The Last Stand: The Battle of the Reichstag, Berlin 1945 (WW2 Documentary)

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  • Опубліковано 13 лип 2023
  • By late April 1945 Soviet troops, having advanced thousands of miles from the gates of Moscow, had surrounded Berlin and were poised to finally capture the German capital. Targetted by the Soviets was the famous Reichstag building in the centre of the Government quarter.
    This video examines those final days and the bitter fighting for that iconic location, which ultimately led to the end of WW2 in Europe.
    Support us via Patreon: / battleguide
    Check out 16 Days in Berlin: nebula.tv/16daysinberlin
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    Written Sources:
    • J. Alexander (2020), Fall of the Reichstag Script for BGVT
    • T. Le Tisser, Race for the Reichstag
    • T. Le Tissier, The Battle of Berlin 1945
    • T. Le Tissier, Soviet Conquest, Berlin 1945
    • M. Hastings, Armageddon, the Battle for Germany 1944-45
    • A. Beevor, Berlin, The Downfall 1945
    Video/Audio Sources:
    • 16 Days in Berlin (RealTime History)
    • J. Alexander, Berlin Virtual Tour (BGVT)
    • G. Debski, Interview (www.zeitzeugen-portal.de)
    • ClearBreeze Consulting (Berlin 3D model videos)
    • Der Untergang ‘Downfall’ (2004)
    General archive Sources:
    • Critical Past Film Archive (CPFA)
    • Google Earth (Web & Pro Versions)
    • Imperial War Museum Sound Archive (IWMSA)
    • Bundesarchiv (German National Archives)
    • US National Archives (NARA)
    • National Archives NextGen Catalog
    • Maptiler Pro (Desktop Version)
    • Memory Map Trench Maps
    Want to support our work?
    • / battleguide
    Credits:
    Research: Jesse Alexander & Dan Hill
    Script & Narration: Dan Hill
    Editors: Shane Greer & Linus Klassen
    Sound Design: Shane Greer
    Thumbnail Design: Shane Greer
    3D Modelling: Clearbreeze Consulting
    Music & Sound Effects: Epidemic Sounds

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,6 тис.

  • @Aged669
    @Aged669 10 місяців тому +1582

    I live in berlin and there are a lot of old buildings and walls that still have bullet holes in them. And the sourrounding forrest still have alot of old ammunituon in them, as a kid i always found ammo and parts from grenades in the forrest( that was not long a ago maybe 2006-2010)

    • @samueladams3746
      @samueladams3746 10 місяців тому +69

      Was there back in ‘14 and took several self guided walking tours. Noted this and in some areas (mostly former East Berlin) it seemed like you could track which intersections were most heavily fought over by the damage around windows, particularly those that were “half windows” in basements.

    • @Revolver1701
      @Revolver1701 10 місяців тому +73

      My father-in-law was in WW2 US Army but he never made it to Berlin. He said he didn’t want to see it in ruins. He was not at all pro-Hitler but he said that it was difficult seeing civilian casualties.

    • @hanspaul853
      @hanspaul853 10 місяців тому +13

      Ami go Home

    • @dondo6787
      @dondo6787 10 місяців тому

      @@hanspaul853 du Dödel

    • @user-rm5xd4il6c
      @user-rm5xd4il6c 10 місяців тому +71

      @@Revolver1701 Perhaps that is why the Anglo-American troops razed to the ground Dresden, a beautiful city in which there were no military installations, and the victims were mostly civilians.

  • @robertkorn3817
    @robertkorn3817 10 місяців тому +723

    My mother, born 1923, survived the April 45 in Berlin. The last troops to defend the city were Hitlerjugend, some regular Wehrmacht and - french SS from Division "Charlemagne". Mother never made any bad comments on the Russians, "they saved the lives of us survivors with food and healthcare".

    • @koushikdas1992
      @koushikdas1992 10 місяців тому +77

      Just like in Ukraine! Yeah?

    • @jeffreyg4626
      @jeffreyg4626 10 місяців тому +82

      Nice to hear the truth once in a while.Thank you.

    • @marcks-3980
      @marcks-3980 10 місяців тому +116

      Probably because she would've gotten into big trouble for saying anything bad about the Soviets, or conversely, gotten in trouble for saying anything good about NS Germany.

    • @vasiliyshukshin7466
      @vasiliyshukshin7466 10 місяців тому +90

      @@marcks-3980 That might’ve been the truth were it not for the simple fact that there was no one to provide either food or medical care to Berliners besides Soviets, and the death toll among the survivors in the first 2-3 months after the war’s end would’ve been staggering without Soviet involvement.
      Guess she knew what she was talking about.

    • @robertkorn3817
      @robertkorn3817 10 місяців тому +61

      @@marcks-3980 no. She told me long after war, when I asked her about their war experiences.

  • @BillBird2111
    @BillBird2111 10 місяців тому +661

    This was OUTSTANDING. I didn't have high hopes at first. It looked like another "run of the mill" Russians take Berlin video. But, oh my goodness, the research popped up and the personal letters written by ordinary soldiers just really drove this thing home. The only thing missing is a room-by-room battle map and I have a feeling that will come at some point with more exhaustive research. Great job Battle Guide. I am a fan.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +39

      Thanks very much Bill, really glad you are enjoying our content!

    • @MrJuggernaut2012
      @MrJuggernaut2012 10 місяців тому +8

      Operations room has that room by room analysis

    • @_XPEHOPE3_
      @_XPEHOPE3_ 10 місяців тому +5

      @BillBird2111Type the following words in the UA-cam search engine: Soviet Storm. You will see all the details of the war from the beginning to the end, all military operations, documents and so on.

    • @samorpeterenpretene9184
      @samorpeterenpretene9184 9 місяців тому

      In Romania they say the Germans came and didn’t rape us. The Russians came and rapped us.
      If you ask me. They never cared for labels when I’d correct them and say “you mean the Nazis, you mean the Bolsheviks” I always got blank stares. Clearly labels didn’t mean anything.
      So when I tell the story I say “the Germans came and they didn’t rape my grandma and her sisters, the Satanic Bolshevik Marxists came with their Mongoloid Turkmen hoards and my grandma had to hide out in hey stacks with her sisters” cause in 2023 in America labels matter.
      I mean it only takes a little research, Bitchute is great but you might be scared at first, cause you can post literally anything on there. Not like here. Where I get suspended for words every other week. But there was a Bolshevik Jew who I forget his name, had to be minister of war or something, guy demanded more European blood. But also Stalin sent his blonde haired blue eyed Russians into Berlin for the photo opp. The Hoards were used in the south against the Ukrainians Romanians Hungarians Slavs and Austria. The southern part of romania wasn’t subject to battle. So I wasn’t supporised when I asked the Romanian lady in my church with strong Asian features. She was from the north, 15min from the boarder with Ukraine and Besserabia MD so her family was clearly rapped….. and ultimately, what do you expect to see when arriving in Germany after 3months of relentless bombing the world had never seen. But emaciated bodies. Who starves first if the infrastructure is shot ? The soldier? The civilians? Or more than likely it’s those emaciated bodies in the camps that were greatly effected by the bombing leading up to DDay. So how can you trust any soldier in any war the world over. They had to have known they were nothing more than tools. They had to have realized they don’t have a clue what they’re fighting for let alone what they’re looking for. I don’t doubt a single soldier said, “wait didn’t we spend the last 3 months bombing them, oh yeah it looks like a forest used to be over there” nope none asked. All the camps are in the East and were supposed the take the Satanic Bolsheviks accounts ???
      Now You’ll ask why I keep calling them satanic. Well because according to Europe they were and are. But we live in America and we wouldn’t know if Hollywood wasn’t there to tell us.

    • @_XPEHOPE3_
      @_XPEHOPE3_ 9 місяців тому +2

      @@sandozpop6017 There is no such thing as a PRISM. There is such a thing as the eastern front. Where they show which sector of the front the commanders were on, what were the successes and failures. Show some documents. The battle in Stalingrad is a Soviet prism, in fact Paulus won there. The Battle of Kursk was lost by the Soviet Union. The USSR eventually suffered a monstrous military defeat from Germany and Japan. All any achievements of the USSR are a prism.

  • @FERG56
    @FERG56 9 місяців тому +95

    I went to Berlin in June '23 and visited the Reichstag roof. Spent ages looking for the specific spot where that photo was taken - as its not clear today (there are many rooftop statues and figureheads). Once I found it - it was incredibly moving to know I was stood exactly where that photo was taken. Something I'll never forget

    • @itsalmostfun8567
      @itsalmostfun8567 8 місяців тому +2

      dang thats quite nice

    • @larrywilson9392
      @larrywilson9392 4 місяці тому +1

      I can feel your thrill. That is what 'hiistory tourism' is all about. May I add tha story I believe is fact: the placing of the flag was a great honour, and the first photo was of an unknown soldier; this last photo was of a man with a name,by a professional photographer, on Stalin's direction, as a reward for his servicer. He 1had been made a scout, to go behind German lines, and collect information on troop numbers and movements. But, by order of Stalin, any civilians, German or Russian, whom he interviewed, were to be killed, shortly after. Stalin believed they might in turn be interrogated by the Nazis, and reveal what they had told to the scout. A very hard thing to do, kill a helpful person. The scout remembered one beautiful young woman, with many children, who was very friendly, and tried to help, and he had to slit her throat at the end, which was his way of execution. The memory of this woman haunted him for a long time after, nearly driving him mad. He had to remind himself that he had obeyed his orders, and done his duty.
      So, this professional photo of him, planting the hammer and sickle, was set up as a reward, for it had been hardly earned.

    • @mrobocop1666
      @mrobocop1666 3 місяці тому +2

      ​@@larrywilson9392 seems too unrealistic, Stalin wouldn't personally command scout units of the giant 10 million people army

    • @djole93podbara
      @djole93podbara 3 місяці тому +2

      Just did the same yesterday! It felt very powerfull in some way. There is even a soviet soldier graffiti visible on one wall on the roof saying: Astrahanj - Makarov.

    • @JustinSeara
      @JustinSeara Місяць тому +2

      4:35 imagine seeing the barrel of a 205 mm artillery canon pointed straight at your building. 💀

  • @ShamileII
    @ShamileII 10 місяців тому +258

    I visited Berlin in 1985 and stayed with some friends I met as exchange students when they came over. They showed me Templhoff airport with the Nazi eagles still in place but the swastikas removed.
    The most fascinating was the Reichstag. At a distance, it looks all restored but when you get close, you can see all the shell and bullet hole damage. Even the repaired parts are little squares fitted in the holes...but not disguised.
    Fun fact, when you went on the subway in Berlin, the lines crossed over to East Berlin and back. The train would have to slow down but not stop at each East German station where every 20 ft or so, east German guards were stationed. It was kinda eerie passing these troops ( the enemy at the time) .

    • @Smudgeroon74
      @Smudgeroon74 10 місяців тому

      The swastika is an old Indian motif which actually represents peace and harmony.. of course the dumb indoctrinated masses will never take the time to find this out for themselves...

    • @BigYouDog
      @BigYouDog 10 місяців тому +7

      I was in Berlin in 1973, and I remember my one journey on the U-bahn, with the slowing down at stations, and the guards with submachine guns in the gloom. I got off at Fredrichstraas, but I did not go out of the station as I was unsure if it was allowed. The two Russian soldiers didn't look very approachable, so I think I took the train back to where I was staying.

    • @jbradley8659
      @jbradley8659 10 місяців тому +3

      How did either of you get into Berlin when the Soviets were still around and controlling the city? (Are you talking about west Berlin?)

    • @BigYouDog
      @BigYouDog 9 місяців тому +8

      @jbradley8659 Back then, by car, West Berlin was accessible by a few heavily controlled roads. I was in my early 20s and hitch hiking around. I was meeting someone I had met a couple of months earlier who was then working in W. Berlin. I got a lift at the E.German border. A driver had a certain amount of time to reach W. Berlin, including a short break, if you took longer, they would want to know why.

    • @chuckware8573
      @chuckware8573 9 місяців тому +4

      I was stationed there from 85 - 87, we weren't allowed on the U Bahn that went east. When we would go to the Grunewald for FTX and dig in positions we always found shells, rounds and just tons of shrapnel. You couldn't dig anywhere and not find something. The Kaiser Wilhelm was my favorite place with its history

  • @petergeyer7584
    @petergeyer7584 10 місяців тому +275

    As a Berliner, great video. It is easy to forget that in terms of real space, Zone Z in general and the area in front of the Reichstag in particular are not very big. Also, while it is still being cleaned up almost 80 years later, Berlin still has many signs remaining of its violent history. By the age of 7 (now 17), my daughter could tell the difference between bullet, shell and shrapnel holes in our local walls.

    • @warfarenotwarfair5655
      @warfarenotwarfair5655 9 місяців тому

      Germans have children? Every German I meet is a childless Marxist well in their 40s.

    • @garylancaster8612
      @garylancaster8612 9 місяців тому +5

      I went to Berlin in 1987 for the one and only time and remember the bullet and shrapnel pockmarked walls. I visited the East and still remember going on the train over the wall, seeing the sand of no man's land and then suddenly seeing the Trabbies!

    • @thalmoragent9344
      @thalmoragent9344 9 місяців тому +5

      It's insane how Berlin was such a battleground to end the 2nd World War. I mean, it makes sense, but still, nuts to think about.

    • @thalmoragent9344
      @thalmoragent9344 9 місяців тому +1

      ​​@@garylancaster8612
      There was "sand" from all the rubble blasted by artillery? Man... that's a helluva sight, I imagine.

    • @garylancaster8612
      @garylancaster8612 9 місяців тому +1

      @@thalmoragent9344 No, the sand was the "no man's land"area on the Eastern side of the wall. About 100 yards of raked sand behind the wall, guard tower and attack dogs before the buildings of East Berlin began.

  • @VRevelations
    @VRevelations 9 місяців тому +45

    “The most terrible of all my battles was the one before Moscow. The French showed themselves to be worthy of victory, but the Russians showed themselves worthy of being invincible.”
    - Napoleon

    • @el5880
      @el5880 9 місяців тому +12

      Someone tell the Americans

  • @colt45jr
    @colt45jr 10 місяців тому +131

    I’ve lived in Berlin and I think the signs of the war are everywhere, albeit in an abstract way: there are almost no old (pre-1945) buildings in the whole city, and almost all buildings are rendered (brickwork covered with concrete and painted) - this is because they were built from reclaimed bricks from bombed out buildings.

    • @nytoaddis76
      @nytoaddis76 10 місяців тому +4

      Germans should never have fought for the city once the war was lost.

    • @axelwilandh9896
      @axelwilandh9896 10 місяців тому +1

      Well the housing in the center was pretty much destroyed by bombing and fighting but as Berlin was a big city already at the turn of the last century there are a great amount of these "gründerzeit" buildings still standing in the neighborhoods forming a ring around the center. Like 25% of the current housing consists of original apartments in buildings built until 1918 and another 12% from 1919 to 1945.

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому +16

      @@nytoaddis76 How can you say that? They fought to the last man as they were ordered too. The alternative was to be shot either by their superior officers or shipped to Siberia to die in a gulag. Death was preferable.

    • @jackstarr4726
      @jackstarr4726 10 місяців тому +1

      ​@@nytoaddis76
      They thought the Soviets were running out of men too, obviously.

    • @jackstarr4726
      @jackstarr4726 10 місяців тому +3

      Most of Berlin is still buildings from before 1945. But the area around the former chancellory building is all modern - maybe that's what you mean.

  • @mrbutch308
    @mrbutch308 10 місяців тому +27

    Fun fact: the Reichstag building was more or less a copy of a building in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia original - which still stands - is "Memorial Hall" which was built to be the centerpiece of Philly's 1876 Great Centennial Exhibition.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +4

      Oh wow... just checked the similarities!

    • @mrbutch308
      @mrbutch308 10 місяців тому +5

      @@BattleGuideVT Memorial Hall now is the Philadelphia Children's Please Touch Museum ... one of the best museums for kids in the country. However, for the adults, there is an exhibit in the basement dedicated to the 1876 Great Centennial Exhibition- the very first World's Fair in the US. There is a complete diorama of the exposition of how it looked in 1876.

    • @UnmenschgebliebenerMann67
      @UnmenschgebliebenerMann67 10 місяців тому +1

      ​@@mrbutch308This is true to a very limited extend. There is a discussion that the Reichstag architect got inspired by the dome of that. But that is not for sure and rest of the building has nothing to do with it.

    • @jimschlat
      @jimschlat 10 місяців тому

      oh shit im from outside philly i gotta check this out

    • @marcobassini3576
      @marcobassini3576 3 місяці тому +1

      Neoclassical architecture has its roots in ancient Rome, and before that ancient Greece. Many monuments in Washington DC and other cities (I have never been in USA, but I have seen them in countless movies) are inspired by Imperial Rome (still visible today!!). Europe is full of such architecture (especially in government and institutions buildings in capitals), and from Europe it reached the USA.

  • @danalhal8696
    @danalhal8696 10 місяців тому +100

    I give you a great thanks for showing us the pictures and 3D modules of the buildings. You helped paint a clear image of the battle please make more battle videos with the same technique. Thank you.

  • @ellenbeckett5231
    @ellenbeckett5231 7 місяців тому +25

    My dad was wounded in Germany in February 1945. Like most WWII veterans, he almost never talked about it. He died in 1976, and for all the years since I have wished I was able to talk with him about it. Band of Brothers gave me my first real idea of what combat in Germany that winter was like.

    • @NJTDover
      @NJTDover 3 місяці тому +5

      Your dad most likely saw terrible things during the war. Things one would rather try to forget and not share it with anyone.

    • @Kalus_Saxon
      @Kalus_Saxon 2 місяці тому +3

      They all realised they fought the wrong enemy… if Germany wasn’t stopped we wouldn’t be blessed with all the lovely diversity we have now… 😕

    • @HelmutHein
      @HelmutHein Місяць тому +2

      Band of Brothers gives not the true angle of view . It's a simple Hollywood Soap Opera.

    • @neggaballs3840
      @neggaballs3840 Місяць тому

      @@HelmutHein Bob is mid pacific way better

  • @richarddavenport31
    @richarddavenport31 10 місяців тому +11

    I WAS IN THE US ARMY IN 1986 AND WAS ABLE TO VISIT EAST BERLIN. I WAS HUNGRY AND BOUGHT WHAT LOOKED LIKE A HAMBURGER, BUT WHEN I BIT IBTO IT, IT TASTED SO BAD AND THE MEAT WAS SO MYSTERIOUS, THAT I HAD TO SPIT IT OUT, AND I THREW THE WHOLE THING AWAY, RATHER THAN GET SICK FROM IT!!!! EAST BERLIN WAS LIKE STEPPING BACK INTO THE 1950S, THE STYLES AND CLOTHES ALL LOOKED THAT WAY TO ME!!!!

  • @Florehh
    @Florehh 7 місяців тому +3

    Berliner here: Outstanding movie, I can only recommend to visit the Reichstag when coming to Berlin as well as the Flaktower at Humboldthain. When walking through the Reichstag you can see the old soviet graffitis, it sends shivers down my spine everytime I walk by.

  • @MAACotton
    @MAACotton 9 місяців тому +10

    This was a very interesting and well done video. The way you edited the overhead maps and extrapolated 3D buildings off of the old aerial photography was magnificent. Thank you very much for this content.

  • @meatrocket4830
    @meatrocket4830 10 місяців тому +77

    Your channel has become one of my new favorites! I love the way you overlayed the old battle damaged ruins of the city with its current state. I look forward to watching more of your videos in the future. Keep up the great work!!

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +9

      Thank you vry much... glad you enjoyed it.

  • @Landiosmedjos
    @Landiosmedjos 10 місяців тому +22

    Great vid! I always like how you show modern day aerial views and then highlight where important points of the battle would have been in the past. Gives good context not many others do.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +1

      Thank you... glad you enjoyed it.

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому

      I agree. I have never seen the the geography of the battle for the Riechstag before.

  • @HarryR1
    @HarryR1 10 місяців тому +95

    Outstanding work in producing this video! 👏 I visited Berlin a few years ago and battle damage is still clearly visible in many places. This style of video really brings the story to life and is helpful to understand how the battle relates to the modern day layout of the city. Keep up the great work, it’s very much appreciated.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +6

      Thank you very much!

    • @larrywilson9392
      @larrywilson9392 4 місяці тому +1

      May I join Harry in his appreciation of this video.

  • @HongQuanNgo99
    @HongQuanNgo99 8 місяців тому +8

    21:10:
    ◉ APRIL 30th, 1945: Sergeant Meliton Kantaria & Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov raised Soviet Flag Over Reichstag
    ◉ APRIL 30th, 1975: Flag of National Liberation Front of South Vietnam raised over The Independence Palace by Colonel Bui Quang Than
    A fateful coincidence of history.

    • @thf1933
      @thf1933 8 місяців тому +2

      Take the dates of beginning WW1, WW2 and the current war in Ukraine. Sum the date like this dd.mm.yyyy (day.month.year) dd+mm+yy(part1)+yy(part2). You'll get 68 for each of them. Coinsidence 1/900.

  • @anonymousboogaloo
    @anonymousboogaloo 10 місяців тому +7

    This is one of the best short documentaries. Absolutely LOVE the details. Seeing new and old photos of Berlin gives a great perspective of the battle and how, at one moment in time, Berlin was one big hellhole to be in.

  • @samueladams3746
    @samueladams3746 10 місяців тому +47

    Had a dinner at the rooftop restaurant that is now at the Reichstag with some colleagues. When we were seated I got this “deja vu” feeling, then realized my table was about 20 feet from where the propaganda photo was taken. Snapped a pic and sent it to a friend that had emigrated to the US from Russian when he was twelve with a “where am I?” attached. He knew immediately-apparently every kid in the old Soviet school system saw that picture starting in kindergarten, over and over.

    • @pyatig
      @pyatig 10 місяців тому +18

      It wasn’t because we saw that picture everywhere, it was because literally every family had someone who perished in that war

    • @LarryDaLobstah
      @LarryDaLobstah 10 місяців тому +6

      And? The US has the marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima which was also staged

    • @jaroslavpalecek4513
      @jaroslavpalecek4513 10 місяців тому +6

      ​@@pyatiggreetings from Czech republic! I am grateful to your ancestors ❤ Za Pobědu!

    • @mzletamzle
      @mzletamzle 10 місяців тому +3

      @@LarryDaLobstahust don’t make me laugh on it, US lost only 150 000 lives on it and you teach in schools it was you who won the battle 😂

    • @mzletamzle
      @mzletamzle 10 місяців тому +2

      აი ჩემ ჭუჭუს იჯდებოდი იქ სტალინი და ბერია რომ არ ყოფილიყვნენ!

  • @jamesblack4883
    @jamesblack4883 10 місяців тому +7

    Loved the superimposed old and new video and 3-D fly-throughs. This was an enormous amount of work. Much appreciated. Thank you!

  • @joshcox4690
    @joshcox4690 5 місяців тому +4

    I’m so glad I stumbled upon your channel. Everything is so well researched and clearly told. I can’t overstate how much I enjoy the references to maps from both the time of the conflict and today. This, more than anything else, helps put things into perspective for me

  • @Mr47jz
    @Mr47jz 10 місяців тому +2

    It’s a great feeling when I come across a channel like this. I’ve been absolutely obsessed with WW1&2,and the Cold War but mostly WW2 ever since I read solider x when I was in middle school in the early 2000s it’s been a non stop consumption of WW2 knowledge.

  • @davidcoleman2796
    @davidcoleman2796 4 місяці тому +1

    As an amateur historian that knows quite a lot about this last battle I found this video to be one of the best ones I have seen yet . You put a lot of work into it . Well done . Thank you .

  • @callumgordon1668
    @callumgordon1668 10 місяців тому +20

    Very well put together. My wife took me to Berlin nearly 10 years ago for my 50th birthday. I remember a Spree River Cruise and showing her damage from incoming and outgoing fire. I’d done Bismarck for my Scottish History Higher and the Third Reich by choice as an interested amateur, I remember using the Victory Monument and the Von Moltke Bridge as illustrations of how the whole thing had started in Imperial Germany and ended in the ruins of the third Reich. Later, I returned with friends to visit the Unterwelten and the Humboldt flak tower.
    All that said, I love modern Germany. I have great respect for how they curate their history, particularly the Third Reich. There’s a lesson there for other European countries and modern democracies.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +2

      Thanks Callum. Berlin is a very interesting city to visit.

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому +2

      I would go based on this video but I don’t speak German and like the French they speak little English. I have been to Paris and used schoolboy French to negotiate the Metro. Berlin would be a whole other kettle of fish. I doubt I would get very far. I’m glad they are reunited. The Cold War dominated my early years as it did many. I’m glad the Soviet Union disbanded. It was a cruel system. My history teacher used to say we are free in the West. “Free to be poor, free to be ignored. Free to be hungry. In the Soviet Union everyone knows their place. The concept of freedom is a capitalist construct designed to enslave the proletariat.”

    • @callumgordon1668
      @callumgordon1668 10 місяців тому +2

      @@davidgaine4697 language is most definitely not a barrier. I had little German the first time I went and a local missed his train to help us get ours from the airport. Public transport is excellent and the best way to get around. The historic centre is small enough to walk round and I’d strongly recommend the boat trip I spoke of.
      The English speaking tours of Unterwelten are the second most common and popular. Check them out online. There were only 7 native speakers on our tour and the guide was Danish. English is now the lingua franca of Europe. The Humboldt Flak tower is right next door. And the U Bahn and S Bahn take you right there.
      If you’re interested in the DDR, the museum not far from the Brandenburg gate is excellent. I’d also recommend Stasiland for life in the DDR.
      My brother does business in Germany and has no English. My niece lives in Berlin part time and has learned sufficient German, but also uses English when it’s easier.

  • @nigew9730
    @nigew9730 10 місяців тому +6

    Well done Dan. One of the best presentations I've ever seen on UA-cam.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for the kind comments.

  • @Josh-hr5mc
    @Josh-hr5mc 8 місяців тому +10

    Probably the best video explaining the final battle. Very clear and very well done

    • @PauloPereira-jj4jv
      @PauloPereira-jj4jv 8 місяців тому +1

      Not "the" final battle, the resistence continued in other places. It all ended in the zoo.

  • @llokkee
    @llokkee 10 місяців тому +94

    Absolutely fantastic analysis of this bitter last stand.
    I've been a WW2 fan since the 70s and have been to at least 40 battlefields across Europe, Seelow Heights and Berlin among them.
    Its a safe bet that I've watched pretty much any and every documentary there is about the war and I have to say, your presentation is spot on mate.
    Very well put together, concise info and narrated perfectly with the video.
    Hope your channel goes far..
    Greetings from rainy Belfast 🙂

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +10

      Thanks very much for the kind words!

    • @SilentX_17
      @SilentX_17 10 місяців тому +4

      Cool

    • @cragjones1799
      @cragjones1799 10 місяців тому +18

      " ww2 fan"

    • @TRUMP20Z4
      @TRUMP20Z4 10 місяців тому +5

      I 100% agree COBBER, hello from Australia.

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому +1

      @@TRUMP20Z4 Troll.

  • @wwmproductions5787
    @wwmproductions5787 10 місяців тому +13

    This was a great video, I’ve always found the battle of Berlin too be the most interesting battle for some reason and after actually visiting last year it truly blows my mind seeing you show footage and compare it too maps. Keep these awesome vids coming!!

  • @ChairmanMeow1
    @ChairmanMeow1 10 місяців тому +5

    WW2 was so absolutely insane it's hard to believe it actually happened

    • @MATT-2042
      @MATT-2042 9 місяців тому

      Think that was insane the Empire Of Japan was working on there own nuclear bomb more destructive then atomic bomb a hydrogen bomb. If the war against them had dragged on for 6 months to a year longer then it did. It would have been American atomic bombs vs Japanese hydrogen bombs. Allies were completely in the dark they only found out about Japanese weapons program after the war.

    • @ChairmanMeow1
      @ChairmanMeow1 9 місяців тому +1

      @@MATT-2042 Germany was well on its way to developing nuclear weapons too, and had a way better delivery system for them in the V2 rockets.

    • @MATT-2042
      @MATT-2042 9 місяців тому +1

      @@ChairmanMeow1 WW2 nearly became a 3 sided nuclear war.

    • @ahir7777
      @ahir7777 7 місяців тому

      ​@@MATT-2042😊

  • @brittonporter5063
    @brittonporter5063 6 місяців тому +1

    Incredibly well done video. Thank you so much guys!

  • @fcon1350
    @fcon1350 9 місяців тому +5

    Amazing analysis and production on this video! You did an amazing job with walking through it all. This was great to watch, well done!

  • @pierremainstone-mitchell8290
    @pierremainstone-mitchell8290 10 місяців тому +7

    Extremely well done with quite excellent graphics!

  • @shawn7096
    @shawn7096 10 місяців тому +11

    This was well done ..with all the competition out there I have to say this was impressive and I know your channel is going to fly real soon I'm happy I came across this your work ..best of luck going forward and much success much love from boston massachusetts

  • @ssnydess6787
    @ssnydess6787 10 місяців тому +1

    Outstanding and epic presentation of this last battle. I loved the old and new 3d views of the battle. Thank you!

  • @aaronjohn6586
    @aaronjohn6586 9 місяців тому +5

    Really appreciate the historical context by the soldiers from by sides. Brings the human cost of what war is to the soldier whom pays the ultimate price in blood, sweat and tears.

  • @alinergiz5497
    @alinergiz5497 10 місяців тому +15

    With 3D examples, this episode was dope!

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for the kind comment... glad you enjoyed it.

  • @andrewnorth4857
    @andrewnorth4857 9 місяців тому +3

    A fantastic video! The narrative matches the graphics to make it so watchable and so informative. Thanks so much for your work and sharing. Productions as good as this are rare 😃

  • @philchristmas4071
    @philchristmas4071 10 місяців тому +11

    Another great one. I really enjoy your content and appreciate all the work you put in.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +1

      Thanks Phil... a lot of work to put together but we believe it is worth it for the final product.

  • @notitleproductions
    @notitleproductions 10 місяців тому +17

    Just wanted to thank you for all your amazing content. Ive been obsessed with military and World War II history since I was a little kid and the battle for Berlin and the Reichstag in particular always fascinated me. Incredible detail and use of the arial photography both then and now, this is the way this stuff should be presented to future generations so NONE of this information is ever lost or forgotten, lest we allow a repeat of those awful 6 years. Cheers and thank you once again!

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому

      You know there’s a war in Ukraine don’t you? A resurgent Russia is knocking at the door of Europe. Are we supposed to just ignore him?

  • @johnathan404
    @johnathan404 10 місяців тому +5

    Awesome video documentary! You go into insane amounts of detail and I appreciate your content. Thank you.

  • @richmoore5525
    @richmoore5525 10 місяців тому +2

    fantastic job....Love the overlays contrasting the old and new pictures.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому

      Thanks Rich, glad you enjoyed it.

  • @ryanlewington6
    @ryanlewington6 3 місяці тому +1

    The production and editing in this video is absolutely fantastic

  • @hamishaffleck4669
    @hamishaffleck4669 10 місяців тому +3

    brilliant break down, one of my favorites on the battle, well done!!

  • @BoyvanHeugten
    @BoyvanHeugten 9 місяців тому +10

    I'm actually in Berlin right now. Unfortunately I return home tomorrow, and it's only now that I randomly find this video.
    Very detailled passage of the many stories and tours I followed in the past week. I did not know that this building was the focal point of such fierce battle. This is the tour that I had skipped. I walked those grounds only a couple days ago, unaware of its history.
    Thanks for the video.

  • @cliffgray9822
    @cliffgray9822 3 місяці тому +1

    Man the animated maps and real footage really brings it into perspective.
    Thank you for this, outstanding and well done piece.
    💯

  • @warincolour810
    @warincolour810 10 місяців тому +23

    Just came back from a 4 day tour of Berlin just truly amazing to be amongst such a thing truly captivating to say the least! Much of the war scars still exist on many old buildings and what surprised me was how close Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag actually are!

  • @thermomeds
    @thermomeds 10 місяців тому +3

    Absolutely incredible video. Congratulations.

  • @michaelsnyder6922
    @michaelsnyder6922 10 місяців тому +6

    When I was a kid I was told by a neighbor who’d fought in Ww2 that some soviet soldiers wore 2 watches all the time. One for Moscow time and one for the time where they were. No idea if that’s true but that’s what he told me. He was an American who had fought in Italy and then was stationed in Berlin for a few years after the war ended.

    • @aresares9548
      @aresares9548 10 місяців тому

      Kompass

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому

      @@aresares9548 Do you mean the Soviet soldiers looked like they were wearing two watches but in fact one was a compass?

    • @user-ns3rm8vj8d
      @user-ns3rm8vj8d 10 місяців тому +6

      @@davidgaine4697 да он именно это имеет в виду, у меня есть такой компас он носился на ремешке абсолютно как часы и был на них похож, введите запрос в гугл "Компас Адрианова" и убедитесь в в этом.

  • @chemBTW
    @chemBTW 9 місяців тому +2

    WOW! this video is so well made and researched. this is the most comprehensive break down ive ever seen on the battle of berlin. GREAT JOB!!

  • @moobaz8675
    @moobaz8675 5 місяців тому +1

    Brilliant. That was well researched and presented.

  • @hartey33
    @hartey33 8 місяців тому +10

    I've been into WW2 for 20 yrs, & I mean it when I say this is one of the most interesting docs I've ever seen. I can't wait to dive into more of your channel! Something that always interests me is seeing the then vs now shots, & u did it so well with the aerial views, taking time to keep pointing out what we're looking at. Comparing it to now, what bldgs still exist, etc. I'm enthralled & look forward to more of this. Absolutely love it! 5⭐

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  8 місяців тому +2

      Thanks for taking the time to watch the documentary.

    • @victorsamsung2921
      @victorsamsung2921 8 місяців тому +1

      @@BattleGuideVT You can play Call Of Duty: World At War and play the Berlin Campaign, which includes the Reichstag, to get a good grip of what it was like back in 1945 for the Red Army and the Nazi soldiers and citizens themselves. In terms of realism and realistic portrayal of the action and battle scenes.

  • @cycklist
    @cycklist 10 місяців тому +3

    Breathtaking. Thank you.

  • @camerongriffin6705
    @camerongriffin6705 9 місяців тому +1

    Such good research , footage and map usage.

  • @WHISKEY3XRAY
    @WHISKEY3XRAY 9 місяців тому +2

    I've seen many documentaries on this event, and I stopped what I was doing to watch this. I am buzzed by this one.

  • @yisroelkatz-xj6pq
    @yisroelkatz-xj6pq 10 місяців тому +5

    This was an excellent documentary! Thank you!

  • @nigeh5326
    @nigeh5326 10 місяців тому +3

    Yet another v high quality video thank you for your hard work creating it 👍

  • @mikeyoung7660
    @mikeyoung7660 13 днів тому +1

    I actually got to go inside the Reichstag. I was servingbin the British Army at the time and went to Berlin to spend a few weeks with the Welsh Guards. I was serving in the Irish Guards at the time. This was 1976/77. We went across the border through check point charlie and had a walk around. Paid visit to the museum. We eventually went to the German parliament. Cant remember if its in the east or the west lol. But I remember I was really exited to get to visit it. As a boy I was interested in the history of WW2 and I had seen the building many times in documentaries, but never thought I'd ever see myself actually inside it. Great memories for me.

  • @2324jon
    @2324jon 9 місяців тому +1

    Great video! Just subscribed. Keep up the great content.

  • @adambaxter1248
    @adambaxter1248 10 місяців тому +4

    Brilliant documentary as always!

  • @richardjohncrouch7617
    @richardjohncrouch7617 10 місяців тому +8

    Brilliant video. Ive read the books sbout berlin and Stalingrad. But to see it explained visually was amazing. I can only imagine the civilian suffering at this time. Thankyou for doing this ❤

  • @RyanMathewPhotoVideo
    @RyanMathewPhotoVideo 4 місяці тому +1

    The transition at 7:06 is incredible.

  • @samuel6904
    @samuel6904 Місяць тому +1

    I love how you show on which streets these fights took place, I walk around this city forgetting how brutal they fought in Berlin

  • @gargamel635
    @gargamel635 10 місяців тому +7

    Amazing video keep it up❤

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for the very kind comment Gargamel!

  • @atakorkut5110
    @atakorkut5110 9 місяців тому +3

    I just recently found this channel and I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before. What a great concise and highly informative video even as a history buff in general and a World War II history fanatic, keep it up. I will surly be Sharing and trying to get more eyes on, although I do believe it will not be long before more ppl come to notice the excellent work.

  • @Skullmonkey456
    @Skullmonkey456 2 місяці тому

    Really good! Looking forward to going through the back catalogue!

  • @Finchy67
    @Finchy67 9 місяців тому +1

    What an outstanding video. The commentary was clear and so informative. Clearly, a lot of work and research went into its' making. Well done and thoroughly enjoyed.

  • @simonkevnorris
    @simonkevnorris 10 місяців тому +3

    That was an interesting and informative video. Thanks.

  • @Campbell90157
    @Campbell90157 7 місяців тому +4

    Insanely good quality video!

  • @GunDrummer
    @GunDrummer 10 місяців тому +2

    Incredible video dude

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому

      Thank you GD! glad you enjoyed!

  • @johndixon3631
    @johndixon3631 10 місяців тому +2

    Fascinating video. Thank you. 👍

  • @clivecook7558
    @clivecook7558 9 місяців тому +6

    I have visited Berlin many times and it shows how resilient the Germans were, and still are, to rebuild such a beautiful city after receiving so much damage. It is the most beautiful city I have visited

    • @fatalmokrane
      @fatalmokrane 9 місяців тому +2

      It's pretty ugly i think.

    • @WhiskyandBacon
      @WhiskyandBacon 6 місяців тому

      ​@@fatalmokraneGo to Disney World...

  • @panderson9561
    @panderson9561 10 місяців тому +11

    Just a bit of historical trivia: Defense zone "Z" was named as such because the "Z" was short for Zitadelle...German for Citadel. I always found that ironic.

    • @Yora21
      @Yora21 10 місяців тому +1

      Also Zentrum, which is center.

  • @bigremy4569
    @bigremy4569 4 місяці тому

    Bro your edits don’t miss, great work

  • @patrickgraham3593
    @patrickgraham3593 9 місяців тому +2

    My father was there 45-46. U.S. Army. Got all the pics he took.

  • @alex4833
    @alex4833 10 місяців тому +10

    Superb video. I really like the computer generated images of the city. Similar to meatrocket4830, I like how you showed recent images of the area and the pictures taken after (and during) the battle. Excellent information also. The narration is great too. Keep up the good work. I need to watch more of 16 Days in Berlin too :).

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for the comments and yes we very much encourage you to go get 16 Days in Berlin!

    • @alex4833
      @alex4833 10 місяців тому

      @@BattleGuideVT You're welcome! Awesome, I will check it out soon :).

  • @AlbertaGamer
    @AlbertaGamer 10 місяців тому +8

    "Bad news, guys. We just lied to Stalin about flying the flag over the Reichstag."
    "Oh shit"

    • @user-mm6pq1uq6h
      @user-mm6pq1uq6h 9 місяців тому

      При сохранении нынешней политики Германии будет водружено знамя России.

    • @benjaminjohnsonboston
      @benjaminjohnsonboston 5 місяців тому

      @@user-mm6pq1uq6htrue bro. Slava Russia 🇷🇺

  • @GiggleGroup
    @GiggleGroup 4 місяці тому +1

    One of the best videos I have seen on the war. We’ll narrated and great pace

  • @marchevka22x
    @marchevka22x 8 місяців тому +1

    Excellent video ... thank you for making such a finely detailed piece.

  • @anothertime1282
    @anothertime1282 10 місяців тому +3

    Excellent piece of work. I've been to Berlin a number of times, before and after the Wall came down, The city has a distinct atmosphere.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому

      Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.

    • @davidgaine4697
      @davidgaine4697 10 місяців тому

      It is a city of contrasts. Deeply proud but sad, ethereally beautiful but scarred by conflict. For me the Brandenburg Gate is the most iconic, not the Riechstag. It was Checkpoint Charlie between East and West.

  • @DTex.45ACP
    @DTex.45ACP 10 місяців тому +8

    Damn these are good.
    When I listen to audiobooks of military history and historical fiction, I almost always follow the areas in question on Google maps, looking for landmarks. These videos hit that perfect chord for me!

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому

      Thanks glad you enjoy the format!

  • @viclucyzia
    @viclucyzia 10 місяців тому +3

    Please do a video about the Stalingrad battle the most fierce one inch per inch. A slaughter like no other.

  • @geraldmiller8973
    @geraldmiller8973 10 місяців тому +2

    one of the best videos i have have seen on the battle for berlin. great graphics.

  • @helix1061
    @helix1061 10 місяців тому +2

    Amazing footage!

  • @henrysantos121
    @henrysantos121 10 місяців тому +3

    *Great documentary well done*

  • @jeffmatta5961
    @jeffmatta5961 10 місяців тому +3

    bro this is really amazing content u got my likeand sub

  • @juliusditoka4126
    @juliusditoka4126 10 місяців тому +1

    Wow..., this is nicely done and well-illustrated! easy to follow and enjoyed it. Thank you...!

  • @ingGS
    @ingGS 2 місяці тому

    Fantastic work! Thanks for your documentation.

  • @maxsportsman2416
    @maxsportsman2416 9 місяців тому +2

    Excellent use of the 3d models of the city!!!

  • @johnburns9634
    @johnburns9634 10 місяців тому +4

    I’ve see 16 Days in Berlin. Excellent series!

  • @KellyBoganTunesmithchannel
    @KellyBoganTunesmithchannel 8 місяців тому +1

    Terrific video! Very informative and well done.

  • @Jakal-pw8yq
    @Jakal-pw8yq 4 місяці тому +1

    Just stumbled across your channel and oh my God what a fantastic presentation of a terrific and terrifying battle. I thought I knew most everything about the Battle of Berlin but you proved me wrong! I'm a new subscriber I like and shared to some friends. Great job!

  • @asullivan4047
    @asullivan4047 10 місяців тому +11

    Interesting and informative. Excellent photography motion/still pictures and maps. Enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Class A research project. Special thanks to veteran soldiers/civilians sharing personal information/combat experiences. Making this documentary more authentic and possible. Fighting/perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often possible. Still advanced forward regardless of what the consequences were. True grit style determination to succeed. Stalin was rewarded with keeping all the new territories not him but the Russian armies took from the invading German forces.

    • @BattleGuideVT
      @BattleGuideVT  10 місяців тому +2

      Thanks for the kind comments.

  • @dienz1
    @dienz1 9 місяців тому +3

    wow what an awesome documentary mix with virtual map; and to be comparison with now aday map and so on with the buliding its so detail ,,great job guys thq

  • @MrJimtimslim
    @MrJimtimslim 9 місяців тому +2

    Fantastic video

  • @JakeTheBear1
    @JakeTheBear1 10 місяців тому +10

    This is gonna be so Epic! 💙

  • @johnhenderson131
    @johnhenderson131 9 місяців тому +4

    The worst fate I can imagine for a Russian soldier is to have fought in many horrific battles from the very beginning all the way to The Battle of Berlin, have miraculously survived, likely wounded several times. Just to be fatally shot by a brainwashed 10 year old boy (child) taught how to pull a trigger!

  • @MusicJunky3
    @MusicJunky3 10 місяців тому +2

    Excellent quality !

  • @user-xr8en4lb7b
    @user-xr8en4lb7b 9 місяців тому +1

    Epic video. GREAT job!

  • @RGUCounT
    @RGUCounT 8 місяців тому +3

    as a swiss, im proud of the swiss embassy still standing. WE ARE NEUTRAL LET US BE! :)