Berlin und Berliner Geschichten

Hitler’s last great offensive in the Ardennes failed. With British and US armies poised to cross the Rhine in the west, and Soviet forces advancing towards the River Oder in the east, only one offer was on the table for Germany–unconditional surrender. The Allies would not negotiate with a country that had plunged Europe into war twice in 30 years. When the unconditional surrender came, it did give birth to a new European order–but one dominated by Stalin, not democracy and freedom.

Hitler’s last great offensive in the Ardennes failed. With British and US armies poised to cross the Rhine in the west, and Soviet forces advancing towards the River Oder in the east, only one offer was on the table for Germany–unconditional surrender. The Allies would not negotiate with a country that had plunged Europe into war twice in 30 years. When the unconditional surrender came, it did give birth to a new European order–but one dominated by Stalin, not democracy and freedom.

In 1944, Europe’s future hung in the balance. Our 3-part series follows the story of Allied forces–from Normandy to the assault on Germany–and the victories that led to WWII’s end in 1945. We begin on the day after D-Day, unfolding over the summer of 1944 as the initial narrow sliver of French coastline gained by the Allies is slowly extended. By the end of August, Allied victory seemed assured. Rommel had been wounded, Hitler was directing the battle, and the German army was in full retreat.

Hitler’s last great offensive in the Ardennes failed. With British and US armies poised to cross the Rhine in the west, and Soviet forces advancing towards the River Oder in the east, only one offer was on the table for Germany–unconditional surrender. The Allies would not negotiate with a country that had plunged Europe into war twice in 30 years. When the unconditional surrender came, it did give birth to a new European order–but one dominated by Stalin, not democracy and freedom.