roof of the Reichstag, on the sculpture of an equestrian knight - Kaiser Wilhelm - by order of the commander of the 756th Infantry Regiment of the 150th Infantry Division, Colonel F.M. Zinchenko, the Red Banner No. 5 was installed, which then became famous as the Banner of Victory. Red Banner No. 5 was hoisted by scouts Sergeant M.A. Egorov and Lance Sergeant M.V. Kantaria, who were accompanied by Lieutenant A.P. Berest and machine gunners from the company of senior sergeant I.Ya. Syanov.
The fighting for the Reichstag continued until the morning of May 1. At 6:30 am on May 2, the head of the defense of Berlin, General of Artillery G. Weidling, surrendered and ordered the remnants of the troops of the Berlin garrison to cease resistance. In the middle of the day, the resistance of the Nazis in the city ceased. On the same day, the encircled groupings of German troops southeast of Berlin were liquidated.
On May 9, at 0:43 Moscow time, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as well as representatives of the German Navy, who had the appropriate authority from Doenitz, in the presence of Marshal G.K. Zhukov from the Soviet side signed the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany. A brilliant operation, coupled with the courage of Soviet soldiers and officers who fought to end the four-year nightmare of war, led to a logical outcome: Victory.
Capture of Berlin. 1945 Documentary
PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE
The Berlin operation of the Soviet troops began. Goal: complete the defeat of Germany, capture Berlin, connect with the allies
The infantry and tanks of the 1st Belorussian Front launched an attack before dawn under the illumination of anti-aircraft searchlights and advanced 1.5-2 km
With the onset of dawn on the Seelow Heights, the Germans came to their senses and fight with bitterness. Zhukov introduces tank armies into battle
16 Apr. 45g. The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front of Konev meet less resistance on the way of their offensive and immediately force the Neisse
Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Konev orders the commanders of his tank armies Rybalko and Lelyushenko to advance on Berlin
Konev demands from Rybalko and Lelyushenko not to get involved in protracted and head-on battles, to boldly move forward towards Berlin
In the battles for Berlin, twice a Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of a tank battalion of Guards. Mr. S.Khokhryakov
The 2nd Belorussian Front of Rokossovsky joined the Berlin operation, covering the right flank.
By the end of the day, Konev's front had completed the breakthrough of the Neissen line of defense, crossed the river. Spree and provided the conditions for the encirclement of Berlin from the south
Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front Zhukov break the 3rd lane all day enemy defense on the Oder - on the Seelow Heights
By the end of the day, Zhukov's troops completed the breakthrough of the 3rd lane of the Oder line at the Seelow Heights
On the left wing of Zhukov's front, conditions were created for cutting off the Frankfurt-Guben group of the enemy from the area on Berlin
Directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command to the commanders of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts: "It is better to treat the Germans." , Antonov
Another directive of the Headquarters: on identification marks and signals at the meeting of Soviet armies and allied forces
At 13.50, long-range artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army was the first to open fire on Berlin - the beginning of the assault on the city itself
20 Apr. 45g. Konev and Zhukov send almost identical orders to the troops of their fronts: “Be the first to break into Berlin!”
By evening, formations of the 2nd Guards Tank, 3rd and 5th Shock Armies of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the northeastern outskirts of Berlin
The 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies wedged into the city defensive bypass of Berlin in the districts of Petershagen and Erkner
Hitler ordered the 12th Army, previously targeted against the Americans, to be turned against the 1st Ukrainian Front. She now has the goal of linking up with the remnants of the 9th and 4th Panzer Armies, making their way south of Berlin to the west.
Rybalko's 3rd Guards Tank Army broke into the southern part of Berlin and is fighting for Teltow by 17.30 - Konev's telegram to Stalin
Hitler in last time refused to leave Berlin while there was such an opportunity. Goebbels and his family moved to a bunker under the Reich Chancellery ("Fuhrer's bunker")
Assault flags were presented by the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army to the divisions storming Berlin. Among them is the flag that became the banner of victory - the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division.
In the district of Spremberg, Soviet troops liquidated the encircled group of Germans. Among the destroyed parts tank division"Protection of the Fuhrer"
Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front are fighting in the south of Berlin. At the same time, they reached the Elbe River northwest of Dresden
Goering, who had left Berlin, turned to Hitler on the radio, asking him to approve him at the head of the government. Received an order from Hitler removing him from the government. Bormann ordered Goering's arrest for treason
Himmler unsuccessfully tries through the Swedish diplomat Bernadotte to offer the allies surrender on the Western Front
Shock formations of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts in the Brandenburg region closed the encirclement ring of German troops in Berlin
Forces of the German 9th and 4th tanks. armies are surrounded in the forests southeast of Berlin. Parts of the 1st Ukrainian Front reflect the counterattack of the 12th German Army
Report: “In the suburbs of Berlin, Ransdorf, there are restaurants where they “willingly sell” beer to our fighters for occupation marks.” The head of the political department of the 28th Guards Rifle Regiment, Borodin, ordered the owners of Ransdorf's restaurants to close them for a while until the battle was over.
In the area of Torgau on the Elbe, Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian fr. met with the troops of the 12th American Army Group General Bradley
Having crossed the Spree, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front of Konev and the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front of Zhukov are rushing towards the center of Berlin. The rush of Soviet soldiers in Berlin can no longer be stopped
The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front in Berlin occupied Gartenstadt and Gerlitsky Station, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front - the district of Dahlem
Konev turned to Zhukov with a proposal to change the demarcation line between their fronts in Berlin - the city center to transfer it to the front
Zhukov asks Stalin to salute the capture of the center of Berlin to the troops of his front, replacing Konev's troops in the south of the city
The General Staff orders Konev's troops, who have already reached the Tiergarten, to transfer their offensive zone to Zhukov's troops
Order No. 1 of the military commandant of Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel-General Berzarin, on the transfer of all power in Berlin into the hands of the Soviet military commandant's office. It was announced to the population of the city that the National Socialist Party of Germany and its organizations were disbanding and their activities were prohibited. The order established the order of behavior of the population and determined the main provisions necessary for the normalization of life in the city.
The battles for the Reichstag began, the mastery of which was entrusted to the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front
When breaking through the barriers on the Berlin Kaiserallee, the tank of N. Shendrikov received 2 holes, caught fire, the crew failed. The mortally wounded commander, having gathered his last strength, sat down at the controls and threw the flaming tank at the enemy cannon
Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. Witness - Goebbels. In his political testament, Hitler expelled Goering from the NSDAP and officially named Grand Admiral Dönitz as his successor.
Soviet units are fighting for the Berlin metro
The Soviet command rejected attempts by the German command to start negotiations on the time. ceasefire. There is only one demand - surrender!
The assault on the Reichstag building itself began, which was defended by more than 1000 Germans and SS men from different countries
In different places of the Reichstag, several red banners were fixed - from regimental and divisional to self-made
Scouts of the 150th division Egorov and Kantaria were ordered to hoist the Red Banner over the Reichstag around midnight
Lieutenant Berest from the Neustroev battalion led the combat mission of installing the Banner over the Reichstag. Established around 3.00, May 1
Hitler committed suicide in the Reich Chancellery bunker by taking poison and shooting him in the temple with a pistol. Hitler's corpse is burned in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery
At the post of Chancellor, Hitler leaves Goebbels, who will commit suicide the next day. Before his death, Hitler appointed Bormann Reich Minister for Party Affairs (previously such a post did not exist)
The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front captured Bandenburg, cleared the areas of Charlottenburg, Schöneberg and 100 quarters in Berlin
In Berlin, Goebbels and his wife Magda committed suicide, after killing their 6 children
Beg. German General Staff Krebs, announced the suicide of Hitler, offered to conclude a truce. Stalin confirmed the categorical demand for unconditional surrender in Berlin. At 18 o'clock the Germans rejected him
At 18.30, in connection with the rejection of the surrender, the Berlin garrison received a fire attack. The mass surrender of the Germans began
At 01.00, the radios of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian: “Please cease fire. We are sending parliamentarians to the Potsdam Bridge"
A German officer, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance
At 0600, General Weidling surrendered and an hour later signed the surrender order for the Berlin garrison.
Enemy resistance in Berlin has completely ceased. The remnants of the garrison surrender en masse
In Berlin, Goebbels's deputy for propaganda and press, Dr. Fritsche, was taken prisoner. Fritsche testified during interrogation that Hitler, Goebbels and Chief of the General Staff General Krebs committed suicide
Stalin's order on the contribution of the Zhukov and Konev fronts to the defeat of the Berlin group. By 21.00, 70 thousand Germans had already surrendered
The irretrievable losses of the Red Army in the Berlin operation - 78 thousand people. Enemy losses - 1 million, incl. 150 thousand killed
Everywhere in Berlin, Soviet field kitchens are deployed, where "wild barbarians" feed hungry Berliners.
In May 1945 heavy fighting took place in Berlin. Despite Hitler's order "Berlin does not capitulate", the city fell to the combined forces. Soviet army and allies 70 years ago - May 2, 1945.
For the anniversary of this significant event, German photographer Fabrizio Bensch prepared a photo project thanks to which you can compare Berlin destroyed 70 years ago with how it looks now. Fabrizio used archival photographs taken in 1945 by Soviet photographer Georgy Samsonov.
(Total 11 photos)
1. The Reichstag building, where the parliament of the Third Reich was located 70 years ago and where the German Bundestag now sits. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
2. Soviet soldiers on the roof of the Reichstag. Below is the same view today. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
3. Surroundings of the Reichstag. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
4. The building of the German Parliament. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
5. Using the captions on the photographs and information about the operations of the Red Army in Berlin, the photographer found the same places on the city map and photographed them. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
6. These pictures are reminiscent of how tanks and heavy artillery moved along peaceful streets and squares today, 70 years ago. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
7. According to Fabrizio, it was very difficult to find the same places and perspectives. Street names have changed, many buildings have not been restored. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
8. At some point, according to Fabrizio, he felt the presence of Georgy Samsonov next to him: “I could accurately imagine the battle going on nearby, explosions, shots.” (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
9. To give his shots authenticity, the German photographer made them with the same camera model that Samsonov used - the Soviet FED camera. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
10. Comparison of photographs of modern Berlin with pictures taken 70 years ago, shortly before the surrender of the city in 1945. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
11. Comparison of photographs of modern Berlin with pictures taken 70 years ago, shortly before the surrender of the city in 1945. (Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS / REUTERS).
Storming of the Reichstag.
The assault on the Reichstag is the final stage of the Berlin offensive operation, the task of which was to capture the building of the German parliament and hoist the Banner of Victory.
The Berlin offensive began on April 16, 1945. And the operation to storm the Reichstag lasted from April 28 to May 2, 1945. The assault was carried out by the forces of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions of the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front. In addition, two regiments of the 207th Infantry Division were advancing in the direction of the Kroll Opera.
By the evening of April 28, units of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army occupied the Moabit area and from the northwest approached the area where, in addition to the Reichstag, the building of the Ministry of the Interior, the Krol-Opera Theater, the Swiss embassy and a number of other structures were located. Well fortified and adapted for long-term defense, together they were a powerful center of resistance.
On April 28, the corps commander, Major General S.N. Perevertkin, was tasked with capturing the Reichstag. It was assumed that the 150th SD should take western part buildings, and the 171st SD - east.
The main obstacle to the advancing troops was the Spree River. the only possible way overcoming it remained the Moltke bridge, which the Nazis undermined when the Soviet units approached, but the bridge did not collapse. The first attempt to take it on the move ended in failure, because. heavy fire was fired at him. Only after artillery preparation and the destruction of firing points on the embankments was it possible to capture the bridge.
By the morning of April 29, the advanced battalions of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions under the command of Captain S.A. Neustroev and senior lieutenant K. Ya. Samsonov crossed to the opposite bank of the Spree. After the crossing, on the same morning, the building of the Swiss embassy, which faced the square in front of the Reichstag, was cleared of the enemy. The next target on the way to the Reichstag was the building of the Ministry of the Interior, nicknamed by the Soviet soldiers "Himmler's house". A huge, solid six-story building was additionally adapted for defense. A powerful artillery preparation was carried out to capture Himmler's house at 7 o'clock in the morning. For the next day, units of the 150th Infantry Division fought for the building and captured it by dawn on April 30. The way to the Reichstag was then opened.
Before dawn on April 30, the situation in the combat area was as follows. The 525th and 380th regiments of the 171st rifle division fought in the quarters north of Königplatz. The 674th regiment and part of the forces of the 756th regiment were engaged in cleaning the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the remnants of the garrison. The 2nd battalion of the 756th regiment went to the moat and took up defense in front of it. The 207th Infantry Division crossed the Moltke Bridge and prepared to attack the building of the Krol Opera.
The Reichstag garrison numbered about 1000 people, had 5 armored vehicles, 7 anti-aircraft guns, 2 howitzers (equipment, the exact location of which has been preserved accurate descriptions and photographs). The situation was complicated by the fact that Königplatz between the "Himmler House" and the Reichstag was an open space, moreover, crossed from north to south by a deep moat left over from an unfinished metro line.
Early in the morning of April 30, an attempt was made to immediately break into the Reichstag, but the attack was repulsed. The second assault began at 13:00 with a powerful half-hour artillery preparation. Parts of the 207th Infantry Division suppressed the firing points located in the building of the Krol Opera with their fire, blocked its garrison and thereby contributed to the assault. Under the cover of artillery preparation, the battalions of the 756th, 674th rifle regiments went on the attack and, on the move, overcoming the moat filled with water, broke through to the Reichstag.
All the while, while the preparation and storming of the Reichstag was going on, fierce battles were also fought on the right flank of the 150th Infantry Division, in the band of the 469th Infantry Regiment. Having taken up defensive positions on the right bank of the Spree, the regiment fought off numerous German attacks for several days, aimed at reaching the flank and rear of the troops advancing on the Reichstag. Important role in reflection German attacks gunners played.
One of the first to break into the Reichstag was the scouts of the S.E. Sorokin. At 2:25 p.m., they installed a home-made red banner first on the stairs of the main entrance, and then on the roof, on one of the sculptural groups. The banner was noticed by the fighters on Koenigplatz. Inspired by the banner, all new groups broke into the Reichstag. During the day of April 30, the upper floors were cleared of the enemy, the remaining defenders of the building took refuge in the basements and continued fierce resistance.
On the evening of April 30, the assault group of Captain V.N. made its way into the Reichstag. Makov, who at 22:40 installed her banner on a sculpture above the front pediment. On the night of April 30 to May 1, M.A. Egorov, M.V. Kantaria, A.P. Berest with the support of submachine gunners from the company of I.A. Syanov went up to the roof, hoisted over the Reichstag the official Banner of the Military Council, issued to the 150th Infantry Division. It was it that later became the Banner of Victory.
At 10 am on May 1, German troops launched a concerted counterattack from outside and inside the Reichstag. In addition, a fire broke out in several parts of the building, the Soviet soldiers had to fight it or move to rooms that were not burning. There was a strong smoke. However, the Soviet soldiers did not leave the building and continued to fight. A fierce battle continued until late in the evening, the remnants of the Reichstag garrison were again driven into the cellars.
Realizing the futility of further resistance, the command of the Reichstag garrison offered to start negotiations, but on the condition that an officer with the rank of no less than a colonel should take part in them from the Soviet side. Among the officers who were at that time in the Reichstag, there was no one older than the major, and communication with the regiment did not work. After a short preparation, A.P. went into negotiations. Berest as a colonel (the tallest and most representative), S. A. Neustroev as his adjutant and Private I. Prygunov as an interpreter. Negotiations were conducted for a long time, not accepting the conditions set by the Nazis, the Soviet delegation left the basement. However, in the early morning of May 2, the German garrison capitulated.
Reichstag a month after the assault
On the opposite side of Königplatz all day on May 1, there was a battle for the building of the Krol Opera. Only by midnight, after two unsuccessful assault attempts, the 597th and 598th regiments of the 207th rifle division captured the theater building.
According to the report of the chief of staff of the 150th Infantry Division, during the capture of the Reichstag, the German side suffered the following losses: 2,500 people were killed, 1,650 people were taken prisoner. There is no exact data on the losses of the Soviet troops.
On the afternoon of May 2, the Victory Banner of the Military Council, hoisted by M.A. Egorov, M.V. Kantaria and A.P. Berest, was transferred to the dome of the Reichstag.
After the Victory, under an agreement with the Allies, the Reichstag withdrew to the territory of the occupation zone of Great Britain.
History of the Reichstag.
The Reichstag building (Reichstagsgebäude - “state assembly building”) is a famous historical building in Berlin. The building was designed by the Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot in the style of the Italian High Renaissance. The first stone in the foundation of the building of the German Parliament was laid on June 9, 1884 by Kaiser Wilhelm I. The construction lasted ten years and was completed under Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Why was the Reichstag chosen to hoist the Banner of Victory?
The assault on the Reichstag and the hoisting of the Banner of Victory over it for every Soviet citizen meant the end of the most terrible war in the history of mankind. Many soldiers gave their lives for this purpose. However, why was the Reichstag building, and not the Reich Chancellery, chosen as a symbol of victory over fascism? There are various theories on this subject, and we will consider them.