Early 1943 marked a turning point in the battle on the Eastern Front. After the devastating defeat at Stalingrad, the German army was no longer able to take the initiative and control the battle. In the following years, despite tactical victories, the German army would be gradually pushed back until Soviet units eventually reached Berlin and captured the Reichstag. In the meantime, both enemies had learned a great deal and new weapons were rapidly introduced onto the battlefield. On 8 May 1945, this bloody confrontation between the two giants ended in the unconditional surrender of Germany and a new geopolitical equilibrium was created. This titanic battle is illustrated with witness accounts from generals, soldiers and civilians. Attention is not only paid to the course of the battle, but also to the tactics and organisational dimensions of the armies involved, the challenges of the vastness of the country, the dilemmas for civilians caught between the fighting parties and the flight of millions of Germans to the West in an attempt to escape from the atrocities of the Soviet army. The book also considers the role of the Reichsbahn in the field of logistics, and the importance of the innovation and production capacity of both armies. In also pays attention to the origins of the Cold War that was to follow this confrontation and which would last until 1989. AUTHOR: Jaap Jan Brouwer studied Medicine, Law and History at Groningen University in the Netherlands. He has been a been a management consultant and interim manager for more than 30 years and has written books on general management topics, health care, the Dutch industry and on military organisations. He has a thorough knowledge and expertise on military organisations and warfare, especially the Second World War. His way of looking at military organisations provides a new, intriguing context and introduces new dynamics in the history of warfare, it makes the reader understand why military organisations acted and reacted as they did. His book The German way of War: A Lesson in Tactical Management was published by Pen & Sword in 2021 and is used by the Koninklijke Militaire Academie (KMA ? Royal Military Academy) in The Netherlands. 60 b/w illustrations
