48844 SOVIET UNION EASTERN FRONT 1944-1945 PROPAGANDA FILM PART 2

This Soviet propaganda film is a continuation of the film seen at https://youtu.be/dcZqJBRYNUc It shows the final offensive against Fascist German forces by the Red Army, with forces pouring across Prussia and into the heart of Germany. The film contains famous footage of the Russian flag raised over the German Reichstag (5:27) and ends with Russian forces being greeted as heroes by newly liberated peoples (many of whom would soon find themselves ensnared behind the “Iron Curtain”).

Narrator: At the same time with the offensive in Poland, our forces were conducting a successful operation in East Prussia, which was a bulwark of militarism and aggression. Every kilometer was marked by a heavily armed stronghold. But Soviet soldiers were unstoppable. (00.40) Konigsberg was taken over on April 9. All of East Prussia was occupied by the end of the month. When the spring of 1945 began, Soviet forces were 80 km away from Berlin. They had come a long and hard way. Hitler’s army was trying to stop our forces at the fringes of Berlin at any cost. They constructed robust fortifications out of reinforced concrete. (02.00) Approximately a million soldiers were drawn to Berlin by the Fascists. Three fronts were supposed to attack Berlin. The main blow was to be carried out by the first Belorussian front; the first Ukrainian front was performing an operation from the south, it was going to join the allies; the second Belorussian front was going to hit to the north of Berlin. Marshalls Zhukov, Konev, and Rokossovsky were appointed commanders of the Berlin operation. (02.41)

Thousands of weapons, planes, tanks were ready for the final battle. ‘Forward, to Berlin!’ – 2.5 million soldiers and officers from three fronts were inspired by this motto. On April 16, the grand Battle of Berlin began. On April 18, strongly fortified high grounds were taken over. On April 20, our artillery already placed fire on the capital of Germany. The heroic attack began. On April 21, soldiers of the first Belorussian front entered the city from the north. (04.03) On April 22, forces of the Ukrainian front broke into the southern part of the city. After a few more days of fierce fighting, Soviet forces surrounded Berlin and joined in the west. Our fighters were moving step by step towards the center of the Fascist capital. They didn’t survive to see the victory, but they had reached Berlin. (04.51)

In the morning of April 30, an attack on Reichstag began. On May 1, reconnaissance sergeants Egorov and Kantariya erected the red flag of victory over Reichstag. (05.27) Next day, the Berlin garrison capitulated.

We lost 300,000 fighters in the Battle of Berlin. But does this look like revenge? (06.25) Fascist forces were yielding themselves as prisoners everywhere. But the commandership of a one-million military group in Czechoslovakia refused to capitulate. On May 5, a riot began by the call of the Communist Party in Prague. Armored citizens began an unequal battle against the Fascists. (07.18)

Soviet forces and Czechoslovak Corps departed to help the rebels. On May 9, tanks entered triumphant Prague. In the faubourg of Berlin, Karlshorst, the German Instrument of Surrender was signed. (08.35) The war in Europe ended. Every year, when we commemorate the great victory over Fascism, we also remember those who did not come back from the battle. Nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten.

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