3 – Siege of Breslau (13 February – 6 May 1945)
On 24 August 1944, Hitler declared Breslau to be a ‘closed military fortress’ and outlined that it must be defended at all costs. It took several months but by the middle of January 1945, all civilians had been evacuated and Breslau finally because the fortress Hitler had ordered. However, most of the transport links had been destroyed by Soviet air bombing so evacuees had to leave on foot. Up to 100,000 people died during this botched operation.
The defenders of Breslau were a ragtag group of retreating regiments, police officers, Hitler Youth and even WWI veterans! Estimates on the number of defenders in the city vary widely from 50,000 to 150,000. The Soviets began to close in and had the city surrounded by 15 February although the siege had officially started two days earlier. The Luftwaffe desperately tried to keep the city supplied with food and water but Breslau continued to be bombarded by heavy Soviet artillery.
The Soviets attacked the city aggressively but lost up to 70 tanks in the first three days of the siege. The conflict descended into vicious street fighting and parts of Breslau were destroyed and the brick was used to create new defensive positions. The Nazis tried and failed to build an airstrip and an estimated 13,000 people died during this doomed project in March. Another Soviet offensive began on 1 April and most of Breslau was engulfed with flames.
The Nazis were forced to relocate to the University Library from their previous HQ which had been a bunker on Partisan Hill. The remaining citizens of Breslau launched an uprising which was brutally suppressed by the Nazis. They continued to fight even when it became apparent it was a hopeless cause. The city finally surrendered on 6 May. This was just two days before Germany’s unconditional surrender in World War II. Yet again, casualty estimates vary. Some figures suggest that up to 170,000 civilians died while up to 60,000 Russian soldiers perished. Approximately 70% of Breslau was destroyed during the siege.