Silesian offensives: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1945 military offensives by the USSR in the Eastern Front of WWII}} |
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{{About|World War II offensives|World War I Silesian offensive|Battle of Łódź (1914)}} |
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:''This is an article about a WWII offensives. For WWI offensive, see [[Silesian Offensive]].'' |
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[[File:Eastern Front 1945-01 to 1945-05.png|300px|thumb|World War II Eastern Front during 1945]] |
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[[File:Operacja górnośląska i dolnośląska.jpg|300px|thumb|Silesian offensives]] |
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| ⚫ | The '''Silesian offensives''' ({{langx|ru|Силезские наступления}}) were two separate offensives conducted in [[Silesia]] in February and March 1945 by the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Red Army]] against the [[Nazi Germany|German]] ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] in [[World War II]], to protect the flanks of the Red Army during its push to Berlin to prevent a ''Wehrmacht'' counterattack. It delayed the final push toward Berlin by 2 months. |
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{{Campaignbox Poland 1944-1945}} |
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==The offensives== |
==The offensives== |
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The [[Lower Silesian |
The [[Lower Silesian offensive]] ran from 8–24 February 1945, and the [[Upper Silesian offensive]] from 15–31 March. Designed to flank the Soviet main advance on [[Berlin]], the two operations pushed the ''Wehrmacht'' out of [[Silesia]]. |
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According to |
According to Soviet information, the Germans lost 54,000 soldiers: 40,000 dead and 14,000 captured in the Upper Silesian offensive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://militarymaps.narod.ru/oper_1945.html#13|title = Основные операции Советских Вооруженных Сил в ВОВ, начавшиеся в 1945 году}}</ref> |
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The [[1st Ukrainian Front]] under [[Ivan Konev]]’s |
The [[1st Ukrainian Front]] under [[Ivan Konev]]’s command—having completed the [[Vistula–Oder offensive]]—was to advance westward toward Silesia with the primary objective of protecting the left flank of the [[1st Belorussian Front]], which was pushing toward Berlin. Similarly, the [[East Pomeranian offensive]] of the [[2nd Belorussian Front]] in the north was tasked with protecting the 1st Belorussian Front's right flank. |
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==Delay== |
==Delay== |
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The need to secure the flanks delayed till April [[Battle of Berlin| |
The need to secure the flanks delayed till April the Soviets' final [[Battle of Berlin|push toward Berlin]], which had originally been planned for February. By mid-April, the East Pomeranian offensive—carried out by the 2nd, and elements of the 1st, Belorussian Fronts—had succeeded in its objectives, reaching the important German port city of [[Szczecin|Stettin]] (now Szczecin). |
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==Motives== |
==Motives== |
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[[Stalin]]'s decision to delay the push toward |
[[Joseph Stalin]]'s decision to delay the push toward Berlin from February to April 1945 has been a subject of controversy among Soviet generals and military historians, with one side arguing that in February the Soviets had a chance of securing Berlin much faster and with far fewer losses, and the other arguing that the possibility of large German formations (remnants of the [[Czechoslovak border fortifications|Czech fortification]] system) remaining on the flanks could have resulted in a successful German counterattack and further prolonged the war. Stalin's aim in delaying the advance on Berlin had likely been political, as it allowed him to occupy substantial parts of [[Austria]] in the [[Vienna offensive]]. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Moravian-Ostrava Offensive Operation]] |
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==References== |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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*[[Antony Beevor|Beevor, Antony]]. ''Berlin: The Downfall 1945'', Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN |
*[[Antony Beevor|Beevor, Antony]]. ''Berlin: The Downfall 1945'', Penguin Books, 2002, {{ISBN|0-670-88695-5}} |
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*Duffy, Christopher. ''Red Storm on the Reich: The Soviet March on Germany, 1945'', Routledge, 1991, ISBN |
*Duffy, Christopher. ''Red Storm on the Reich: The Soviet March on Germany, 1945'', Routledge, 1991, {{ISBN|0-415-22829-8}} |
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*Dubiel, P. |
*Dubiel, P. ''Wyzwolenie Śląska w 1945 r.'' [Liberation of Silesia in 1945], Katowice 1969 |
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*Rawski, T. ''Wyzwolenie Śląska'' [Liberation of Silesia], Studia i Materiały z Dziejów Śląska, t. VI, 1964 |
*Rawski, T. ''Wyzwolenie Śląska'' [Liberation of Silesia], Studia i Materiały z Dziejów Śląska, t. VI, 1964 |
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==External links== |
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{{Silesia topics}} |
{{Silesia topics}} |
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[[Category:Conflicts in 1945]] |
[[Category:Conflicts in 1945]] |
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[[Category:History of Silesia]] |
[[Category:History of Silesia]] |
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[[Category:Battles and operations of the Soviet–German War]] |
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[[Category:Strategic operations of the Red Army in World War II]] |
[[Category:Strategic operations of the Red Army in World War II]] |
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[[Category:Military operations of World War II involving Germany]] |
[[Category:Military operations of World War II involving Germany]] |
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[[Category:Invasions of Germany]] |
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[[de:Niederschlesische Operation]] |
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[[tr:Silezya Taarruzu]] |
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[[zh:西里西亞攻勢]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:50, 23 October 2024
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (October 2008) |
The Silesian offensives (Russian: Силезские наступления) were two separate offensives conducted in Silesia in February and March 1945 by the Soviet Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front in World War II, to protect the flanks of the Red Army during its push to Berlin to prevent a Wehrmacht counterattack. It delayed the final push toward Berlin by 2 months.
The offensives
[edit]The Lower Silesian offensive ran from 8–24 February 1945, and the Upper Silesian offensive from 15–31 March. Designed to flank the Soviet main advance on Berlin, the two operations pushed the Wehrmacht out of Silesia.
According to Soviet information, the Germans lost 54,000 soldiers: 40,000 dead and 14,000 captured in the Upper Silesian offensive.[1]
The 1st Ukrainian Front under Ivan Konev’s command—having completed the Vistula–Oder offensive—was to advance westward toward Silesia with the primary objective of protecting the left flank of the 1st Belorussian Front, which was pushing toward Berlin. Similarly, the East Pomeranian offensive of the 2nd Belorussian Front in the north was tasked with protecting the 1st Belorussian Front's right flank.
Delay
[edit]The need to secure the flanks delayed till April the Soviets' final push toward Berlin, which had originally been planned for February. By mid-April, the East Pomeranian offensive—carried out by the 2nd, and elements of the 1st, Belorussian Fronts—had succeeded in its objectives, reaching the important German port city of Stettin (now Szczecin).
Motives
[edit]Joseph Stalin's decision to delay the push toward Berlin from February to April 1945 has been a subject of controversy among Soviet generals and military historians, with one side arguing that in February the Soviets had a chance of securing Berlin much faster and with far fewer losses, and the other arguing that the possibility of large German formations (remnants of the Czech fortification system) remaining on the flanks could have resulted in a successful German counterattack and further prolonged the war. Stalin's aim in delaying the advance on Berlin had likely been political, as it allowed him to occupy substantial parts of Austria in the Vienna offensive.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Glantz, David M., The Soviet‐German War 1941–45: Myths and Realities: A Survey Essay
Further reading
[edit]- Beevor, Antony. Berlin: The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5
- Duffy, Christopher. Red Storm on the Reich: The Soviet March on Germany, 1945, Routledge, 1991, ISBN 0-415-22829-8
- Dubiel, P. Wyzwolenie Śląska w 1945 r. [Liberation of Silesia in 1945], Katowice 1969
- Karl Friedrich Grau, Silesian Inferno: War Crimes of the Red Army on Its March Into Silesia in 1945: a Collection of Documents, Landpost Press, 1992, ISBN 1-880881-09-8
- Rawski, T. Wyzwolenie Śląska [Liberation of Silesia], Studia i Materiały z Dziejów Śląska, t. VI, 1964
External links
[edit]- Andrzej Wanderer, Piekło na Śląsku, Tygodnik Prudnicki nr 24, 2006-06-14 (in Polish)
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