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NARRATOR: Berlin,
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the capital of Nazi Germany
and Hitler's power base,
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a gleaming city at the heart
of the Fuehrer's plan
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for an empire
to outshine the Romans.
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Adolf Hitler fancied himself
as an architect.
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NARRATOR:
But then the Russians arrive
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and Hitler must prepare Berlin
for battle.
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DAVIES: It was all about elevating
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the most powerful cannons
above the city rooftops.
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NARRATOR:
The city becomes a fortress.
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Buried at its center,
the indestructible Fuehrerbunker.
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This is where Hitler's going to make
his last stand.
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(SPEAKS GERMAN)
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NARRATOR:
One million Russian soldiers,
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five layers of Nazi defenses
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and a battle
to decide the future of the world.
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This is the story
of Fortress Berlin.
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(EXPLOSION)
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The biggest construction projects
of World War II,
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ordered by Hitler
to secure world domination.
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Now they survive
as dark reminders
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of the Fuehrer's
fanatical military ambitions.
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These are the secrets
of the Nazi megastructures.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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April the 28, 1945,
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the tanks of the Soviet Red Army
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roll through the streets
of war-torn Berlin.
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German troops, many just children,
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lie in wait to defend their city
from the Russian hordes.
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18-year-old soldier
Dieter Borkowski
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will be an eyewitness
to these unfolding events.
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All over the city
are haunting reminders
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of these last days
of the Nazi capital.
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(MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING)
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Historian and World War II
expert Michael Dempsey
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has spent years
piecing together the evidence.
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The Battle of Berlin was of a scale
we can scarcely imagine.
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Over a million Soviet Red Army
soldiers are entering the city,
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less than 100,000 are defending it.
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The scale, the intensity,
the brutality
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of this Battle of Berlin
would beggar belief,
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but for the evidence.
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NARRATOR:
Just ten years earlier in 1935,
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the picture was very different.
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Berlin was the seat of Nazi power,
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a cosmopolitan world city
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and one of the cultural capitals
of Europe.
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Hitler and his chief architect,
Albert Speer,
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had embarked on an ambitious
construction program
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to transform the skyline of Berlin.
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Adolf Hitler always fancied himself
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as something of an artist,
as perhaps an architect,
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a man with high cultural pretension.
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NARRATOR:
Colossal government buildings,
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airports and stadiums
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all showcased
at the 1936 Olympic Games.
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Hitler had even greater plans
for the capital,
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to make it the center
of a thousand-year Reich
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that would match the Roman Empire
in scale and longevity.
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Hitler's new created Berlin
with its vast domes,
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huge streets,
massive, giant outsize edifices,
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this is very much part
of the German psyche.
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NARRATOR:
Hitler lays the foundation
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for his thousand-year Reich
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by conquering
large swathes of Europe.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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But in 1944,
British and American troops land
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on the French coast
and advance from the West.
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In the East, the Russians
push back from Stalingrad,
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until they cross
the frozen River Oder,
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bringing them to within 48 kilometers
of Berlin and Hitler.
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The Allies are on the verge
of ending World War II in Europe.
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The battle along this river
could decide the fate of Germany.
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All the weapons you have
are the last we have,
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you must fight fanatically
to stop the Russian offensive.
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(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
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NARRATOR:
Hitler will never surrender.
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He's a man of extremes,
so it's the thousand-year Reich
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or it's collapsing in Armageddon.
There's no middle ground.
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It's always one
or the other in his mind.
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NARRATOR:
The Fuehrer clings to the hope
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that one of his wonder weapons
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might yet turn the war
back in his favor.
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To buy time,
he holds out in Berlin,
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creating a castle
of concrete and steel
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and ordering every last German
to defend it to the death.
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Berlin, of course,
is going to become a fortress
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because it's the capital
of the Third Reich.
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This is where Hitler's
going to make his last stand.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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NARRATOR:
Hitler's plan is to encircle Berlin
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in five layers
of formidable structures,
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starting with the first obstacle,
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59 kilometers of tank traps
at Seelow Heights.
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An outer ring of defense
including the Teltow Canal,
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an inner ring at the stronghold
of Tempelhof Airport,
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three enormous flak towers,
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a final layer of waterways
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and the core of the Fortress,
the Citadel.
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It is here that the Reichstag
and Hitler's bunker are located.
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DEMPSEY: This is a car park
in the middle of Berlin,
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probably the most interesting
car park in the world,
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given that it is the authentic
historical site of Hitler's bunker.
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NARRATOR:
8 meters beneath this car park
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are the remains
of the infamous Fuehrer bunker.
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After the war,
the Allies tried to demolish it
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to prevent it becoming a Nazi shrine,
but it was too strong.
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DEMPSEY: It wasn't until 1988
that the lid of that concrete case
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was actually destroyed
over a 6-month period.
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NARRATOR:
The story of its construction
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and the start of Fortress Berlin
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begins with Allied bombing raids
over the capital.
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The Fuehrer no longer feels safe.
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From the outset, Hitler has always
been a bit obsessed
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with being underground.
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It goes back to his experiences in
the trenches in the First World War.
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You find a lot of people who've lived
through the First World War,
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they feel secure underground.
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NARRATOR: The Nazis
bury the Fuehrerbunker
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deep beneath
the chancellery gardens.
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There are 30 small rooms
distributed over 2 levels
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and Hitler's room
is in the deepest section
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with the most protection.
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25 miles south of Berlin,
in the town of Zossen,
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are the remains
of another Nazi complex
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that gives a unique insight
into Hitler's bunker.
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Former armored squadron
leader Nigel Dunkley
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is an expert in the fall of Berlin.
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DUNKLEY: Right, here we are in the
Zossen Wunsdorf bunker complex.
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This bunker complex
was built by the same company
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that also built Hitler's bunker,
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so it's the last thing that we've got
anywhere near or in Berlin,
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which is pretty well identical
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in construction and in atmosphere
to Hitler's bunker.
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NARRATOR:
These bunkers cover an area
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of nearly 5,000 square meters.
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(SOMBRE MUSIC PLAYING)
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It was the German military
communication nerve center,
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the Nazi equivalent
of the Pentagon.
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To protect it
from Allied air attack,
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the engineers didn't just bury
it 11 meters below ground.
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They also gave it
an impenetrable roof,
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something Hitler
wanted in his bunker, too.
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(GRUNTS)
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DUNKLEY: This is 3 meters
of reinforced concrete,
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reinforced with steel rods.
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Now, over Hitler's bunker,
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he had 4.5 meters
of reinforced concrete
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designed to protect him
from anything
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that either the Soviets
or anybody else could throw at him.
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NARRATOR: Hitler's bunker
is in the middle of the fortress.
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Like a castle,
it is surrounded with water.
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The river Spree
and the Landwehr Canal
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encircle the Citadel
in a natural moat.
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The next layer
is the three flak towers,
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fortresses 15 meters high,
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each bristling
with 20 anti-aircraft weapons.
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Only one still exists
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and access to its extraordinary
interior is limited.
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Local guide Sion Davies
is an expert on their construction.
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DAVIES: We're standing on
the only side of the building
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that still survives,
the north face of the flak tower
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and it really gives us an idea
of the scale of the building.
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NARRATOR: These flak towers
will soon become
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the most important defensive
structures in the whole of Berlin.
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But they get their start
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when Allied forces
begin to bomb the city.
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(WHISTLING, EXPLOSIONS)
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DAVIES:
The first British bombing raid
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found Berlin
relatively lightly protected.
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The reason is very simple,
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the Nazis had traditionally
not thought
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that the British
and indeed any other Air Force
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would successfully bomb Germany.
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NARRATOR: Hitler needs
to protect Berlin,
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to preserve it for its future
as the capital of his Empire.
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The Nazis immediately
embarked on a building program
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to create air-raid shelters
and fortresses to protect the cities
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from future bombing raids
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and that's what
Hitler was involved in.
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NARRATOR: The flak-tower design
is Hitler's brain-child
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and he employs
his favorite architect
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to oversee the project,
Albert Speer.
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This is how I see
the new flak towers.
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Are they a viable design?
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Of course, they are impregnable,
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and they will be guarding this new
fabulous city of ours for centuries.
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Good.
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HOLLAND: Well, Albert Speer
is a very interesting character
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because he's an architect
and he buys into Hitler
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and he buys
into what the Nazis represent,
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but he's a hugely capable,
clever, highly motivated individual.
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NARRATOR: Hitler's design
requires over 100,000 tons
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of tough concrete and steel.
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Every day 3,700 tons
is shipped to the capital
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just to build the flak towers.
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The railway timetable
is changed to accommodate
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a never-ending stream of material.
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Despite their scale, each of these
bastions of Fortress Berlin
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are constructed
in just eight months.
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DAVIES: The flak tower
was all about elevating
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the most powerful cannons
in the German arsenal
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above the city rooftops,
giving them a perfect field of fire.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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NARRATOR: The square tower
has four turrets,
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each with dual 128mm flak guns,
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powerful weapons designed
to bring down Allied bombers.
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But when the Russians arrive,
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these guns will be pointed
down the streets.
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One of the soldiers
tasked with manning
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these flak-tower guns
is 18-year-old Dieter Borkowski,
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who kept a diary
recounting his exploits.
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-MAN: Achtung!
-Heil Hitler!
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NARRATOR: By 1945,
teenagers like Dieter
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are typical
of the inexperienced troops
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left to defend Hitler's capital.
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Can I help you?
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Um, please may I apply
for a weekend-leave pass
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to see my mother?
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Your name, please?
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BORKOWSKI: Dieter Borkowski.
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Ah, similar to mine.
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Dombrovski, Inge.
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Where are you from?
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I'm from Berlin.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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NARRATOR: At just 18,
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Nazi Germany is all Dieter has known.
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He will soon have
to defend his family,
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his Fuehrer and his nation.
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February 1945,
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the Soviet forces
camped on the River Oder
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plan their attack on Berlin
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as their army grows
with reinforcements from Russia.
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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The Allies send their bombers
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to flatten Berlin and ease the
way for the Russians to invade.
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DAVIES: From this height,
we can look out straight over
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the northern approach to Berlin.
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And, of course,
from the anti-aircraft guns
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would have had absolutely no problem
turning and facing in any direction
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that the enemy bombers
were using to fly in to Berlin.
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(AIR RAID SIRENS BLARING)
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NARRATOR:
On top of the flak towers,
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anti-aircraft gunners battle
to bring down the Allied planes.
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00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,080
With guns capable
of firing 13 kilometers,
247
00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,840
they can create 360 degrees of cover.
248
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,800
(WHISTLING)
249
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,160
(EXPLOSION)
250
00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,680
And the sheer power of these
weapons must be calculated
251
00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,360
into the building's design.
252
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:35,560
DAVIES:
Every time a shot was fired,
253
00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,880
it created somewhere
in the region of 40 tons
254
00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,280
that punched down onto the building.
255
00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,120
NARRATOR:
The Allied bombers directly hit
256
00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,280
the flak towers numerous times,
257
00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,920
but Albert Speer's design is working.
258
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,240
The sheer volume of material
in the structures
259
00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,440
makes them indestructible.
260
00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,760
The man responsible
for what remains of these flak towers
261
00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,800
is Sascha Kiel.
262
00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,600
This is a very good point
to show you how thick the wall was.
263
00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,120
We have here 2 meters
of steel concrete
264
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,360
and I am standing in the wall.
265
00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,120
You have to imagine
that the ceiling is double,
266
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,120
4 meters of steel concrete and more.
267
00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,480
NARRATOR: The bombing
of the city is relentless.
268
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,560
Berliners turn to the enormous
flak towers for protection.
269
00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,640
Over 15,000 crowd into each one.
270
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,880
(EXPLOSIONS)
271
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,240
In the Citadel,
Hitler also seeks shelter.
272
00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,040
He has no choice but to move
his command center underground,
273
00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,680
into the safety of his bunker.
274
00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,560
(EXPLOSION, RUMBLING)
275
00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,880
HOLLAND: Hitler is determined
to fight to the end,
276
00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,360
to fight for every yard
and he's not going to leave Berlin.
277
00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,560
He's going to hunker down
in his bunker
278
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,480
and stay there till the bitter end.
279
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,160
NARRATOR:
And the Nazi elite have access
280
00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,640
to other purpose-built shelters.
281
00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,880
DEMPSEY: So here
we are in a Luftestrain,
282
00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,640
an air-protection room,
an air-raid shelter.
283
00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:33,520
This is actually
quite a small shelter,
284
00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,080
but it would have been packed,
285
00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:36,880
especially towards
the end of the war.
286
00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:45,200
We've got some sort of light comedy
on the wall around me.
287
00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:50,520
It's enough perhaps just to make
this place seem more homely.
288
00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,720
NARRATOR: After every raid, Berliners
like Dieter Borkowski emerge
289
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:04,200
to find their magnificent city
bombed into oblivion.
290
00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,560
HOLLAND: When you look
at pictures of Berlin
291
00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,880
by the Spring of 1945,
this is a post-apocalyptic world,
292
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,240
it's a world of shattered buildings,
293
00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,600
of barely a single pane
of glass still intact.
294
00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:23,320
There's rubble everywhere,
295
00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,440
there's gaunt, thin,
emaciated people,
296
00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,440
there's disease,
there's open sewage.
297
00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,080
This is a town, a city
that has already been destroyed
298
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:38,120
before the Soviets have got within
artillery range of the capital.
299
00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,960
NARRATOR: Berliners are terrified
of the advancing Russians,
300
00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,840
They have a fearsome reputation.
301
00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,560
Earlier in the war, the Nazi
army had marched all the way
302
00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:52,440
to the gates of Moscow,
303
00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:56,600
inflicting brutal atrocities on
the people who stood in their way.
304
00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,960
But when the war turned,
the Russians fought all the way back
305
00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,280
to the edge of the German capital,
with one thing on their minds.
306
00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,280
The Soviet army had fought
relentlessly through areas
307
00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:14,760
that, uh, extended from Stalingrad
all the way to the gates of Berlin.
308
00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:16,080
They'd seen horrific things.
309
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,840
They had seen
what Nazi soldiers had done
310
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:22,880
as they progressed
through the occupied territories
311
00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:24,720
where the Reich had been,
and they arrived
312
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:26,920
at the gate ready to take revenge.
313
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:36,720
NARRATOR:
Refugees fleeing from the East
314
00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,920
arrive in the city
with tales of the treatment
315
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,040
Berliners can expect
from the Soviets.
316
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:43,760
Silence!
317
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,840
-What did she say?
-Nothing.
318
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,280
Don't lie!
319
00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,040
She said...
when the Russians come,
320
00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,240
they'll take us
to the mines in Siberia.
321
00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,000
And our women will all be turned
into prostitutes.
322
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:11,640
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
323
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:13,920
(SS OFFICER YELLING IN GERMAN)
324
00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,960
NARRATOR: March 1945.
325
00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,400
After camping on the River Oder
for two months,
326
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:28,280
the Soviets have stockpiled
over 7 million shells
327
00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:30,320
ready to fire at Berlin.
328
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,800
The Allies in the west
have crossed the River Rhine.
329
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,320
Against the advice
of his generals,
330
00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,880
Hitler is determined
to defend his capital
331
00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,360
even without his promised
wonder weapons.
332
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,640
DR. PEARSON: Albert Speer,
his architect, came to him and said
333
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,920
"Listen, we need to do something
in order to protect
334
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,360
German industry so that we can
rebuild properly after the defeat."
335
00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,360
Hitler said, "After the defeat?
Are you kidding?
336
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,080
There will be no defeat."
337
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,680
And the next day issued his
Nero order, scorched earth policy,
338
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,240
that Berlin would not
be left standing
339
00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,360
with anything of value
that Soviets could use.
340
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,000
HITLER:
The enemy will leave us nothing
341
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,480
but scorched earth when he withdraws
342
00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,280
without paying the slightest regard
to our population.
343
00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:19,560
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
344
00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,960
I order anything of value
which could in any way
345
00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,520
be used by the enemy
to be destroyed.
346
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,920
Nothing should be left. Nothing!
347
00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,120
NARRATOR: In a stunning turn,
Hitler proposes
348
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,440
demolishing industrial complexes,
349
00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:42,160
strategic railways
and ancient bridges.
350
00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:46,440
Destroying priceless
architectural wonders
351
00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,960
is something that horrifies
his chief architect.
352
00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:54,880
At this stage of the war,
353
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,760
it makes no sense for us
to undertake demolitions
354
00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,640
which may strike
at the very life of the nation.
355
00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:04,040
We must leave nothing
for the Russians.
356
00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:06,080
But by destroying everything...
357
00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,680
If you could believe
that the war can still be won,
358
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:13,080
if you could at least have faith
in that, all would be well.
359
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:14,400
Do you?
360
00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,000
SPEER: I cannot,
with the best will in the world.
361
00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,120
I do not want to be another swine
in your entourage
362
00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,480
who tells you they believe in victory
when I don't.
363
00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,480
You have 24 hours
to think over your answer.
364
00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:42,000
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
365
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:57,440
NARRATOR: March 30, 1945,
Albert Speer bends to Hitler's will.
366
00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:02,800
He starts the strategic demolition
of the Nazi industrial machine.
367
00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,880
48 kilometers away,
the Soviet forces
368
00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,560
are camped on the west bank
of the River Oder,
369
00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:13,680
16 kilometers from the first
line of defense, Seelow Heights,
370
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,600
ready to attack.
371
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,040
They have now assembled
41 heavily armored divisions
372
00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:24,360
and over 9,000 assault guns.
373
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,240
The Russians
weren't even considering attacking
374
00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:28,760
unless they had 10 to 1
375
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,880
and preferably 40 to 1 at least
at the main point of attack.
376
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:35,600
In other words,
overwhelming numbers.
377
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:38,800
NARRATOR:
One million Russian troops,
378
00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:43,600
2,500 tanks
and 1,500 rocket launchers.
379
00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:48,800
Hitler's generals know
they are hugely outnumbered,
380
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,120
but the Fuehrer won't listen
to their concerns.
381
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,480
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
382
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,280
These generals,
they tell me this is not possible
383
00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:03,840
and that is not possible.
384
00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,560
Unbelievable.
385
00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,280
The army must hold
the Russians at the Oder.
386
00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,600
HOLLAND: The sort of 30 miles
to Berlin between
387
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,720
the River Oder
and the capital, is open,
388
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,080
so this is your sort of last defense
389
00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,400
before the Red Army
reaches the capital,
390
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,200
the heart of the Third Reich.
391
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:30,120
NARRATOR:
The German generals
392
00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,160
know the only way
to hold back the Red Army
393
00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,200
is to take advantage
of natural terrain
394
00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,920
between the Soviet camp
on the river and the capital.
395
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,520
DEMPSEY: So we are standing
on the Seelow Heights
396
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,800
and this is the last high ground
before you get to the city itself
397
00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,040
making this an ideal position
for the Germans to then defend.
398
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:52,560
NARRATOR: From Seelow Heights,
399
00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:57,360
the Germans will see
the enemy's 2,500 tanks advance.
400
00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,520
The Nazis need to reduce
Russian tank numbers
401
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,520
and even the odds.
402
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,960
Ingeniously they exploit
what already exists
403
00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,520
in the German countryside.
404
00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,360
DEMPSEY: So they are going to
adapt the irrigation ditches
405
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,760
that criss-crossed this landscape
406
00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,240
and they're going to adapt them
to form anti-tank ditches.
407
00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:17,960
NARRATOR:
An anti-tank ditch must be wider
408
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:22,360
than the length of the tank tracks
so it can't drive over the top.
409
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,320
The ditch edge is angled
to 70 degrees,
410
00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:29,000
gentle enough for the tank
to drive straight into the trap.
411
00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,080
So they will have to be bridged
by engineers,
412
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,000
that will cause the tanks to stop.
413
00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,240
A static tank is easier to hit
than a moving tank
414
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:40,680
and again
around these obstacles,
415
00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,400
you can concentrate
anti-tank weapons.
416
00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:48,840
NARRATOR: The German create
over 58 kilometers of trenches
417
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:53,360
and anti-tank ditches
to defend Seelow Heights.
418
00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:58,120
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
419
00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,280
The final battle,
the fight for Berlin,
420
00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:11,920
begins at 3:00 a.m.
on April 16, 1945.
421
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,400
(EXPLOSIONS)
422
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,440
At first light, Russian tanks
and infantry surge forward.
423
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,960
DUNKLEY: The Soviets
were in a rush at this point.
424
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:25,520
They wanted to make their way
425
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,200
as fast as possible
into Fortress Berlin.
426
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,560
NARRATOR:
But at the end of the first day,
427
00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:36,640
the Russians still haven't
taken Seelow Heights.
428
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,000
DUNKLEY: To their horror,
they discovered that
429
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,720
the German defenses
were much more effective
430
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,640
than they had imagined.
431
00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,160
NARRATOR: Amazingly, even though
they are outnumbered 10 to 1,
432
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:53,720
the Germans hold back
the mighty Red Army for four days.
433
00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:00,840
DUNKLEY:
No amount of German ingenuity
434
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,240
and solid determined defense
was going to last forever.
435
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:11,240
It really was only a question of time
before sheer weight of numbers
436
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:16,040
and dogged determination
on the Soviet side won the day.
437
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,920
NARRATOR: Eventually Russian
engineers bridge the tank traps
438
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,360
and, on April 19th,
the Soviets overcome Seelow Heights.
439
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:32,160
They have lost over
30,000 men and 700 tanks
440
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,400
but are one step closer to Berlin.
441
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:43,720
At the Fuehrerbunker, Hitler
is celebrating his 56th Birthday.
442
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,280
In what will be his
last public appearance
443
00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:49,280
and the last footage of him,
444
00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,240
he greets a selection
of the Hitler Youth
445
00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,040
who survived Seelow Heights.
446
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,920
DEMPSEY:
Adolf Hitler is congratulating
447
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:02,800
and indeed decorating boys
with medals of honor,
448
00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,160
the Iron Cross for their courage
in taking on Soviet tanks,
449
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,680
in many cases, at close range.
450
00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,520
NARRATOR: Outside Berlin,
nearly 2,000 Russian tanks
451
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,000
are storming towards
the outer defense ring of the city.
452
00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,200
To combat these tanks,
453
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:23,800
the Nazis have
a revolutionary weapon,
454
00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:28,320
a lightweight anti-tank
missile launcher, the Panzerfaust.
455
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,360
No, no, no, stupid.
You have to keep it down!
456
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,760
Have a look. I'll show you.
457
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,840
(SPEAKING GERMAN)
458
00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:39,640
NARRATOR:
This ground-breaking missile
459
00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,040
can pierce
nearly 10 centimeters of armor
460
00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,440
at a range of 100 meters.
461
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:48,320
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
462
00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,040
(EXPLOSIONS)
463
00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:02,080
DEMPSEY: The Panzerfaust,
literally the tank fist,
464
00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,560
was ahead of its time.
It was very simple technology.
465
00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,880
In fact, you could give this
to a young boy
466
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,040
or an old man, and they would fire it
with confidence
467
00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,720
because this is a recoilless weapon.
468
00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,560
There is no kick, and indeed, uh,
469
00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:18,960
if you can get close
enough to the tank,
470
00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,920
you can be confident
that the war head will do its work.
471
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,960
NARRATOR: In the city,
Berliners old and young
472
00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,480
train with this latest
in Nazi weapon engineering.
473
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,000
And soon they will be tested.
474
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,040
The Soviets reach the Teltow Canal.
475
00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:40,720
DEMPSEY: 25th of April,
the Soviet Red Army
476
00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:42,360
manage to cross this canal.
477
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,880
Somehow they get
inflatable boats across here,
478
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,760
they then establish a bridgehead
and then their bringing up barges
479
00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,240
to create improvised pontoon bridges
480
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:53,640
to bring more infantry
and more Soviet armor,
481
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,720
more tanks, uh, in their wake.
482
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,280
They are then moving
and moving fast
483
00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:02,200
up to the next concentric ring
within Berlin's defense system,
484
00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:04,400
the inner ring.
485
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,720
NARRATOR: The Teltow Canal,
Berlin's outer defense ring,
486
00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:10,960
crumbles in just four days.
487
00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:12,120
(EXPLOSION)
488
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:16,520
The Soviets are now less than
6 kilometers from the Fuehrerbunker.
489
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,920
Hitler's generals want to flee
and he is furious.
490
00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,320
You all offer me
cowardice and baseness.
491
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,080
All around me is disloyalty.
492
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,840
For years, you, my generals,
have resisted me
493
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,000
constantly, for years!
494
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:46,320
You are traitors! Traitors!
495
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,280
I can no longer lead you villains,
496
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,680
every order, waste of my breath.
497
00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,560
But, gentlemen,
498
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,560
if you believe
that I will leave Berlin...
499
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,480
...you are sorely mistaken!
500
00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:12,600
I'd rather put a bullet
through my head.
501
00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:16,800
NARRATOR:
Hitler is going nowhere.
502
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:18,920
He still believes
his Fortress Berlin
503
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,120
will not fall to the Soviets.
504
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,200
But they are closing in fast
505
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,520
and have reached one of the most
formidable structures
506
00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:29,360
in the inner defense ring,
Tempelhof Airport.
507
00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,720
DEMPSEY: As a command post,
this is where you've got food stored,
508
00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,080
ammunition stored,
509
00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,240
everything that's required
for a defense
510
00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,160
is going to be concentrated
511
00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,560
in this particular
kind of a building,
512
00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:44,520
in this fortress within a fortress.
513
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,040
NARRATOR: It's an important
prize for the Soviets,
514
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,680
as they desperately
need an airport
515
00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,320
to resupply their exhausted army.
516
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,440
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
517
00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:58,000
But the Germans have turned
the airport into a stronghold.
518
00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:01,040
(EXPLOSIONS)
519
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,680
So what you've got here
is a series of towers behind me.
520
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:06,760
It's like a castle in that respect.
521
00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:08,920
Call it the Great Wall of China
in a way.
522
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:10,640
You've got these flak towers,
523
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,320
where you can sight artillery
without a problem,
524
00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,720
and indeed this is
a raised trench war in a way.
525
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,840
You can sight artillery
behind this visual screen
526
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,320
that could fire then
at higher elevation
527
00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,480
and take on, uh, the Soviets.
528
00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,960
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
529
00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:34,320
NARRATOR: The fighting is intense
and evidence of it can still be seen
530
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,440
in the burnt-out tunnels
under Tempelhof.
531
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,040
DEMPSEY: This would have been
a really confusing,
532
00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,920
chaotic environment, lots of noise,
people shouting orders to and fro.
533
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:00,400
When you are coming
into these spaces
534
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,920
with the electricity out,
filled with smoke,
535
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,640
and dust, brick dust,
and what have you.
536
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,400
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
537
00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,960
NARRATOR:
Eventually, the sheer volume
538
00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,680
of troops in the Red Army wins out
539
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,160
and by April 27th,
540
00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,600
the Soviets
have control of Tempelhof.
541
00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,200
It is a massive strategic victory.
542
00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:29,120
DEMPSEY: Just 36 hours
after the battle ends
543
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,040
in this particular place,
544
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:35,760
they're actually flying biplanes
into this particular part of Berlin
545
00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,040
to get Soviet casualties out,
resupply,
546
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,800
fighter aircraft are coming in.
547
00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:43,920
(EXPLOSION)
548
00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,320
NARRATOR:
The Soviets resupply and push on.
549
00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,400
They face strong resistance
from the remaining Berliners
550
00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:52,360
defending the city.
551
00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:56,400
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
552
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:12,680
Berlin has been hit
with over 2 million artillery rounds
553
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,480
and the resulting debris
forms natural tank obstacles
554
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,160
and barricades.
555
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,440
DEMPSEY: The more confusing
the terrain for the tank,
556
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,760
the better chance I have
of catching that tank,
557
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,160
at close range
and take out the turret
558
00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:30,840
and then take out the main
armament in the process.
559
00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:34,640
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
560
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:38,480
NARRATOR: Russian tank superiority
561
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:40,920
counts for little
as the Hitler Youth,
562
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:45,480
with their portable panzerfaust,
adopt hit-and-run tactics.
563
00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,440
(EXPLOSION)
564
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,920
Every hour,
the Red Army inches closer
565
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,040
to the Fuehrerbunker and Hitler.
566
00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,520
Berliners driven back
by the advancing tanks,
567
00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:19,600
seek refuge
in the indestructible flak towers.
568
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:25,280
DAVIES: Somewhere in the region
of 15,000 civilians
569
00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,280
should have come inside.
570
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,520
The key word there is,
of course, "should,"
571
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,600
because we know that people
were crowding into these buildings.
572
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:36,160
Three to four times
the official number of civilians
573
00:35:36,240 --> 00:35:37,840
pushing their way inside.
574
00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:42,040
NARRATOR:
Up to 60,000 citizens cower
575
00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,520
in each of the three flak towers,
576
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,640
relying on the mass
of concrete for survival.
577
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,520
Outside, the Red Army
throw everything they have
578
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:56,000
at these last great Nazi structures.
579
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:57,520
(FIRES)
580
00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:01,320
The Russian tanks stood over there,
some 300 meters.
581
00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:06,840
Um, and they tried to blast through
the 3-meter strong concrete,
582
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,360
steel concrete wall,
but they didn't manage.
583
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:11,920
(EXPLOSIONS)
584
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,600
NARRATOR: Despite the entire
might of the Soviet army
585
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:18,480
being turned on the flak towers,
they are still standing.
586
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,640
DAVIES: They were able
to resist the Soviets.
587
00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:24,920
They couldn't do anything
about the Soviets
588
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,120
swallowing up the rest of Berlin,
589
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,720
which simply meant, of course,
590
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,480
that the Soviets,
uh, just had to wait.
591
00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,240
At some point, the people
inside would have to give up.
592
00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,040
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
593
00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:39,520
NARRATOR: The Russians
simply leave the flak towers
594
00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:43,680
and flood past towards
Hitler's bunker and the Reischtag.
595
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:49,440
The next defensive line is
the water surrounding the Citadel.
596
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:54,400
The Germans have blown
every bridge across, except one.
597
00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,400
The outer ring of defense
has been broken,
598
00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,840
the inner ring of defense
has been broken
599
00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:04,160
and now we are at the defense line
for the Citadel itself,
600
00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:06,560
the Citadel on the other side
of the water here.
601
00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,960
But German Army engineers
have failed to break,
602
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,960
destroy the Moltke bridge.
603
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:15,440
NARRATOR: This bridge
604
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,400
is the last major defensive
strongpoint
605
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:21,680
between the Soviet Army
and Hitler's bunker itself.
606
00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:29,360
(EXPLOSIONS)
607
00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:32,520
April 28, 1945.
608
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,040
At dusk, the Soviets launch
their attack
609
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,000
on Berlin's Citadel.
610
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,720
If they can seize control
of the Moltke bridge,
611
00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:41,960
the city will fall.
612
00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:46,400
This bridge was heavily
and bitterly defended.
613
00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:51,440
The closer that you got to
the Citadel, the more desperate
614
00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:53,800
and the more fanatical
the troops would become.
615
00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,840
NARRATOR: Defending this bridge
is the last hope for the Nazis.
616
00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,240
If the Soviets cross,
they are within touching distance
617
00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,080
of their ultimate prize,
Hitler in his bunker.
618
00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:08,440
It was extremely important
for the Soviets
619
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,520
to get the body of Hitler, to be able
to show it to their public.
620
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,960
They fought so hard against him,
against a regime
621
00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:14,720
that was a top-down regime
with Hitler
622
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:16,320
as the leader, the Fuehrer.
623
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,800
(EXPLOSIONS)
624
00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:21,640
NARRATOR: The Soviets secure
the bridge by midnight.
625
00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:23,640
They are at last in the Citadel.
626
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:29,440
There is now only the Fuehrerbunker
between the Soviets and Hitler.
627
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,720
He puts his last plan into action.
628
00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:38,400
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
629
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,720
DEMPSEY: On the 29th,
he marries Eva Braun,
630
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:45,400
his long-term mistress,
631
00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:48,480
rewarding her
for her misplaced loyalty.
632
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,840
On the 30th of April,
at approximately 3:30 p.m.,
633
00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:00,840
he will commit suicide
with her in the bunker itself.
634
00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:04,400
(GUNSHOT)
635
00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:08,080
Hitler knew what had happened
to Mussolini in Italy.
636
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:09,560
He had been urinated on in public.
637
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:12,840
He had been taken and hung
in the main square in Milan.
638
00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:16,640
Hitler had his body incinerated
in order to avoid that fate.
639
00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:20,000
(SOMBRE MUSIC PLAYING)
640
00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:27,040
MAN ON RADIO:
From the Fuehrer's Headquarters,
641
00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:32,000
it is announced
that our Fuehrer Adolf Hitler
642
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:33,960
this afternoon,
643
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,800
at his command post
in the Reich Chancellery,
644
00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:39,880
fighting till his last breath
645
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:43,480
against Bolshevism,
646
00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:45,680
fell for Germany.
647
00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,560
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
648
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,840
DEMPSEY:
After the news of Hitler's death,
649
00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:54,840
Berliners felt abandoned
and betrayed by the man
650
00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:57,200
who had set himself up
as their leader,
651
00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,360
as if you like the father
of the nation.
652
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:05,880
NARRATOR: Inside the flak tower,
Dieter discovers tragic casualties.
653
00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:10,360
Nearly 4,000 Berliners decide
to end their lives during the battle,
654
00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:13,040
instead of surrendering
to the Soviets.
655
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:18,560
BORKOWSKI: Uh, Sergeant...
656
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:22,960
have you seen Inge Dombrovski?
657
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:26,040
SERGEANT: She is dead.
658
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:30,120
Lieutenant Seidler shot her.
659
00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,960
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
660
00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:43,200
(MACHINE-GUN FIRING)
661
00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:44,840
NARRATOR: The Soviets are outside
662
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:47,440
the government buildings
and the Reichstag.
663
00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:55,120
Three attempted assaults are held off
with heavy Soviet losses.
664
00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,440
They have to blast their way in
through the bricked-up entrances
665
00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:01,880
and resume hand-to-hand fighting.
666
00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:10,920
DEMPSEY: Eventually by 22:40
hours on the 30th April, 1945,
667
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:14,840
the red flag of the Soviet Union
is raised above this building.
668
00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,000
That means that systematically,
every line of defense
669
00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,920
put in their way
by the Germans defending
670
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,320
has been broken
by the Soviet Red Army.
671
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,680
Beyond that, Nazi Germany
is shown to be defeated
672
00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:32,040
and the war in Europe
is all but over.
673
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,960
(EXPLOSION)
674
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,560
(SOMBRE MUSIC PLAYING)
675
00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:45,240
NARRATOR: A modern city,
revered just a few years earlier,
676
00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:48,120
has been reduced to rubble.
677
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,520
Just seven hours
after Hitler's suicide,
678
00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:53,800
Fortress Berlin has fallen.
679
00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:02,680
DR. PEARSON:
A quarter of the city lay in ruins.
680
00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:06,680
500,000 apartments
were destroyed.
681
00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:09,120
The infrastructure of
a very modern city was in tatters.
682
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:11,320
There was no safe drinking water.
683
00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,520
You had women forced
into slave labor moving stones
684
00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,040
from this rubble to clear streets.
685
00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:19,120
And more than anything else,
the stench,
686
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,400
the stench of collapsed buildings
with bodies
687
00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:22,720
that were rotting under it.
688
00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,800
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
689
00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,960
NARRATOR: The Soviet forces
lost over 80,000 men
690
00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:30,560
in the Battle of Berlin.
691
00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:33,600
German casualties
number close to double that.
692
00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:38,320
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
693
00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:41,640
DEMPSEY:
I think we should remember
694
00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:45,280
that the Battle of Berlin
should never have been fought,
695
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:48,080
and that the only reason
it was fought
696
00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:49,600
was because Adolf Hitler,
697
00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:52,120
the man who could
always have surrendered
698
00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:55,160
and bowed to the inevitable,
didn't
699
00:42:55,240 --> 00:42:58,000
and the whole of this city
and much more besides
700
00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:00,960
would then be sacrificed
on the altar of his ego.
701
00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:05,800
NARRATOR: Albert Speer
serves 20 years in jail
702
00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:08,400
for his role in Nazi war crimes.
703
00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:12,320
When released in 1966,
he writes about his experience
704
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,160
as the architect of the Third Reich.
705
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,080
Dieter studies history
at Berlin University
706
00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:20,920
and becomes a journalist.
707
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:25,040
He dies of natural causes
in 2000, aged 71.
708
00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:31,040
After Berlin falls,
Nazi Germany officially surrenders
709
00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,720
one week later on May 8, 1945,
710
00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,520
and victory in Europe is declared.
711
00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:41,240
With the Japanese surrender
nearly four months later,
712
00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:44,400
World War II is at an end.
713
00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:48,440
Despite all the military technology
and megastructures
714
00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:50,680
pioneered by the Nazis,
715
00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,400
Hitler's Third Reich
has ultimately failed
716
00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:57,640
and over 60 million people
have lost their lives
717
00:43:57,720 --> 00:44:00,760
in the deadliest conflict in history.