BERLIN 1945: The Last Battle of the Reich The Definitive History of the Final Siege: A City's Death, a Dictator's End, and the Dawn of the Cold War. The battle for Berlin in 1945 was not simply the last major engagement of World War II; it was the ferocious, unhinged climax of the most destructive conflict in human history. As the world held its breath, the fate of Nazi Germany was decided in the streets, bunkers, and shattered ruins of its own capital. This is the definitive account of that terrifying final chapter, a narrative of political madness, military vengeance, and the unimaginable suffering of millions. This is the definitive history of the siege, tracing the Soviet assault from its devastating start to its bloody conclusion. Historian Ivo Vichev plunges the reader into the heart of the Häuserkampf-the vicious, block-by-block street fighting: The Seelow Heights: The last great open-field battle that tore open the gates to the capital. The Encirclement: The terrifying moment millions of soldiers and civilians were trapped inside the burning metropolis. The Führerbunker: The macabre political collapse and suicide of Hitler, ending a dictator's reign. The Red Flag Over the Reichstag: The ultimate symbolic victory confirming the German surrender. More than just a narrative of tanks and tactics, this book reveals the horror of the Death of a City-a visceral account of the civilian experience and the lawless terror inside the ruins. The surrender was only the beginning. Berlin 1945 powerfully establishes how the conquered capital immediately became the frontline of the next global conflict: The Cold War. The city that died as Hitler's capital was reborn as a warning. This is the complete, uncompromising history of the battle that changed the world forever.