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From April 24 to May 1, 1945, the fierce battle of the siege of Halby began between the German Ninth Army and the Soviet Red Army. This battle took place in the context of the Battle of Berlin and ended with the complete destruction of the German Ninth Army, showing the significant impact of the command error under Hitler's control on the entire battle situation.
"The destruction of the German Ninth Army in Halby was undoubtedly the result of Hitler's inability to admit his failure. His paranoia for his command and military strategy made the entire German army pay an unbearable price."
The beginning of the siege of Halby can be traced back to April 16, 1945, when the Red Army launched the Battle of Berlin and advanced rapidly, breaking the German defense line. The Ninth German Army was besieged in the Spray Forest in southwestern Berlin, attempting to break westward and join the 12th German Army under the command of Walter Vinke. But Hitler insisted on the Ninth Army to defend Cotbus and planned to launch a pincer attack from the north, which eventually led to the force's despair.
"Hitler's command was disconnected from reality, which led to the Ninth Army's final demise. This is an obvious wrong judgment."
The siege war was extremely tragic, and the original German troops were greatly reduced in the continuous resistance. By the time of siege, the Ninth Army's combat power was almost exhausted, leaving only about 80,000 soldiers facing the heavy offensive of the Soviet Red Army. The Soviet army had a force of 280,000 and 7,400 artillery pieces, with a very obvious advantage.
In the two attempts to break through, the operations of the Ninth Army were often shattered by the Soviet offensive due to the lack of effective command, control and support. The first breakthrough failed on April 25, and the second breakthrough was affected by multiple factors such as continuous air strikes, ground attacks and supply difficulties, and the German army was once again frustrated.
"In this battle, the German command system was almost completely collapsed, and all Hitler's decisions on the battle situation failed to change the failure."
At the end of April, some German troops were still trying to break through along Halby after several heavy blows. However, with the strengthening and siege of the Soviet army, the destructive resistance of the German army deepened, and the remaining troops began to show internal discord and chaos, and there were many difficulties in joint combat. Finally, the data showed that only about 25,000 German soldiers successfully broke through and joined the 12th Army and surrendered to the US military.
This battle is tantamount to a tragedy, showing Nazi Germany's missteps in command and despair at the end of the war. The end of the Battle of Halby not only symbolized the complete collapse of the German army, but also revealed Hitler's disregard for military reality and the collapse of rule.
"Behind the failure on the battlefield, it reflects a dictator's ignorance and distrust of professional soldiers. This wrong order will cost the lives of countless soldiers."
Today, the consequences of this battle still deeply affect the analysis of historians. When we reflect on this history, we can’t help but ask: Can such a tragedy be avoided? Or are the devastating consequences of such a dictatorial command post a historical necessity?
