蜜芽传媒

By April 1945, Soviet forces stood at the gates of Berlin. From the summer of 1944, Hitler's armies had suffered a series of cataclysmic defeats that had left them shattered and desperately trying to hold on in front of the capital of the Third Reich. How had the Soviets been able to bring the once mighty German Army to the brink of total defeat, and did it have one last throw of the dice to save the Nazi regime?

In this episode, Dan is joined by Professor Evan Maudsley, former Professor of International History at the University of Glasgow. Evan helps Dan explore the stark differences in the narrative of World War II's final months across Western and Eastern Europe. They also discuss the key events from Operation Bagration in June 1944 to the Soviets' advance on Berlin in 1945 and how these tie in with the advance of the Western Allies. Also, could Stalin's strategic decisions have brought the war to an end sooner, and what did Hitler's last offensive in Hungary reveal about the dictator's priorities?

Produced and edited by Dougal Patmore.

All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3 Media.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.