During the Great Patriotic War, when the battle for Berlin was going on, the Soviet troops stormed the walls of the Reichstag and on May 1, 1945, the Victory Banner was hoisted.
On the walls of the greatness of the Aryan nation, Soviet soldiers left a large number of inscriptions, some of which were left during restoration work.
After German reunification in October 1990, the German federal assembly, the Bundestag, moved to Berlin and took up residence in the Reichstag building.
"... A particularly fierce battle broke out for the Reichstag. Its building was one of the most important defense points in the center of Berlin; the hoisting of the Soviet red banner over it marked our historic victory. At 13:30, the battalions of captains S. A. Neustroev, V. I. Davydov, K. Ya. Samsonov stormed the Reichstag ... with a swift attack, Soviet troops broke into the Reichstag ...
By the end of the day on May 1, the Reichstag was completely taken.
(from the memoirs of Captain S. A. Neustroev)
From the memoirs of an eyewitness of the events V.M. Shatilova:
The intensity of the battle in the huge building did not weaken. In the darkness (the windows were walled up, and the small slits let in very little light), here and there fierce skirmishes broke out - in the rooms, on the stairs, on the platforms. Grenades burst, machine-gun bursts scattered. Oriented by sounds, one group of fighters came to the aid of another. Fires broke out in some rooms. Cupboards with papers and furniture flared up. They were extinguished as best they could - with overcoats, padded jackets, raincoats.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria, under the cover of a small group of Berest, began to climb up. Each step had to be taken with care and consideration. Several times they ran into the Nazis. And then the machine gun began to knock, grenades were thrown.
The day was running out. But the cannonade did not stop. The dust in the air tickled my nostrils. All my thoughts were now in the Reichstag.
And there the entire second floor had already been cleared. Egorov and Kantaria, under the cover of Berest's group, continued to make their way to the upper floors. Suddenly, the stone staircase broke off - the whole march was broken. The confusion was short-lived. “I am now,” Kantaria shouted and darted down somewhere. Soon he appeared with a wooden ladder. And again the fighters stubbornly climbed up.
Here is the roof. They walked along it to a huge rider. Beneath them lay houses shrouded in smoky twilight. There were flashes all around. Shards rattled on the roof. Where to put the flag? Near the statue? No, it doesn't fit. After all, it was said - on the dome. The staircase leading to it staggered - it was broken in several places.
Then the fighters climbed along the rare ribs of the frame, which was exposed from under the broken glass. Moving was difficult and scary. They climbed slowly, one after another, clinging to the iron with a death grip. Finally reached the top platform. They fastened the banner to the metal crossbar with a belt - and down the same way. The return journey was even more difficult and took longer.
The building crowned with a scarlet cloth caused a quite definite reaction from the enemy - he began his artillery shelling. Yes, they themselves opened fire on the Reichstag, which the Germans defended so stubbornly and which we fired on quite recently.
Each fighting company set up its assault flag here. One even flutters on the pediment, next to the figure of the rider. And above the dome, above all - the Banner of Victory.
The surrendered marched through the Brandenburg Gate - in formation, led by officers, and without formation, in small groups. And before each group swam White flag. On the other side of the gate, a pile of abandoned weapons grew and grew - about 26 thousand people piled them there. And on this side, as far as the Reichstag, as far as the Moltke bridge, an unarmed crowd kept arriving, dispersing at the beckon of the girls traffic controllers into separate streams, towards the commandant's offices.
A huge crowd gathered around the headquarters building, consisting of women, children and old people - fifteen thousand, no less. Not understanding what was the matter, I stopped the Jeep. The people were silent. Then a middle-aged woman turned to me:“We came here to find out what punishment awaits us for the suffering inflicted on the Russian people by the German army.
I had to answer such questions more than once in Pomerania, and yet they always took me by surprise.
“Yes, your soldiers,” I began, carefully selecting german words have committed a heinous crime. But we are not Hitlerites, we Soviet people. We are not going to take revenge on the German people ... You need to quickly get down to work on cleaning the streets so that you can start up public transport, open shops, restore normal life ...
At first, the townspeople did not understand me. But then, when the meaning of my words finally reached them, their faces brightened, smiles appeared on many.
Lidia Ruslanova performs "Katyusha" on the steps of the fallen Reichstag.
The infantry soldier reached Berlin. 
Already peaceful post-war Berlin.
Reichstag today.
From April 28 to May 2, 1945 by forces 150th and 171st Rifle Divisions of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front an operation was carried out to take over the Reichstag. To this event, my friends, I dedicate this photo collection.
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1. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
2. Fireworks in honor of the Victory on the roof of the Reichstag. Soldiers of the battalion under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union S. Neustroev.
3. Soviet trucks and cars on a ruined street in Berlin. Behind the ruins you can see the Reichstag building.
4. Rear Admiral Fotiy Ivanovich Krylov (1896-1948), head of the River Emergency Rescue Directorate of the USSR Navy, awards a diver with an order for clearing mines on the Spree River in Berlin. In the background is the Reichstag building.
6. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
7. Group Soviet officers inside the Reichstag.
8. Soviet soldiers with a banner on the roof of the Reichstag.
9. The Soviet assault group with the banner moves to the Reichstag.
10. The Soviet assault group with the banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
11. Commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Division, Major General P.M. Shafarenko in the Reichstag with colleagues.
12. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag
13. Soldiers of the 150th Rifle Idritsko-Berlin, Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree, division on the steps of the Reichstag (among the depicted scouts are M. Kantaria, M. Egorov and the Komsomol organizer of the division, Captain M. Zholudev). In the foreground is the 14-year-old son of the regiment, Zhora Artemenkov.
14. The Reichstag building in July 1945.
15. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake.
16. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake. Pictured is the south entrance of the building.
17. Soviet photojournalists and cameramen at the Reichstag building.
18. The wreckage of an inverted German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
19. Autograph of Soviet soldiers on the column of the Reichstag: “We are in Berlin! Nikolay, Peter, Nina and Sasha. May 11, 1945.
20. A group of political workers of the 385th Infantry Division, headed by the head of the political department, Colonel Mikhailov, near the Reichstag.
21. German anti-aircraft guns and a dead German soldier at the Reichstag.
23. Soviet soldiers on the square near the Reichstag.
24. Red Army signalman Mikhail Usachev leaves his autograph on the wall of the Reichstag.
25. A British soldier leaves his autograph among the autographs of Soviet soldiers inside the Reichstag.
26. Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria go out with a banner to the roof of the Reichstag.
27. Soviet soldiers hoist a banner over the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. This is one of the banners installed on the Reystag in addition to the official hoisting of the banner by Yegorov and Kantaria.
28. The famous Soviet singer Lidia Ruslanova performs "Katyusha" against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag.
29. The son of the regiment Volodya Tarnovsky puts his autograph on the column of the Reichstag.
30. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
31. A captured German soldier at the Reichstag. The famous photograph, often published in books and on posters in the USSR under the name "Ende" (German: "The End").
32. Fellow soldiers of the 88th separate guards heavy tank regiment at the wall of the Reichstag, in the storming of which the regiment took part.
33. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag.
34. Two Soviet officers on the steps of the Reichstag.
35. Two Soviet officers on the square in front of the Reichstag building.
From April 28 to May 2, 1945, the forces of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions of the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front carried out an operation to capture the Reichstag. This event is dedicated to this collection of facts, old photos and videos.
Everyone heard about the capture of the Reichstag by Soviet soldiers. But what do we really know about him? We will talk about who was sent against the Red Army, how they searched for the Reichstag and how many banners there were.
Who goes to Berlin
Those who wanted to take Berlin in the Red Army were more than enough. Moreover, if for the commanders - Zhukov, Konev, Rokossovsky, this was also a matter of prestige, then for ordinary soldiers who were already "one foot at home" this was another terrible battle. Participants in the assault will remember it as one of the most difficult battles of the war.
Nevertheless, the idea that their detachment would be sent to Berlin in April 1944 could only cause jubilation among the soldiers. The author of the book: "Who Took the Reichstag: Heroes by Default", Yamskoy N. talks about how they were waiting for a decision on the composition of the offensive troops in the 756th regiment:
“Officers gathered at the headquarters dugout. Neustroev burned with impatience, offering to send someone for Major Kazakov, who was supposed to arrive with the results of the decision. One of the officers joked: “What are you, Stepan, spinning around in place? I would take off my boots and go! During the time that you were running back and forth, you would already be near Berlin!”
Soon the cheerful and smiling Major Kazakov returned. And it became clear to everyone: we are going to Berlin!”
Attitude
Why was it so important to take the Reichstag and hoist a banner on it? This is the building where since 1919 the highest Legislature Germany, during the years of the Third Reich, de facto, did not play any role. All legislative functions were performed in the Krol-Opera, the building opposite. However, for the Nazis, this is not just a building, not just a fortress. For them, this was the last hope, the capture of which would demoralize the army. Therefore, during the storming of Berlin, the command focused precisely on the Reichstag. Hence Zhukov's order to the 171st and 150th divisions, which promised gratitude and government awards those who set a red flag over a gray, unprepossessing and half-ruined building.
Moreover, its installation was a paramount task.
“If there are no our people in the Reichstag and a banner is not installed there, then take all measures at any cost to hoist a flag or a flag at least on the column of the main entrance. At any price!"
- was an order from Zinchenko. That is, the banner of victory should have been installed even before the actual capture of the Reichstag. According to eyewitnesses, when trying to fulfill the order and install a banner on the building still defended by the Germans, many “lone volunteers, the bravest people” died, but this is what made the act of Kantaria and Yegorov heroic.
"Sailors of the SS Special Forces"
Even as the Red Army advanced towards Berlin, when the outcome of the war became obvious, Hitler either panicked or wounded pride played a role, but he issued several orders, the essence of which was that all of Germany should perish along with the defeat of the Reich. The "Nero" plan, which meant the destruction of all cultural values on the territory of the state, was carried out, the evacuation of residents was difficult. Subsequently, the high command will utter the key phrase: "Berlin will defend itself to the last German."
So, for the most part, it didn't matter who they sent to their deaths. So, in order to detain the Red Army at the Moltke bridge, Hitler transferred to Berlin "sailors of the detachment special purpose SS”, who were ordered to delay the advance of our troops to government buildings at all costs.
They turned out to be sixteen-year-old boys, yesterday's cadets of the naval school from the city of Rostock. Hitler spoke to them, calling them heroes and the hope of the nation. His order itself is interesting: “to throw back a small group of Russians that broke through to this bank of the Spree and prevent it from reaching the Reichstag. It takes quite a bit to hold on. Soon you will receive new weapons of great power and new planes. Wenck's army approaches from the south. The Russians will not only be driven out of Berlin, but also driven back to Moscow.”
Did Hitler know about the real number of "a small group of Russians" and about the state of affairs when he gave the order? What did he expect? At that time, it was obvious that for an effective battle with Soviet soldiers, a whole army was needed, and not 500 young boys who did not know how to fight. Perhaps Hitler expected positive results from separate negotiations with the allies of the USSR. But the question of what secret weapon was discussed, and hung in the air. One way or another, hopes were not justified, and many young fanatics died without benefiting their homeland.
Where is the Reichstag?
During the assault, there were incidents. On the eve of the offensive, at night it turned out that the attackers did not know what the Reichstag looked like, and even more so, where it was located.
This is how the battalion commander, Neustroev, who was ordered to storm the Reichstag, described this situation: “The colonel orders:
"Come out quickly to the Reichstag!". I hang up. Zinchenko's voice still sounds in my ears. And where is he, the Reichstag? The devil knows! It's dark and deserted ahead."
Zinchenko, in turn, reported to General Shatilov: “Neustroev’s battalion took up its starting position in the basement of the southeastern part of the building. Only now some house interferes with him - the Reichstag closes. We will bypass it on the right. " He replies in bewilderment: "What other house? crawl opera? But he should be on the right from the "Himmler's house". There can be no building in front of the Reichstag ... ".
However, the building was Squat in two and a half floors with towers and a dome at the top. Behind him, two hundred meters away, the outlines of a huge, twelve-story building could be seen, which Neustovev took as his final goal. But the gray building, which they decided to bypass, was suddenly met with advancing solid fire.
It is rightly said that one head is good, but two is better. The mystery of the location of the Reichstag was resolved upon arrival at Neustroev Zinchenko. As the commander himself describes:
“Zinchenko looked at the square, and at the hidden gray building. And then, without turning around, he asked: "So what's stopping you from going to the Reichstag?" "This is a low building," I replied. "So this is the Reichstag!"
Battles for rooms
How was the Reichstag taken? The usual reference literature does not go into details, describing the assault as a one-day “attack” by Soviet soldiers on a building, which, under this pressure, was just as quickly surrendered by its garrison. However, things were different. The building was defended by selected SS units, which had nothing more to lose. And they had an advantage. They were well aware of its plan and the layout of all its 500 rooms. Unlike the Soviet soldiers, who had no idea what the Reichstag looked like. As the private of the third company I.V. Mayorov said: “We knew practically nothing about the internal location. And this made it very difficult to fight with the enemy. In addition, from the continuous automatic and machine-gun fire, explosions of grenades and faustpatrons in the Reichstag, such smoke and dust from the plaster rose that, mixing, they obscured everything, hung in the rooms with an impenetrable veil - nothing is visible, as in the dark. One can judge how difficult the assault was, that the Soviet command set the task on the first day to capture at least 15-10 rooms out of the 500 mentioned.
How many flags were
The historical banner hoisted on the roof of the Reichstag was the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division of the Third Shock Army, set by Sergeant Yegorov and Kantaria. But it was far from the only red flag over the German parliament. The desire to reach Berlin and set the Soviet flag over the defeated enemy lair of the Nazis was dreamed of by many, regardless of the order of the command and the promise of the title of "Hero of the USSR". However, the latter was another useful incentive.
According to eyewitnesses, there were neither two, nor three, nor even five victory banners on the Reichstag. The whole building literally "blushed" from Soviet flags, both homemade and official ones. According to experts, there were about 20 of them, some were shot down during the bombing. The first was set up by senior sergeant Ivan Lysenko, whose detachment built a banner from a mattress of red matter. Ivan Lysenko's award list reads:
“April 30, 1945 at 2 p.m. Comrade. Lysenko was the first to break into the Reichstag building, exterminated more than 20 German soldiers with grenade fire, reached the second floor and hoisted the banner of victory. For his heroism and courage in battle, he is worthy of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Moreover, his detachment fulfilled its main task at the same time - to cover the standard-bearers, who were instructed to hoist the victorious banners on the Reichstag.
In general, each detachment dreamed of setting its own flag on the Reichstag. With this dream, the soldiers went all this way to Berlin, each kilometer of which cost lives. Therefore, is it really so important whose banner was the first, and whose "official". All of them were equally important.
The fate of autographs
Those who failed to hoist the banner left reminders of themselves on the walls of the taken building. As eyewitnesses describe: all the columns and walls at the entrance to the Reichstag were covered with inscriptions in which the soldiers expressed feelings of joy of victory. They wrote to everyone - with paints, charcoal, a bayonet, a nail, a knife:
“The shortest way to Moscow is through Berlin!”
“And we girls were here. Glory to the Soviet soldier!”; “We are from Leningrad, Petrov, Kryuchkov”; “Know ours. Siberians Pushchin, Petlin"; "We are in the Reichstag"; "I walked with the name of Lenin"; "From Stalingrad to Berlin"; "Moscow - Stalingrad - Orel - Warsaw - Berlin"; "Got to Berlin."
Some of the autographs have survived to this day - their preservation was one of the main requirements for the restoration of the Reichstag. However, today their fate is often called into question. So, in 2002, representatives of the conservatives Johannes Singhammer and Horst Günther proposed to destroy them, arguing that the inscriptions "aggravate modern Russian-German relations."
1. Fireworks in honor of the Victory on the roof of the Reichstag. Soldiers of the battalion under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union S. Neustroev.
2. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
3. Soviet trucks and cars on a ruined street in Berlin. Behind the ruins you can see the Reichstag building.
4. Rear Admiral Fotiy Ivanovich Krylov (1896-1948), head of the River Emergency Rescue Directorate of the USSR Navy, awards a diver with an order for clearing mines on the Spree River in Berlin. In the background is the Reichstag building.
6. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
7. A group of Soviet officers inside the Reichstag.
8. Soviet soldiers with a banner on the roof of the Reichstag.
9. The Soviet assault group with the banner moves to the Reichstag.
10. The Soviet assault group with the banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
11. Commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Division, Major General P.M. Shafarenko in the Reichstag with colleagues.
12. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag
13. Soldiers of the 150th Rifle Idritsko-Berlin, Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree, division on the steps of the Reichstag (among the depicted scouts are M. Kantaria, M. Egorov and the Komsomol organizer of the division, Captain M. Zholudev). In the foreground is the 14-year-old son of the regiment, Zhora Artemenkov.
14. The Reichstag building in July 1945.
15. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake.
16. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake. Pictured is the south entrance of the building.
17. Soviet photojournalists and cameramen at the Reichstag building.
18. The wreckage of an inverted German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
19. Autograph of Soviet soldiers on the column of the Reichstag: “We are in Berlin! Nikolay, Peter, Nina and Sasha. May 11, 1945.
20. A group of political workers of the 385th Infantry Division, headed by the head of the political department, Colonel Mikhailov, near the Reichstag.
21. German anti-aircraft guns and a dead German soldier at the Reichstag.
23. Soviet soldiers on the square near the Reichstag.
24. Red Army signalman Mikhail Usachev leaves his autograph on the wall of the Reichstag.
25. A British soldier leaves his autograph among the autographs of Soviet soldiers inside the Reichstag.
26. Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria go out with a banner to the roof of the Reichstag.
27. Soviet soldiers hoist a banner over the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. This is one of the banners installed on the Reystag in addition to the official hoisting of the banner by Yegorov and Kantaria.
28. The famous Soviet singer Lidia Ruslanova performs "Katyusha" against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag.
29. The son of the regiment Volodya Tarnovsky puts his autograph on the column of the Reichstag.
30. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
31. A captured German soldier at the Reichstag. The famous photograph, often published in books and on posters in the USSR under the name "Ende" (German: "The End").
32. Fellow soldiers of the 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment near the wall of the Reichstag, in the storming of which the regiment took part.
33. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag.
34. Two Soviet officers on the steps of the Reichstag.
35. Two Soviet officers on the square in front of the Reichstag building.
36. Soviet mortar soldier Sergei Ivanovich Platov leaves his autograph on the column of the Reichstag.
37. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag. A photograph of a Soviet soldier hoisting the Red Banner over the Reichstag taken, which later became known as the Banner of Victory - one of the main symbols of the Great Patriotic War.
38. Commander of the 88th separate heavy tank regiment P.G. Mzhachikh against the backdrop of the Reichstag, in the storming of which his regiment also took part.
39. Fellow soldiers of the 88th separate heavy tank regiment at the Reichstag.
40. Soldiers who stormed the Reichstag. Reconnaissance platoon of the 674th Infantry Regiment of the 150th Idritskaya Infantry Division.
41. Mikhail Makarov, infantryman who reached Berlin. in front of the Reichstag.
How Nazi Germany Surrendered
The last act of the Great Patriotic War stretched out in time, from which some discrepancies arise in its interpretation.
So how did Nazi Germany actually surrender?
German disaster
By the beginning of 1945, Germany's position in the war had become simply catastrophic. The rapid offensive of the Soviet troops from the East and the allied armies from the West led to the fact that the outcome of the war became clear to almost everyone.
From January to May 1945, the agony of the Third Reich actually took place. More and more units rushed to the front, not so much with the aim of turning the tide, but with the aim of delaying the final catastrophe.
Under these conditions, atypical chaos reigned in the German army. Suffice it to say that there is simply no complete information about the losses suffered by the Wehrmacht in 1945 - the Nazis no longer had time to bury their dead and draw up reports.
On April 16, 1945, Soviet troops deployed offensive operation in the direction of Berlin, the purpose of which was to capture the capital of Nazi Germany.
Despite the large forces concentrated by the enemy, and his defensive fortifications in depth, in a matter of days, Soviet units broke through to the outskirts of Berlin.
Not allowing the enemy to drag himself into protracted street fighting, April 25 Soviet assault groups started moving towards the city center.
On the same day, on the Elbe River, Soviet troops joined with American units, as a result of which the Wehrmacht armies that continued to fight were divided into groups isolated from each other.
In Berlin itself, units of the 1st Belorussian Front advanced towards the government offices of the Third Reich.
Parts of the 3rd shock army broke into the Reichstag area on the evening of April 28. At dawn on April 30, the building of the Ministry of the Interior was taken, after which the way to the Reichstag was opened.
Capitulation of Hitler and Berlin
Adolf Hitler, who was at that time in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery, "surrendered" in the middle of the day on April 30, committing suicide. According to the testimony of the Fuhrer's comrades-in-arms, last days his greatest fear was that the Russians would bombard the bunker with sleep gas shells, after which he would be put up in a cage in Moscow for the amusement of the crowd.
Around 21:30 on April 30, units of the 150th Infantry Division captured the main part of the Reichstag, and on the morning of May 1, a red flag was raised over it, which became the Banner of Victory.
The fierce battle in the Reichstag, however, did not stop, and the units defending it stopped resistance only on the night of May 1-2.
On the night of May 1, 1945, the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, General Krebs, arrived at the location of the Soviet troops, reported Hitler's suicide, and requested a truce for the time the new German government took office. The Soviet side demanded unconditional surrender, which was refused around 18:00 on May 1.
By this time, only the Tiergarten and the government quarter remained under German control in Berlin. The refusal of the Nazis gave Soviet troops the right to re-launch the assault, which did not last long: at the beginning of the first night of May 2, the Germans requested a cease-fire by radio and announced their readiness to surrender.
At 6 am on May 2, 1945, the commander of the defense of Berlin, General of Artillery Weidling, accompanied by three generals, crossed the front line and surrendered. An hour later, while at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army, he wrote a surrender order, which was duplicated and, using loud-speaking installations and radio, brought to enemy units defending in the center of Berlin. By the end of the day on May 2, resistance in Berlin had ceased, and individual German groups that continued to fighting, were destroyed.
However, Hitler's suicide and the final fall of Berlin did not mean the surrender of Germany, which still had more than a million soldiers in the ranks.
Eisenhower's soldierly honesty
The new government of Germany, headed by Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, decided to "save the Germans from the Red Army", continuing the fighting on Eastern Front, simultaneously with the flight of civilian forces and troops to the West. The main idea was capitulation in the West in the absence of capitulation in the East. Since, in view of the agreements between the USSR and the Western Allies, it is difficult to achieve surrender only in the West, a policy of private surrenders at the level of army groups and below should be pursued.
On May 4, Montgomery surrendered to the army of the British Marshal. German group in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and Northwest Germany. On May 5, Army Group G surrendered to the Americans in Bavaria and Western Austria.
After that, negotiations began between the Germans and the Western Allies for a complete surrender in the West. but American general Eisenhower disappointed the German military - capitulation must take place both in the West and in the East, and the German armies must stop where they are. This meant that not everyone would be able to escape from the Red Army to the West.
The Germans tried to protest, but Eisenhower warned that if the Germans continued to play for time, his troops would forcibly stop everyone fleeing to the West, whether soldiers or refugees. In this situation, the German command agreed to sign an unconditional surrender.
Improvisation by General Susloparov
In this form, the act of surrender of Germany was signed on the German side by the Chief of the Operational Staff of the OKW, Colonel General Alfred Jodl, on the Anglo-American side, Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Smith, on behalf of the USSR - by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command at command of the Allies, Major General Ivan Susloparov. As a witness, the act was signed by the French brigadier general Francois Sevez. The signing of the act took place at 2:41 on May 7, 1945. It was supposed to come into force on May 8 at 23:01 CET.
The signing of the act was to take place at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims. On May 6, members of the Soviet military mission, General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, were summoned there, and they were informed of the impending signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Germany.
Nobody would envy Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov at that moment. The fact is that he did not have the authority to sign the surrender. Having sent a request to Moscow, he did not receive a response by the beginning of the procedure.
In Moscow, they rightly feared that the Nazis would achieve their goal and sign a capitulation to the Western allies on favorable terms for them. Not to mention the fact that the very execution of the surrender at the American headquarters in Reims categorically did not suit the Soviet Union.
The easiest thing for General Susloparov at that moment was not to sign any documents at all. However, according to his memoirs, an extremely unpleasant conflict could have developed: the Germans surrendered to the allies by signing the act, and they remain at war with the USSR. Where this situation will lead is unclear.
General Susloparov acted at his own peril and risk. In the text of the document, he made the following note: this protocol on military surrender does not exclude the further signing of another, more perfect act of the surrender of Germany, if any allied government declares so.
In this form, the act of surrender of Germany was signed on the German side by the Chief of the Operational Staff of the OKW, Colonel General Alfred Jodl, on the Anglo-American side, Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Smith, on behalf of the USSR - by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command at Command of the Allies, Major General Ivan Susloparov. As a witness, the act was signed by the French brigadier general Francois Sevez. The signing of the act took place at 2:41 on May 7, 1945. It was supposed to come into force on May 8 at 23:01 CET.
Interestingly, General Eisenhower declined to participate in the signing, citing the low status of the German representative.
Temporary effect
Already after the signing, an answer was received from Moscow - General Susloparov was forbidden to sign any documents.
The Soviet command believed that 45 hours before the entry into force of the document, the German forces use to escape to the West. This, in fact, was not denied by the Germans themselves.
As a result, at the insistence of the Soviet side, it was decided to hold another ceremony of signing the unconditional surrender of Germany, which was organized on the evening of May 8, 1945 in the German suburb of Karlshorst. The text, with few exceptions, repeated the text of the document signed in Reims.
From the German side, the act was signed by Field Marshal General, Chief of the Supreme High Command Wilhelm Keitel, Air Force representative - Colonel General Stupmf and Navy - Admiral von Friedeburg. Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force, British Marshal Tedder. US Army General Spaats and French General de Tassigny put their signatures as witnesses.
It is curious that General Eisenhower was going to come to sign this act, but was stopped by the objection of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill: if the allied commander had signed the act in Karlshorst without signing it in Reims, the significance of the Reims act would have seemed insignificant.
The signing of the act in Karlshorst took place on May 8, 1945 at 22:43 CET, and it entered into force, as agreed back in Reims, at 23:01 on May 8. However, according to Moscow time, these events occurred at 0:43 and 1:01 on May 9.
It was this discrepancy in time that caused the Victory Day in Europe to be May 8, and in the Soviet Union - May 9.
To each his own
After the entry into force of the act of unconditional surrender, the organized resistance of Germany finally ceased. This, however, did not prevent individual groups solving local problems (as a rule, a breakthrough to the West) from engaging in battles after May 9th. However, such fights were short-lived and ended in the destruction of the Nazis who did not comply with the terms of surrender.
As for General Susloparov, Stalin personally assessed his actions in the current situation as correct and balanced. After the war, Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov worked at the Military Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, died in 1974 at the age of 77, and was buried with military honors at the Vvedensky cemetery in Moscow.
The fate of the German commanders Alfred Jodl and Wilhelm Keitel, who signed the unconditional surrender at Reims and Karlshorst, was less enviable. The International Tribunal at Nuremberg recognized them as war criminals and sentenced them to death penalty. On the night of October 16, 1946, Jodl and Keitel were hanged in the gymnasium of the Nuremberg prison.
That's how it all ended. But it was very interesting for me to look at these photos - the end point of the route to the West for our soldiers.
On May 1, 1945, the Victory flag was hoisted on the Reichstag building. On May 2, after fierce fighting, the Red Army completely cleared the building of the enemy. Over the next weeks, thousands of soldiers of the Soviet Army and many of the allies signed there.
After the unification of the two Germanys in 1990, it was decided to move the united parliament to the Reichstag.
The English architect Norman Foster, who carried out the reconstruction, along with the construction of a new glass dome, decided to preserve some of the Red Army graffiti. The inscriptions on the outer walls were erased, leaving several fragments in the gallery around the plenary hall and on the ground floor - with a total length of about 100 meters. The Germans claim that they transferred the original inscriptions to the inner walls of the Reichstag using a unique technology.
In the early 2000s, conservative deputies from the Christian Social Union tried to pass a decision to eliminate some of the inscriptions, but did not succeed. "These are not heroic monuments created by order of the authorities," said the Social Democrat Eckard Bartel on this occasion, "but a manifestation of the triumph and suffering of a little man."
To visit Berlin and not see the Reichstag would probably be wrong. So we decided not to break the traditions and went to inspect it. There was no goal to get inside, especially since for this you need to pre-register on the site. Therefore, we just walked around and, in addition to the Reichstag, looked at three more parliamentary buildings located nearby.
So let's go to the Reichstag...
living sculpture. For the first time I see that they portrayed a beggar. That is, throw a coin into the bucket, and I'll just lie down by the fence))) 
And behind the fence is a real sculpture, but strange: 
We approach the Reichstag from the rear: 
The facade of the building is decorated with classical sculptures: 
And I really like this view of the Reichstag: 
Walking around Berlin, do not forget to look under your feet. You can see something interesting. For example, a manhole with a picture of a local TV tower. The leg in the frame is not mine))) 
Or the place where the Berlin Wall used to be: 
But still, we pay all attention to the Reichstag building: 
And a bit of history.
On December 5, 1894, the grand opening of the Reichstag building took place after 10 years of construction. The architect was Paul Vallot: 
On November 9, 1918, the Social Democratic politician Philipp Scheidemann proclaims Germany a republic from the window of the Reichstag after Reich Chancellor Max von Baden arbitrarily announced the abdication of Wilhelm II from the throne at noon of the same day: 
On February 27, 1933, after the National Socialists under the leadership of Adolf Hitler came to power, the fire in the Reichstag becomes a symbol of the end of parliamentary democracy in Germany and a pretext for the persecution of political opponents: 
In memory of the victims of these persecutions, a memorial was erected near the Reichstag called "Monument to 96 Reichstag deputies killed by the Nazis." It is a series of vertical cast-iron slabs, each of which is a monument to a member of the Reichstag who fell victim to the Nazis in the period 1933-1945 from the moment the Nazis came to power in Germany and until the victory over Nazism: 
The memorial was erected in 1992, although the idea to erect a monument arose as early as 1985.
Among the 96 victims, 90 are men and 6 are women.
Most of the victims were members of the Communist Party of Germany (43 people) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (41 people): 
If you get closer, you can see that the name of the victim, the date of death and party affiliation are indicated on the top edge of each slab: 
But let's continue the Reichstag chronicles.
May 1945 - the end of World War II. A red banner flutters on the Reichstag building Soviet army as a sign of victory over National Socialist Germany.
And already on September 9, 1948, over 350,000 Berliners gather at a rally in front of the Reichstag building during the blockade of Berlin, organized by Soviet Union. Oberburgomeister Ernst Reuter, against the backdrop of a badly damaged building, delivers his famous speech, which contains the call: "Peoples of the world ... Take a look at this city": 
On August 13, 1961, the erected Berlin Wall passes in the immediate vicinity of the Reichstag. However, the restoration of the building has been completed, since 1973 it has provided premises for a historical exhibition, as well as meeting rooms for bodies and factions of the Bundestag: 
On October 4, 1990, the first meeting of the first all-German Bundestag takes place in the Reichstag building.
And on June 20, 1991, the German Bundestag in Bonn decides by 338 votes against 320 to move to Berlin in the Reichstag building. Following a competition, architect Norman Foster is tasked with rebuilding the building.
And in May 1995, after a controversial debate, the council of elders decides to build a modern glass dome, inside which people can walk: 
Between June 24 and July 6, 1995, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrap up the Reichstag building, turning it into a work of art and attracting about five million visitors. After the artistic action, the reconstruction of the building begins: 
And on April 19, 1999, the Bundestag takes over the rebuilt Reichstag building in Berlin. Norman Foster hands Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse the symbolic key to the building.
And already in the summer of 1999, the Bundestag moved from Bonn to Berlin. On September 6, the first sessional week of the Bundestag begins in Berlin: 
But the parliamentary quarter is not limited to just one Reichstag building. After the decision was made to move the parliament and government to Berlin from Bonn, three new parliamentary buildings appeared around the Reichstag: the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus, the Paul-Löbe-Haus and the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus. They combine a transparent architecture, a high level of functionality and innovative technologies that do not harm the environment.
Pictured below is the Paul Löbe House, named after the last democratic president of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic, Paul Löbe. In this building, about 200 meters long and about 100 meters wide, there are two-level meeting rooms of parliamentary committees in eight rotundas: 
And this new Bundestag building, named after the liberal politician Marie-Elisabeth Lüders, houses the information and service center of the parliament, including a library, archive, press documentation department and scientific services: 
I did not take pictures of the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus. I can only say that this is the largest of the new parliamentary buildings, and it houses, first of all, factions and their employees. The complex of this building consists of eight buildings.
And I really hope that I didn’t confuse the names of the other two buildings with their pictures)))
That's all I wanted to tell you about our walk through the parliamentary quarter around the Reichstag.
There is one more photo that I took while in that area. This tower, located in the northeastern part of the Tiergarten park, houses a carillon: 
The Berlin Carillon is a large hand-held musical instrument that consists of 68 bells weighing 48 tons connected to a keyboard. The largest bell here weighs 7.8 tons. The carillon was cast in Holland at the Eisbouts Royal Foundry and is one of the largest carillons in Europe and the fourth largest in the world in terms of the number of bells. The carilloner sits in a special room in the middle of the bells and plays with his hands and feet on the keyboard with keys and pedals. The mechanical control system allows you to play in all dynamic ranges - from the quietest to the loudest.
This concludes our walk around the Reichstag, but I still have something to tell about Berlin itself.
Therefore, see you in the capital of Germany!
The permanent address of my photo-reports of all trips is here: veryold.ru
Remembering the Reichstag in Germany, the image of Adolf Hitler and all the horrors of the war rise before my eyes. The very name "Reichstag" can be translated as " popular assembly”And its main purpose was to resolve political issues for the good of Germany. Today this building represents the unity of the state and its difficult history. Tourists who are near the Reichstag for the first time are amazed at its beautiful architecture. There are no traces of past defeats on the windows and long-suffering walls, and today the building shines with renewed vigor. Every tourist dreams of taking a photo against the backdrop of the Reichstag, and there are several tens of thousands of them every year.
Construction history
The reign of Otto Bismarck is considered the brightest in the history of Germany, not for nothing he was nicknamed iron chancellor. He managed to unite the disparate kingdoms and regions to create single state. In honor of the unification of Germany, an order was given to build the most beautiful and majestic building. Part of the Kaiser Square (now Republic Square) was allocated for construction, practically on the banks of the Spree River.
No sooner had the builders begun work than an insurmountable obstacle arose. Count Radzinsky refused to provide his land for construction. Initially, the author of the project was a Russian architect, but during negotiations with Radzinsky, they announced new competition, which was won by Paul Wollot, a native of Germany. The project expected several years of inactivity. It was possible to realize it only after the death of the count, with the consent of his son. The laying of the foundation of the future government house took place in 1884. It was completed by William I, and a decade later, William II had the opportunity to celebrate the completion of construction. For the first time, Parliament met in a meeting in a new building only in 1894.
Architecture
As conceived by Vollot, the renewed Germany should be associated with strength and power. It was these features that he tried to embody in the strict architecture of the Reichstag. The building is made in the imperial style and is distinguished by a weighted, even massive base. The building has the shape of a square, in each corner of which rises a tower - a symbol of a separate region.
In the center was a spherical dome, which surpassed all other buildings in the city in height. The ruler did not like this superiority, he saw in it an attempt to surpass other attributes of royal power. During construction, the dome cover did not differ from the rest of the roof, but as a result of the last restoration in the middle of the 20th century, it became glass. Today the height of the building reaches 75 meters. The roof is decorated with an unusual viewing platform for visitors. Panoramas from it to the capital are striking in their beauty.
The main facade is made in the ancient Roman style. At the entrance there is a colonnade, which is crowned with a portico with triumphal bas-reliefs. Earlier, bells and parts of a carillon were located in decorative turrets along the edges of the portico. The instrument has now been dismantled. The towers are decorated with 16 allegorical sculptures illustrating various spheres. public life, among which:
- armed forces;
- farming;
- industrial enterprises;
- brewing;
- art.
In 1916, an inscription was added on the pediment: "To the German people." It was made from melted down French cannons captured in the First world war. Wilhelm II did not approve of the appearance of the inscription, as well as the construction itself, he saw this as an attempt on his sole power. And so it happened, a few years later, from the balcony in the Reichstag, Germany was proclaimed a republic.
The design of the halls Vallot also did not pass by. He designed the interior in a style typical of administrative buildings of that era. The walls and ceiling were richly decorated with stucco and carved wood panels. IN in large numbers there were bas-reliefs, rosettes and garlands.
Many visitors consider the dome to be the most prominent part of the Reichstag. In its current form, it appeared only in the 90s. The author of the project was the architect Norman Foster. The weight of the structure is approaching 1.2 thousand tons, the height is more than 23 meters, and the cross section is 38 meters. The dome is very multifunctional, it simultaneously serves as a grandiose observation deck, dimmer and ventilation.
For ascent and descent from the site, there are two fenced paths. Mirrors and window openings are controlled by a powerful computer. It allows you to ventilate the room and adjust the lighting with a simple keystroke. Light through the dome enters the meeting room and creates a comfortable atmosphere for work. Modern technologies provide the Reichstag with the necessary energy. On its roof are solar panels, and part of the heat comes from nearby thermal sources.
The difficult fate of the Reichstag
The Reichstag building was used for parliamentary meetings, both under Wilhelm II and after the change of power. Adolf Hitler's party, which led the country in accordance with the law, did not change traditions. The years of Nazi rule even before the war were accompanied by confrontation with adherents of communism. It was their fault that they saw in the terrible fire of 1933.
The dark history of the Reichstag continued until the day Germany surrendered in World War II, when a red banner was hoisted over it. At that time, the building was a pile of ruins, only some walls remained surviving. Photos of the ruins with thousands of inscriptions left by Soviet soldiers flew around the world. So they celebrated their victory and superiority. Of course, the facade of the Reichstag has been completely restored today and there are no inscriptions left on it, but they have not been completely destroyed. Scribbled walls can be seen on the roof, in the meeting room and some interior spaces. They remind of the horrors of fascism not only to tourists, but also to the Germans themselves, so as not to let history repeat itself.
When the Berlin Wall was built, the Reichstag was on its western side. Meetings were no longer held in it, and restoration began two decades after the Victory. The work was completed in 1972. Now the Reichstag has become historical institute and remained so until 1992. In 1995, the renovated Reichstag with a dome reopened in the role that was originally intended for him.
How to visit the building
Visiting the Reichstag is allowed for tourists as part of excursion groups. Tours run daily from 8:00 am to midnight. Usually, it takes 15 minutes to form a tour of 25 visitors, so the waiting time flies by, although the queues are quite long. You need to sign up for a tour at least two days in advance on the official website (bundestag.de). There is a restaurant inside, where anyone can freely enter (working hours: 9:00-16:30). Entrance to the Reichstag without an appointment today is impossible, but it is completely free.
To get to the Reichstag, you should use one of the following options:
- lines S1 or S2 S-Bahn;
- direction U55 U-Bahn;
- tourist buses №100, M85.
Get off at the Bundestag or Brandenburger Tor stops.
For motorists and taxi passengers, the official address of the Reichstag is: 1, Platz der Republik.
