April, 1945 in The Bunker

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The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II.

Before the battle was over, German F

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Hitler had entrusted Minister of Armaments Albert Speer to enforce a scorched earth policy, which would have reduced Germany to even worse rubble.

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April 29 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun (his mistress/girlfriend of 10 years) are married.



This is a great scene in Hitler: The Last Ten Days as the minister is required by German law to ask them if they are "of pure Aryan heritage" before he can officiate the marriage.

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April 30 - After lunch Hitler and Eva retire to his personal study.  A single gunshot is heard.

Hitler has shot himself in the head with his Walther PPK 7.65.  Eva has taken cyanide.

Joseph Goebbels made the announcement.  "The heart of Germany has ceased to beat. The F

[Apex]

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/life-hitle ... slideshow/

There are more photos in the link to the right of the picture.  These are rare, previously unpublished photos.

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Not very glamorous.

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May 1 - Joseph Goebbels and his wife, Magda, poison their six children before killing themselves.

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May 1-2. The breakout. The remaining members of the bunker staff escape in separate groups, each to a different fate.

May 2. Around noon, Russian troops first enter the bunker complex, finding Johannes Hentschel, a mechanic, the sole remaining occupant.

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Not very glamorous.

Is that the F

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Yes, that's from Apex's link.

This is a new view of a photograph that appeared, heavily cropped, in LIFE, picturing Hitler's command center in the Berlin bunker, partially burned by retreating German troops and stripped of valuables by invading Russians.

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Not very glamorous.

Nothing of it.

Thinking about the third reich, the words that may come to mind can be: imposing, scary, garish, inhuman, bestial, hateful, degraded, fetishistic, warmongering, lethal, merciless, rotten, dishonorable, militaristic, racist, psychopathic... and so many other not-quite glamorous words.

Nothing of he third reich has ever been glamorous.

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Albert Speer's architecture was pretty awesome.

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Happy VE day

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Happy VE Day.

The first instrument of Surrender was signed at Reims, France, at 02:41 hours on 7 May 1945. The signing took place in a red brick schoolhouse that served as the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). It was to take effect at 2301 hours Central European time on 8 May 1945.

The unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was signed by Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, on behalf of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German language: High Command of armed forces) and as the representative for the new Reich President, Grand Admiral Karl D

[Strategic Retreat]

Albert Speer's architecture was pretty awesome.

Coming into the "imposing", "scary" and "garish" range by me mentioned above.

NOT glamorous.