Battle Of Berlin Failure

Patrick Zeifert
June 5, 2011
Period 1 AP US History
Final Paper

The Battle of Berlin—Failure to Act Sows Seeds of U.S.’s Future Relationship with the U.S.S.R.

In one of the most impactful battles of World War II, the Battle of Berlin, the United States chose not to participate in what became a horrific slaughter of both German soldiers and civilians and a substantial advancement toward the “Cold War” that dominated United States and European relationships with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR, over the next fifty years. The Battle of Berlin was the last major battle of World War II in the European Theatre. In this final act, the Soviets wreaked brutal revenge on Germany for the German atrocities that the German military…show more content…
General Eisenhower actually made a sound military determination not to invade Berlin. His decision was supported by such compelling military strategic considerations as the preservation of the lives of soldiers under his command and the fact that an allied country, the USSR, was much closer in proximity to the battleground and better equipped to conduct the invasion of the then capital of Germany. Quite simply, the European Theatre was huge. As noted, most of the American and British forces were deployed in the western front of Europe, and their intelligence on what the USSR was doing from a military perspective was limited. Given the circumstances, Eisenhower’s decision was…show more content…
Through these lies, Stalin lost all credibility with the Allies. He demonstrated beyond doubt his ruthless ambition to brutally punish Germany and control those eastern European nations along or near the Soviet border. Part of the USSR’s motivation to risk alienation of the United States was subsequently connected to Stalin’s desperate need to gain control over the German nuclear research center, the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin.7 The USSR’s own nuclear program, Operation Borodino, was significantly behind that of the United States.7 Thus, the Cold War with escalating political hostility and military tensions was well underway.

Work Cited
"Battle for Berlin: April – May 1945." Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. Web. 19 May 2011. .
"Battle of Berlin - The Battle of Berlin - World War 2." Military History - Warfare through the Ages - Battles and Conflicts - Weapons of War - Military Leaders in History. Web. 02 June 2011. .
"The Fall of Berlin — Victory 1945." Inside of the War — Victory 1945. Web. 19 May 2011. .
"The Fall of Berlin, 1945." Eye Witness to History - History through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It. Web. 23 May 2011. .
Hastings, Max. "Marching on the Rhine." Armageddon: the Battle for Germany, 1944-45. New York: A.A. Knopf, 2004. 338+. Print.
"Invasion of the Soviet Union, June 1941." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 03 June 2011. .
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