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April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:38 pm
by Webb
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

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:55 pm
by Webb
Hitler had entrusted Minister of Armaments Albert Speer to enforce a scorched earth policy, which would have reduced Germany to even worse rubble.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:34 am
by Webb
April 29 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun (his mistress/girlfriend of 10 years) are married.

Image

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.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:13 pm
by Webb
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

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:23 pm
by 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  These are rare, previously unpublished photos.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:49 pm
by Webb
Not very glamorous.

Image

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 12:22 pm
by Webb
May 1 - Joseph Goebbels and his wife, Magda, poison their six children before killing themselves.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 1:25 am
by Webb
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.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 7:18 pm
by BlackAce
Not very glamorous.

Image


Is that the F

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 7:44 pm
by Webb
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.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 8:36 am
by Strategic Retreat
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.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 4:48 pm
by Webb
Albert Speer's architecture was pretty awesome.

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:52 am
by BlackAce
Happy VE day

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 1:12 pm
by Webb
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

Re: April, 1945 in The Bunker

PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2012 6:50 pm
by Strategic Retreat
Albert Speer's architecture was pretty awesome.


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

NOT glamorous.