The Battle of Berlin marked the brutal final chapter of World War II in Europe.
In 1945 as Soviet troops closed in, the German home defense militia known as the Volkssturm prepared to defend their city. The Russians quickly overwhelmed the Germans with their vastly superior numbers. Soon, the city was swarmed with tanks and much of it was reduced to rubble. Not long after, The Fuhrer ended his life and the war in Europe was finally over.
Witness the invaders and defenders fight for the final fate of the agressor after a long, grueling war.
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Soviet soldiers marching through Berlin
1945
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Devastation of the city
1945
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Civilians next to a tank in war-torn Berlin
1945
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The Soviet Union flag unfurled in Berlin after the battle
1945
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Tank near devastated suburb of Berlin
1945
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Soviet troops move in with tanks
1945
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Soviet army transporting supplies with horses
1945
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Grafitti translating to "Berlin Remains"
1945
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Soviet tank cruising through city streets
1945
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German command taken prisoner after the battle
1945
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German soldiers taken prisoner
1945
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Devastation with the Reichstag in the background
1945
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A Soviet tank takes aim in Berlin
1945
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Anti-aircraft gun ready to fire
1945
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Soviet troops storm Berlin
1945
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German troops run alongside burning building in Berlin
1945
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Tank amidst ruined Berlin
1945
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Rubble in the streets of Berlin after the battle
1945
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The Brandenburg Gate amid the ruins of Berlin
June, 1945
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Volkssturm men armed with Panzerfausts, single-shot man-portable anti-tank systems
1945
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A member of the Volkssturm, the German home defence militia, armed with a Panzerschreck, outside Berlin
April, 1945
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German troops run alongside burning building in Berlin
1945
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Ilyushin Il-2M3 Shturmovik armoured ground-attack aircraft over Berlin
1945
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Soviet tank crews parade in Moscow after the victory
Soviet tank crews parade in Moscow after the victory 1945
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The iconic "Raising a flag over the Reichstag" in Berlin, 1945
Photo by Yevgeny Khaldei
