Storming Berlin- the final part of the Berlin offensive operation of 1945, during which the Red Army captured the capital of Nazi Germany and victoriously ended the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War in Europe. The operation lasted from April 25 to May 2.

Storming Berlin

"Zoobunker" - a huge reinforced concrete fortress with anti-aircraft batteries on the towers and an extensive underground shelter - served at the same time as the largest bomb shelter in the city.

Early in the morning of May 2, the Berlin metro was flooded - a group of sappers from the SS division "Nordland" blew up a tunnel passing under the Landwehr Canal in the Trebbiner Strasse area. The explosion led to the destruction of the tunnel and filling it with water at a 25-km section. Water rushed into the tunnels, where a large number of civilians and the wounded were hiding. The number of victims is still unknown.

Information about the number of victims ... is different - from fifty to fifteen thousand people ... The data that about a hundred people died under water look more reliable. Of course, there were many thousands of people in the tunnels, among whom were the wounded, children, women and the elderly, but the water did not spread through the underground communications too quickly. Moreover, it spread underground in various directions. Of course, the picture of the advancing water caused genuine horror in people. And some of the wounded, as well as drunken soldiers, as well as civilians, became its inevitable victims. But talking about thousands of dead would be a strong exaggeration. In most places, the water barely reached a depth of one and a half meters, and the inhabitants of the tunnels had enough time to evacuate themselves and save the many wounded who were in the "hospital cars" near the Stadtmitte station. It is likely that many of the dead, whose bodies were subsequently brought to the surface, actually died not from water, but from wounds and diseases even before the destruction of the tunnel.

In the first hour of the night on May 2, the radio stations of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian: “Please cease fire. We are sending parliamentarians to the Potsdam Bridge.” A German officer who arrived at the appointed place on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin, General Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance. At 6 am on May 2, Artillery General Weidling, accompanied by three German generals, crossed the front line and surrendered. An hour later, while at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army, he wrote an order to surrender, which was reproduced and, using loud-speaking installations and radio, brought to the enemy units defending in the center of Berlin. As this order was brought to the attention of the defenders, resistance in the city ceased. By the end of the day, the troops of the 8th Guards Army cleared the central part of the city from the enemy. Separate units that did not want to surrender tried to break through to the west, but were destroyed or scattered.

On May 2, at 10 o'clock in the morning, everything suddenly calmed down, the fire ceased. And everyone understood that something had happened. We saw white sheets that were “thrown away” in the Reichstag, the Chancellery building and the Royal Opera and cellars that had not yet been taken. Entire columns were toppled from there. Ahead of us was a column, where there were generals, colonels, then soldiers behind them. It must have been three hours.

Alexander Bessarab, participant in the Battle of Berlin and the capture of the Reichstag

Operation results

Soviet troops defeated the Berlin grouping of enemy troops and stormed the capital of Germany - Berlin. Developing a further offensive, they reached the Elbe River, where they joined up with American and British troops. With the fall of Berlin and the loss of vital areas, Germany lost the opportunity for organized resistance and soon capitulated. With the completion of the Berlin operation, favorable conditions were created for the encirclement and destruction of the last large enemy groupings on the territory of Austria and Czechoslovakia.

The losses of the German armed forces in killed and wounded are unknown. Of the approximately 2 million Berliners, about 125,000 perished. The city was badly damaged as a result of the bombing even before the arrival of Soviet troops. The bombing continued during the battles near Berlin - the last bombing of the Americans on April 20 (Adolf Hitler's birthday) led to food problems. The destruction intensified as a result of the actions of Soviet artillery.

Indeed, it is unthinkable that such a huge fortified city should be taken so quickly. We do not know of other such examples in the history of the Second World War.

Alexander Orlov, Doctor of Historical Sciences.

Two guards heavy tank brigades IS-2 and at least nine guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiments of self-propelled guns took part in the battles in Berlin, including:

• 1st Belorussian Front
  • 7th Guards ttbr - 69th army
  • 11th Guards ttbr - frontline submission
  • 334 Guards. tsap - 47th army
  • 351 Guards. tsap - 3rd shock army, front-line subordination
  • 396 guards tsap - 5th shock army
  • 394 guards tsap - 8th Guards Army
  • 362, 399 guards. tsap - 1st Guards Tank Army
  • 347 Guards. tsap - 2nd Guards Tank Army
• 1st Ukrainian Front
  • 383, 384 guards. tsap - 3rd Guards Tank Army

The situation of the civilian population

Fear and despair

A significant part of Berlin, even before the assault, was destroyed as a result of Anglo-American air raids, from which the population hid in basements and bomb shelters. There were not enough bomb shelters and therefore they were constantly overcrowded. By that time, in Berlin, in addition to the three million local population (which consisted mainly of women, the elderly and children), there were up to three hundred thousand foreign workers, including Ostarbeiters, most of whom were forcibly deported to Germany. They were forbidden from entering bomb shelters and cellars.

Although the war for Germany had long been lost, Hitler ordered to resist to the last. Thousands of teenagers and old people were drafted into the Volkssturm. From the beginning of March, on the orders of the Reichskommissar Goebbels, responsible for the defense of Berlin, tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women, were sent to dig anti-tank ditches around the German capital.

Civilians who violated the orders of the authorities, even in the last days of the war, were threatened with execution.

There is no exact information on the number of civilian casualties. Different sources indicate a different number of people who died directly during the Battle of Berlin. Even decades after the war, previously unknown mass graves are found during construction work.

Violence against civilians

In Western sources, especially recently, a significant number of materials have appeared concerning mass violence by Soviet troops against the civilian population of Berlin and Germany in general - a topic that practically did not come up for many decades after the end of the war.

There are two opposite approaches to this extremely painful problem. On the one hand, there are documentary works by two English-speaking researchers - The Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan and The Fall of Berlin. 1945" by Anthony Beevor, which are, to a greater or lesser extent, a reconstruction of the events of half a century ago based on the testimonies of the participants in the events (in the overwhelming majority - representatives of the German side) and the memoirs of Soviet commanders. The claims Ryan and Beevor make are regularly reproduced by the Western press, which presents them as scientifically proven truth.

On the other hand, there are the opinions of Russian representatives (officials and historians), who admit numerous facts of violence, but question the validity of the allegations of its extreme mass character, as well as the possibility, after so many years, of verifying the shocking digital data that are given in the West. . Russian authors also draw attention to the fact that such publications, which focus on the over-emotional description of scenes of violence allegedly perpetrated by Soviet troops in Germany, follow the standards of Goebbels' propaganda of early 1945 and are aimed at belittling the role of the Red Army as the liberator of Eastern and Central Europe from fascism and denigrate the image of the Soviet soldier. In addition, the materials distributed in the West practically do not provide information about the measures taken by the Soviet command to combat violence and looting - crimes against the civilian population, which, as has been repeatedly pointed out, not only lead to tougher resistance of the defending enemy, but also undermine the combat effectiveness and discipline of the advancing army.

Links

Everyone remembers the sacramental phrase of Ivan the Terrible from the comedy film: "Kazan - took, Astrakhan - took!". Indeed, starting from the 16th century, the Muscovite state began to assert itself with resounding military victories. And at the same time, it was by no means limited to successes in the eastern lands. Very soon the tread of the Russian regiments sounded in Europe. What European capitals have witnessed the victories of Russian weapons?

the Baltics

The Northern War ended with the victory of Russia and allowed Peter I to annex the lands of the Baltic states to the possessions of the Russian crown. In 1710, after a long siege, Riga was taken, and then Revel (Tallinn). At the same time, the Russian landing captured the then capital of Finland, Abo.

Stockholm

For the first time, Russian troops appeared in the area of ​​the Swedish capital during the Great Northern War. In 1719, the Russian fleet made a landing and raids on the suburbs of Stockholm. The next time Stockholm saw the Russian flag was during the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809. The Swedish capital was taken as a result of a unique operation - a forced march across the frozen sea. The army under the command of Bagration overcame 250 kilometers on ice, on foot, in a snowstorm. It took five night crossings.

The Swedes were sure that nothing threatened them, because Russia was separated from them by the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. As a result, when Russian troops appeared, a real panic began in the Swedish capital. This war finally ended all disputes between Russia and Sweden and forever brought Sweden out of the ranks of the leading European powers. Then the Russians occupied Turku, the then capital of Finland, and Finland became part of the Russian Empire.

Berlin

The Russians took the capital of Prussia and then Germany twice. The first time was in 1760, during the Seven Years' War. The city was taken after an energetic raid by the combined Russian-Austrian troops. Each of the allies, of course, was in a hurry to get ahead of the other, since the laurels of the winner would go to the one who had time to come first. The Russian army turned out to be quicker.

Berlin was surrendered, practically, without any resistance. The inhabitants of Berlin froze in horror, waiting for the appearance of "Russian barbarians", however, as it soon became clear, they should have been afraid of the Austrians, who had long-standing scores with the Prussians.

The Austrian troops committed robbery and pogroms in Berlin, so the Russians had to reason with them with the use of weapons. It is said that Frederick the Great, upon learning that the destruction in Berlin was minimal, said: "Thanks to the Russians, they saved Berlin from the horrors with which the Austrians threatened my capital!" However, the official propaganda, at the behest of the same Friedrich, did not skimp on the descriptions of the horrors that the "Russian savages" repaired. The second time Berlin was taken in the spring of 1945, and this ended the bloodiest war in the history of Russia.

Bucharest

Russian troops occupied the capital of Romania during the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812. The Sultan tried to recapture the city, but the Russian army, numbering less than five thousand bayonets, opposed the thirteen thousandth corps of the Turks and utterly defeated it. In this battle, the Turks lost more than 3 thousand, and the Russians - 300 people.

The Turkish army withdrew beyond the Danube, and the Sultan was forced to leave Bucharest. Our troops also took Bucharest in 1944, during the Iasi-Kishinev operation, which is recognized as one of the most successful and effective military operations of the Second World War. An uprising against the fascist regime began in Bucharest, the Soviet troops supported the rebels, and were greeted on the streets of Bucharest with flowers and general rejoicing.

Belgrade

For the first time, Belgrade was taken by Russian troops during the same Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812. In Serbia, an uprising broke out against the Ottoman Empire, supported by the Russians. Belgrade was taken, our troops were enthusiastically received, and Serbia passed under the protectorate of Russia. Subsequently, Serbia had to be liberated from the Turks again, since the terms of peace were violated by the Ottoman Empire, and with the connivance of European states, the Turks again began to oppress Christians. As liberators, our troops entered the streets of Belgrade in 1944.

In 1798, Russia, as part of an anti-French coalition, began to fight against Napoleon, who had seized the lands of Italy. General Ushakov landed near Naples, and taking this city, moved to Rome, where the French garrison was located. The French retreated hastily. On October 11, 1799, Russian troops entered the "eternal city". Here is how Lieutenant Balabin wrote to Ushakov about this: “Yesterday, with our small corps, we entered the city of Rome.

The enthusiasm with which we were greeted by the residents does the greatest honor and glory to the Russians. From the gates of St. John to the soldiers' apartments, both sides of the streets were dotted with inhabitants of both sexes. Even with difficulty, our troops could pass.

»Vivat Pavlo primo! Vivat Muscovite!” - was proclaimed everywhere with applause. The joy of the Romans is explained by the fact that by the time the Russians arrived, bandits and marauders had already begun to host in the city. The appearance of disciplined Russian troops saved Rome from real plunder.

Warsaw

The Russians took this European capital, perhaps, most often. 1794. There was an uprising in Poland, and Suvorov was sent to suppress it. Warsaw was taken, and the assault was accompanied by the infamous "Prague Massacre" (Prague is the name of a suburb of Warsaw). The cruelties of Russian soldiers towards the civilian population, although they took place, nevertheless, were greatly exaggerated.

The next time Warsaw was taken was in 1831, also during the military campaign to suppress the uprising. The battle for the city was very fierce, both sides showed miracles of courage. Finally, our troops took Warsaw in 1944. The storming of the city was also preceded by an uprising, however, this time, the Poles did not rebel against the Russians, but against the Germans. Warsaw was liberated and saved from destruction by the Nazis.

Sofia

For this city, our troops also had to fight more than once. For the first time, Sofia was occupied by the Russians in 1878, during the Russian-Turkish war. The liberation of the ancient capital of Bulgaria from the Turks was preceded by fierce fighting in the Balkans.

When the Russians entered Sofia, they were enthusiastically received by the inhabitants of the city. Here is how the Petersburg newspapers wrote about this: "Our troops with music, songs and fluttering banners entered Sofia with the general rejoicing of the people." In 1944, Sofia was liberated by the Soviet troops from the Nazis, and the "Russian brothers" were again greeted with flowers and tears of joy.

Amsterdam

This city was liberated by the Russians from the French garrison during the foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813-15. The Dutch began an uprising against the Napoleonic occupation of the country and were supported by the Cossack units, commanded by none other than General Benckendorff. The Cossacks made such a strong impression on the inhabitants of Amsterdam that in memory of the liberation of their city from Napoleon, they celebrated a special holiday for a long time - Cossack Day.

Paris

The capture of Paris was a brilliant completion of the foreign campaign. The Parisians did not at all perceive the Russians as liberators, and in fear they expected the appearance of barbarian hordes, terrible bearded Cossacks and Kalmyks. However, very soon fear was replaced by curiosity, and then sincere sympathy. The rank and file behaved in Paris very disciplined, and the officers all spoke French as one, and were very gallant and educated people.

Cossacks quickly became fashionable in Paris, to watch how they bathe themselves and bathe their horses in the Seine went in whole groups. Officers were invited to the most fashionable Parisian salons. They say that Alexander I, having visited the Louvre, was very surprised not to see some of the paintings. They explained to him that in anticipation of the arrival of the "terrible Russians", the evacuation of works of art had begun. The emperor just shrugged his shoulders. And when the French set out to demolish the statue of Napoleon, the Russian tsar ordered that armed guards be assigned to the monument. So, who protected the property of France from vandalism is another question.

On May 2, 1945, the Berlin offensive operation of the Soviet troops, the final chord of the Great Patriotic War, ended with the surrender of the garrison of the German capital. However, in Russian military history, this was the third episode when the foot of a Russian soldier stepped on the pavement of the main German street Unter den Linden (which means “under the lindens”), bringing peace and tranquility to the place where the threat to the peoples of Europe and not only them was constantly coming from. . And the first happened 256 years ago during the all-European Seven Years' War of 1756-1763.

The war was fought between two coalitions of opposing countries. In one - England with Prussia, and in the other, a host of states: Austria, Russia, Saxony, Spain, France and Sweden. The Western European countries that entered the war, each individually, pursued, first of all, their narrowly selfish goals, which boiled down to one thing - to grab what was badly lying. Most of all in this ignoble deed, the Prussian king Frederick II succeeded, constantly expanding his own possessions at the expense of his neighbors. His aggressive attempts seriously alarmed the ruling circles of the Russian Empire.

The fighting began on August 28, 1756, without the traditional declaration of war, with the sudden invasion of the Prussian army into Saxony. The Prussians managed to inflict many crushing blows on their opponents. However, they could do nothing when Russia took over. Having suffered a number of defeats from the Russian troops, the Prussian king Frederick II on this occasion left a very remarkable entry in his diary: “It is not enough to kill a Russian soldier. He still needs to be knocked down." He tried to turn the tide, gathering under his own hand all available forces for the last and decisive battle with the victorious Russian Imperial Army.

This battle took place on August 12, 1759 near the village of Kunersdorf. The result of the general battle is most eloquently evidenced by the lines of a letter written by Friedrich after the battle to one of his addressees: “From an army of 48 thousand, I don’t have even three thousand left at this moment. Everything is running, and I have no more power over the army. In Berlin, they will do well if they think about their safety ... ". Friedrich barely blew his legs, and his hat, which fell off the crowned royal head in the heat of battle, became the most honorable trophy in this war among the many other Russian victors that fell into the hands of. It is still kept in the Museum. A.V. Suvorov in St. Petersburg.

The Kunersdorf victory opened the way for the Russian troops to Berlin. The commander-in-chief of the active Russian army, Count Field Marshal P. Saltykov, considered the campaign against the capital of Prussia his immediate task. On September 21, 1760, he received a corresponding directive, which spoke of the need to take measures to organize, together with the Austrians, a raid on the capital of Prussia. And the goals of the upcoming military operation were clearly specified - the destruction of arsenals and other military-industrial facilities, in order to thereby deprive the Prussian army of the supply of military materials.

Advised on September 26 to the Berlin direction, the Russian expeditionary force included the raiding detachment of Major General G. Totleben and cover forces under the command of Lieutenant General Z. Chernyshev with a total of twenty-four thousand bayonets and sabers with fifteen guns attached to them. Operational management was carried out by Chernyshev. The movement of the Russian expeditionary forces was supported by the Austro-Saxon corps of General Lassi, numbering about fourteen thousand people.

Berlin already then was a major cultural, scientific and industrial center not only of Prussia, but of the whole of Germany with an urban population of about one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. In the times described, the city was located on two islands of the Spree River, and its suburbs stretched along both its banks. Berlin itself was surrounded by a bastion-type fortress wall, and the river branches acted as natural ditches. The settlement on the right bank was surrounded by a vast earthen rampart, on the left bank - by a stone fence. Of the ten city gates, only the Cottbus gates were covered by a fortification of a very weak profile with a single three-pounder cannon.

Despite such an unpretentious, compared with the capitals of other Western European states, appearance and relatively small size, Berlin already then earned the well-deserved fame of "Athens on the Spree". More than half of the gross industrial product of all of Prussia was produced at his enterprises. Needless to say, from a strategic point of view, it was a very important facility that supplied the Prussian army with all types of weapons, ammunition and clothing allowances.

By the time the Russian troops approached, the Berlin garrison consisted of no more than three infantry battalions and two light cavalry squadrons under the command of General von Rochow. The appearance of Russian patrols on the morning of October 3 caused panic among the city dwellers. The commandant, succumbing to the general mood, was already preparing to leave the capital without a fight. But the commander of the raiding detachment, Major General Totleben, a foreigner in the Russian service, acted with excessive caution. Encouraged by his indecisiveness, von Rochow found it necessary to hold out until the reinforcements he called in arrived.

For the demonstrative intimidation of the intractable enemy, Totleben allocated extremely insignificant forces, only some one and a half thousand people with four guns. Their assault was unsuccessful. On the night of October 3-4, the commandant of Berlin dawned on hope for a better outcome, when the expected reinforcements approached him - the advanced squadrons of the corps of the Prince of Württemberg. Behind them, he was told, other units followed in a hurry.

On October 7, having gathered all available forces into a fist, General Totleben, after artillery preparation, knocked out the Prussians from their positions. But this attack did not receive further development. In the midst of the battle from Potsdam, another enemy detachment appeared - the vanguard of the Prussian troops of General Gulzen. Its commander, General Kleist, immediately rushed to the Russians. However, easily repulsed, he did not tempt fate anymore and disappeared behind the city walls.

By the morning of October 8, General Chernyshev with his army came to the aid of Totleben. A little later, the Austrians Lassi arrived. Around Berlin, for its capture, concentrated all the available forces in the amount of thirty-seven thousand people with thirty-five field guns, which immediately took up the positions assigned for the assault. At the moment of preparation for the attack, unexpected news came - the enemy capital surrenders without a fight, and its garrison capitulates. The beaten Prussian generals hurried to retreat away in good health, leaving von Rochov, his subordinates, and the capital itself to the mercy of fate. Against the formidable royal instructions, they advised him to finally settle the matter amicably.

On the same day, Russian troops solemnly entered Berlin, followed by the Austrians. The Allies got huge trophies and a large number of prisoners of war, the reception of which ended on October 9 at the Cottbus Gate. In the same place, members of the magistrate handed over to the Russian command, according to the custom of that time, the keys to Berlin. In addition, the Russians freed 3976 Austrians, Swedes and Saxons who were languishing in Prussian captivity. A Russian officer, brigadier K. Bachman, was appointed commandant of Berlin. He immediately began to fulfill his direct duties.

Russian troops on the streets of Berlin in 1760
The entry of the Russian troops was marked by one curious event. Brigadier F. Krasnoshchekov, who commanded the Cossack units, ordered the capture of all the Berlin newspapermen. The latter, in their printed publications, furiously sling mud at Russia and its army, spreading the most vile lies and fables. Half-dead with fear, the scribblers were brought to the ataman and, at his command, in public, so that it was disrespectful to others, they were carved on Unter den Linden, the main street of Berlin. The lesson went well. For the next hundred years, no one in Prussia dared even "cough" in the direction of Russia.

The Berliners, despite the slander of local hack writers, very soon became convinced of the humane attitude of Russian soldiers and officers towards civilians. They were especially struck by the fact that the Russian troops, in order not to embarrass the townspeople by waiting, bivouacked in the city squares under the open sky. The ice of alienation instantly melted, and friendly children's voices rang around the soldiers' fires and tents, where the townsfolk enjoyed the singing of Russian soldiers.

The Austrians are different. Bad warriors, they knew how to do only one thing well - to rob defenseless residents. The Austrian soldiers gutted not only government and private buildings, but even a hospital and shelters for the infirm and needy citizens. The streets of Berlin began to fill with the cries of the robbed and tortured inhabitants. In some places, flames appeared from the buildings destroyed by the Austrians. And then, in order to stop the outrages that were happening, the Russian troops, by order of General Chernyshev, took control of the entire city territory. And in pursuance of the order of the commandant Brigadier Bachmann, Russian patrols seized and shot dozens of marauders, not paying any attention to the protests of the Austrian General Lassi.

Having fulfilled their mission, the Russian troops, escorted by the exclamations of grateful citizens, left the Prussian capital on October 12. Bachmann was the last to leave with his subordinates, to whom grateful residents presented ten thousand thalers collected by subscription as a gift. He rejected the offering, stating in the end that he considers the days when he was the commandant of the enemy capital to be his best reward.

At the capture of Berlin, Frederick II broke out into an angry tirade in which he compared the Austrians with barbarians, but at the same time noted the fact that: "The Russians saved the city from the horrors that the Austrians threatened it with."

This event caused a huge resonance in Europe. The French philosopher Voltaire wrote to the Russian dignitary Count A. Shuvalov: "Your troops in Berlin make a more favorable impression than all Metastasio's operas." He was echoed by his German colleague philosopher I. Kant: "If in the future Berlin is captured by enemy troops, then I would like them to be Russians." And how he looked into the water. They once again came to the capital of Prussia - on February 21, 1813, but already as liberators from Napoleonic rule. Remarkably, the Russian detachment was again commanded by Major General A. Chernyshev, a distant relative of the very one who entered Berlin for the first time.

Alexander Netesov

How the Russian army first took Berlin

The capture of Berlin by Soviet troops in 1945 marked the end of the Great Patriotic War. The red flag over the Reichstag, even decades later, remains the most striking symbol of the Victory. But the Soviet soldiers marching on Berlin were not pioneers. Their ancestors first stepped into the streets of the surrendered German capital two centuries before ...

The Seven Years' War, which began in 1756, was the first full-scale European conflict in which Russia was drawn.

The rapid strengthening of Prussia under the rule of the militant King Frederick II worried the Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and forced her to join the anti-Prussian coalition of Austria and France.

Frederick II, not inclined to diplomacy, called this coalition "an alliance of three women", referring to Elizabeth, the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa and the favorite of the French king, the Marquise de Pompadour.

War with an eye

Russia's entry into the war in 1757 was rather cautious and indecisive.

The second reason according to which the Russian military leaders did not seek to force events, there was a deteriorating state of health of the empress. It was known that the heir to the throne, Pyotr Fedorovich, was an ardent admirer of the Prussian king and a categorical opponent of the war with him.

Frederick II the Great

The first major battle between the Russians and the Prussians, which took place at Gross-Jägersdorf in 1757, to the great surprise of Frederick II, ended with the victory of the Russian army. This success, however, was offset by the fact that the commander of the Russian army, Field Marshal Stepan Apraksin, ordered a retreat after a victorious battle.

This step was explained by the news of the serious illness of the empress, and Apraksin was afraid of angering the new emperor, who was about to take the throne.

But Elizaveta Petrovna recovered, Apraksin was removed from his post and sent to prison, where he soon died.

Miracle for the King

The war continued, more and more turning into a struggle of attrition, which was unprofitable for Prussia - the country's resources were significantly inferior to the enemy's reserves, and even the financial support of allied England could not compensate for this difference.

In August 1759, at the Battle of Kunersdorf, the allied Russian-Austrian forces utterly defeated the army of Frederick II.

Alexander Kotzebue. "Battle of Kunersdorf" (1848)

The king's condition was close to despair.“In truth, I believe that all is lost. I will not survive the death of my Fatherland. Goodbye forever", Friedrich wrote to his minister.

The road to Berlin was open, but a conflict arose between the Russians and the Austrians, as a result of which the moment for capturing the Prussian capital and ending the war was lost. Frederick II, taking advantage of the sudden respite, managed to raise a new army and continue the war. The delay of the Allies, which saved him, he called "the miracle of the House of Brandenburg."

Throughout 1760, Frederick II managed to resist the superior forces of the allies., which were hampered by inconsistency. At the Battle of Liegnitz, the Prussians defeated the Austrians.

Unsuccessful assault

The French and Austrians, concerned about the situation, urged the Russian army to step up their actions. Berlin was proposed as a target for her.

The capital of Prussia was not a powerful fortress. Weak walls, turning into a wooden palisade - the Prussian kings did not expect that they would have to fight in their own capital.

Frederick himself was distracted by the fight against the Austrian troops in Silesia, where he had an excellent chance of success. Under these conditions, at the request of the allies, the Russian army was given a directive to carry out a raid on Berlin.

The 20,000th Russian corps of Lieutenant General Zakhar Chernyshev advanced to the Prussian capital with the support of the 17,000th Austrian corps of Franz von Lassi.

Count Gottlob Kurt Heinrich von Totleben

The Russian avant-garde was commanded by Gottlob Totleben, a born German who lived in Berlin for a long time and dreamed of the sole glory of the conqueror of the Prussian capital.

Totleben's troops arrived in Berlin before the main forces. In Berlin, they hesitated as to whether it was worth holding the line, but under the influence of Friedrich Seydlitz, the commander of Frederick's cavalry, who was treated in the city after being wounded, they decided to fight.

The first assault attempt ended in failure. The fires that started in the city after the shelling by the Russian army were quickly extinguished, out of the three attacking columns, only one managed to break through directly to the city, but they also had to retreat due to the desperate resistance of the defenders.

victory with scandal

Following this, the Prussian corps of Prince Eugene of Württemberg came to the aid of Berlin, which forced Totleben to retreat.

In the capital of Prussia, they rejoiced early - the main forces of the allies approached Berlin. General Chernyshev began to prepare a decisive assault.

On the evening of September 27, a military council met in Berlin, at which a decision was made - due to the complete superiority of the enemy, the city should be surrendered. At the same time, the parliamentarians were sent to the ambitious Totleben, believing that it would be easier to negotiate with a German than with a Russian or an Austrian.

Totleben really went to meet the besieged, allowing the surrendered Prussian garrison to leave the city.

At that moment, when Totleben entered the city, he met with Lieutenant Colonel Rzhevsky, who arrived to negotiate with the Berliners on the terms of surrender on behalf of General Chernyshev. Totleben told the lieutenant colonel to tell him that he had already taken the city and received symbolic keys from it.

Chernyshev arrived in the city beside himself with rage - Totleben's amateur performance, backed up, as it turned out later, by a bribe from the Berlin authorities, categorically did not suit him. The general gave the order to begin the pursuit of the outgoing Prussian troops. The Russian cavalry overtook the units retreating to Spandau and defeated them.

“If Berlin is destined to be busy, then let it be the Russians”

The population of Berlin was horrified by the appearance of the Russians, who were described as absolute savages, but, to the surprise of the townspeople, the soldiers of the Russian army behaved with dignity, not committing excesses against civilians. But the Austrians, who had personal scores with the Prussians, did not restrain themselves - they robbed houses, passers-by on the streets, smashed everything they could reach. It got to the point that the Russian patrols had to reason with the allies with the help of weapons.

The stay of the Russian army in Berlin lasted six days. Frederick II, having learned about the fall of the capital, immediately sent an army from Silesia to help the main city of the country. The battle with the main forces of the Prussian army was not part of Chernyshev's plans - he completed his task of distracting Friedrich. Having collected trophies, the Russian army left the city.

Russians in Berlin. Engraving by Daniel Chodovetsky.

The King of Prussia, having received a report of minimal destruction in the capital, remarked: "Thanks to the Russians, they saved Berlin from the horrors with which the Austrians threatened my capital." But these words of Friedrich were intended only for the immediate environment. The monarch, who highly appreciated the power of propaganda, ordered his subjects to be informed about the monstrous atrocities of the Russians in Berlin.

However, not everyone wanted to support this myth. The German scientist Leonid Euler wrote in a letter to a friend about the Russian raid on the Prussian capital: “We had a visit here that would have been extremely pleasant under other circumstances. However, I always wished that if Berlin was ever destined to be occupied by foreign troops, then let it be Russians ... "

What Frederick is salvation, Peter is death

The departure of the Russians from Berlin was a pleasant event for Frederick, but it was not of key importance for the outcome of the war. By the end of 1760, he completely lost the opportunity for a qualitative replenishment of the army, driving prisoners of war into its ranks, who very often ran across to the side of the enemy. The army could not conduct offensive operations, and the king was increasingly thinking about abdicating the throne.

The Russian army took full control of East Prussia, whose population had already sworn allegiance to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna.

At this very moment, Frederick II was helped by the "second miracle of the House of Brandenburg" - the death of the Russian Empress. Peter III, who replaced her on the throne, not only immediately made peace with his idol and returned to him all the territories conquered by Russia, but also provided troops for the war with yesterday's allies.

Peter III

What turned out to be happiness for Frederick cost Peter III dearly. The Russian army and, first of all, the guard did not appreciate the broad gesture, considering it insulting. As a result, the coup, soon organized by the emperor's wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, went like clockwork. Following this, the deposed emperor died under circumstances not completely clarified.

But the Russian army firmly remembered the road to Berlin, laid in 1760, in order to return whenever needed.

ALWAYS POSSIBLE

The capture of Berlin militarily was not particularly successful, but it had a great political resonance. All European capitals quickly flew around the phrase uttered by the favorite of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Count I.I. Shuvalov: “You can’t reach Petersburg from Berlin, but you can always get from Petersburg to Berlin.”

COURSE OF EVENTS

The dynastic contradictions of the European courts in the 18th century resulted in a bloody and long war "for the Austrian inheritance" of 1740-1748. Military fortune was on the side of the Prussian king Frederick II, who managed not only to expand his possessions by taking away the rich province of Silesia from Austria, but also to increase the foreign policy weight of Prussia, turning it into a powerful Central European power. However, this state of affairs could not suit other European countries, and especially Austria, which was then the leader of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Friedrich II that the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa and the court of Vienna would strive to restore not only the integrity of their state, but also the prestige of the state.

The confrontation between the two German states in Central Europe led to the emergence of two powerful blocs: Austria and France opposed the coalition of England and Prussia. In 1756, the Seven Years' War began. The decision to join Russia to the anti-Prussian coalition was made by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in 1757, since the numerous defeats of the Austrians threatened the capture of Vienna, and the excessive strengthening of Prussia was in conflict with the foreign policy of the Russian court. Russia also feared for the position of its newly annexed Baltic possessions.

Russia acted successfully in the Seven Years' War, more successfully than all the other parties, winning brilliant victories in key battles. But she did not take advantage of their fruits - in any case, Russia did not receive territorial acquisitions. The latter stemmed from internal court circumstances.

At the end of the 1750s. Empress Elizabeth was often ill. They feared for her life. Elizabeth's heir was her nephew, the son of Anna's eldest daughter, Grand Duke Pyotr Fedorovich. Before the adoption of Orthodoxy, his name was Karl Peter Ulrich. Almost immediately after birth, he lost his mother, was left without a father in childhood and took his father's Holstein throne. Prince Karl Peter Ulrich was the grandson of Peter I and great-nephew of the Swedish King Charles XII. At one time he was being prepared to become the heir to the Swedish throne.

The young duke of Holstein was brought up with exceptional mediocrity. The main pedagogical tool was the rod. This took a toll on the boy, whose natural abilities were thought to be limited. When in 1742 the 13-year-old Holstein prince was discharged to St. Petersburg, he made a depressing impression on everyone with his underdevelopment, bad manners and contempt for Russia. The ideal of Grand Duke Peter was Frederick II. As Duke of Holstein, Peter was a vassal of Frederick II. Many feared that he would be a "vassal" of the Prussian king, and take the Russian throne.

The courtiers and ministers knew that if Peter III came to the throne, Russia would immediately end the war as part of the anti-Prussian coalition. But still the reigning Elizabeth demanded victories over Frederick. As a result, the military leaders sought to inflict defeat on the Prussians, but "not fatal."

In the first major battle between the Prussian and Russian troops, which took place on August 19, 1757 near the village of Gross-Egersdorf, our army was commanded by S.F. Apraksin. He defeated the Prussians, but did not pursue them. On the contrary, he withdrew himself, which allowed Frederick II to put his army in order and transfer it against the French.

Elizabeth, having recovered from another illness, removed Apraksin. His place was taken by V.V. Fermor. In 1758, the Russians captured the capital of East Prussia, Koenigsberg. Then followed a bloody battle near the village of Zorndorf, both sides suffered heavy losses, but did not defeat each other, although each side declared its "victory".

In 1759, P.S. became the head of the Russian troops in Prussia. Saltykov. On August 12, 1759, the Battle of Kunersdorf took place, which became the crown of Russian victories in the Seven Years' War. 41,000 Russian soldiers, 5,200 Kalmyk cavalry and 18,500 Austrians fought under Saltykov. The Prussian troops were commanded by Frederick II himself, with 48,000 men in service.

The battle began at 9 o'clock in the morning, when the Prussian artillery dealt a crushing blow to the Russian artillery batteries. Most of the gunners died under the buckshot, some did not even have time to make a single volley. By 11 o'clock in the afternoon, Friedrich realizes that the left flank of the Russian-Austrian troops is extremely weakly fortified, and attacks it with superior forces. Saltykov decides to retreat, and the army, keeping the order of battle, retreats. At 6 pm, the Prussians captured all the artillery of the allies - 180 guns, of which 16 were immediately sent to Berlin as war trophies. Friedrich celebrated the victory.

However, Russian troops continued to hold two strategic heights: Spitzberg and Judenberg. An attempt to capture these points with the help of cavalry failed: the inconvenient terrain of the area did not allow Frederick's cavalry to turn around, and they all died under a hail of buckshot and bullets. A horse was killed near Frederick, and the commander himself miraculously escaped. Frederick's last reserve, life cuirassiers, was thrown into Russian positions, but the Chuguev Kalmyks not only stopped this attack, but also captured the cuirassier commander.

Realizing that Frederick's reserves were depleted, Saltykov ordered a general offensive, which threw the Prussians into a panic. Trying to flee, the soldiers crowded on the bridge over the Oder River, many drowned. Frederick himself admitted that the defeat of his army was complete: out of 48 thousand Prussians after the battle, only 3 thousand were in the ranks, and the guns captured at the first stage of the battle were repulsed. Frederick's despair is best shown in one of his letters: “From an army of 48,000, I don’t have even 3,000 left at this moment. Everything is running, and I no longer have power over the army. In Berlin, they will do well if they think about their safety. A cruel misfortune, I will not survive it. The consequences of the battle will be even worse than the battle itself: I have no more means, and to tell the truth, I consider everything lost. I will not survive the loss of my fatherland."

One of the trophies of Saltykov's army was the famous cocked hat of Frederick II, which is still kept in the museum in St. Petersburg. Frederick II himself almost became a prisoner of the Cossacks.

The victory at Kunersdorf allowed the Russian troops to occupy Berlin. The forces of Prussia were so weakened that Frederick could only continue the war with the support of the allies. In the campaign of 1760, Saltykov hoped to capture Danzig, Kolberg and Pomerania, and from there proceed to capture Berlin. The plans of the commander were realized only in part because of the inconsistency of actions with the Austrians. In addition, the commander-in-chief himself fell dangerously ill at the end of August and was forced to surrender command to Fermor, who was replaced by A.B., the favorite of Elizabeth Petrovna, who arrived in early October. Buturlin.

In turn, the building of Z.G. Chernyshev with the cavalry of G. Totleben and the Cossacks made a trip to the capital of Prussia. On September 28, 1760, the advancing Russian troops entered capitulated Berlin. (It is curious that when in February 1813, pursuing the remnants of Napoleon's army, the Russians occupied Berlin for the second time, Chernyshev was again at the head of the army - but not Zakhar Grigoryevich, but Alexander Ivanovich). The trophies of the Russian army were one and a half hundred guns, 18 thousand firearms, almost two million thalers of indemnity were received. 4.5 thousand Austrians, Germans and Swedes who were in German captivity gained freedom.

After staying in the city for four days, the Russian troops left it. Frederick II and his Great Prussia were on the verge of destruction. Corps P.A. Rumyantsev took the fortress of Kolberg ... At this decisive moment, the Russian Empress Elizabeth died. Having ascended the throne, Peter III stopped the war with Frederick, began to offer help to Prussia and, of course, broke off the anti-Prussian alliance with Austria.

Have any of those born in the world heard,
So that the triumphant people
Surrendered into the hands of the vanquished?
Oh shame! Oh, strange twist!

Thus, M.V. Lomonosov about the events of the Seven Years' War. Such an illogical end to the Prussian campaign and the brilliant victories of the Russian army did not bring Russia any territorial gains. But the victories of Russian soldiers were not in vain - the authority of Russia as a powerful military power has increased.

Note that this war became a military school for the outstanding Russian commander Rumyantsev. For the first time, he showed himself at Gross-Jägersdorf, when, leading the infantry of the vanguard, he fought his way through the thicket of the forest and hit the bayonets of the discouraged Prussians, which decided the outcome of the battle.