In the spring of 1945, the outcome of the war was already obvious to all its participants. The main goal of the top leaders of Nazi Germany was to delay the inevitable outcome as much as possible, counting on the possible conclusion of a separate peace with the USA and Great Britain. The priority task of the Soviet Union is the final defeat of the Third Reich, forcing it to unconditional surrender.

On February 17, 1945, a directive from the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command assigned the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts the task of preparing an attack on one of the European capitals still in the hands of the Nazis - Vienna.

Austria, which had lost its independence in 1938 as a result of the Anschluss, was in an ambivalent position at the final stage of the war. On the one hand, the Austrians became one of the victims of Nazi aggression. On the other hand, Nazi sentiments were strong in Austria, and units of the Wehrmacht and SS throughout the war were steadily replenished with ideological supporters from the homeland of the Fuhrer of the Third Reich.

The leaders of Nazi Germany, pushing the Austrians to resist the advancing units of the Red Army, promised them “the bloody horrors of the Stalinist occupation.” The work of Hitler's propagandists made it possible to form Volkssturm units in Vienna, which were supposed to delay the final collapse of the Reich at the cost of their lives.

"Spring Awakening" failed

The start of the Soviet offensive was scheduled for March 15. Almost simultaneously with the decision to prepare for the Vienna offensive operation, the Soviet command received information about the impending powerful attack of the Nazis in the area of ​​Lake Balaton.

It was decided to repel the German offensive in the Lake Balaton area, without stopping preparations for the attack on Vienna.

The Wehrmacht's Operation Spring Awakening was the last German offensive in World War II and the last defensive operation of the Red Army in it.

During the nine-day offensive, the Nazis managed to advance 30 km in the direction of the main attack, but failed to achieve decisive success.

By March 15, the German offensive had stopped, their reserves were depleted. An excellent situation arose for the Soviet troops to launch their own offensive.

The plan of the operation included delivering the main attack with the forces of the 4th and 9th Guards armies from the area north of Székesfehérvár to the southwest with the aim of encircling the 6th SS Panzer Army. In the future, the main forces were supposed to develop an offensive in the direction of Papa, Sopron and further to the Hungarian-Austrian border, with part of the forces attacking Szombathely and Zalaegerszeg with the aim of enveloping the enemy’s Nagykanizsa group from the north. The 26th and 27th armies were supposed to launch the offensive later and contribute to the destruction of the enemy, who was surrounded by that time. The 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies, operating on the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, were supposed to go on the offensive south of Lake Balaton with the task of defeating the opposing enemy and capturing the oil-bearing region centered in the city of Nagykanizsa.

Escaped from the Cauldron

Commanded the 3rd Ukrainian Front Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin, 2nd Ukrainian Front - Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, allied 1st Bulgarian Army - General Vladimir Stoychev.

The offensive of the Soviet troops began on March 16, 1945 at 15:35. The artillery preparation turned out to be so powerful that both the 4th and 9th Guards Armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, which were the first to go on the offensive, initially encountered no resistance at all. Then, however, the enemy began hastily transferring fresh units towards the guardsmen.

At the first stage, fierce battles broke out for the Hungarian Székesfehérvár, a large center of German defense, the occupation of which by Soviet troops threatened them with going to the rear of the Nazis and complete encirclement of the German group.

By the end of March 18, Soviet troops managed to advance to a depth of about 18 km and expand the breakthrough to 36 km along the front. The 6th Guards Tank Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front was introduced into the breakthrough, however, the Germans also brought up units from other sectors to repel the offensive: three tank and one infantry division. Despite this, Soviet troops managed to advance another 8 kilometers. On March 20, the time came for the 26th and 27th armies to attack.

The threat of complete encirclement and defeat hung over the Balaton group of Nazis. The main force of the Germans in this area - the 6th SS Army - was withdrawn through a corridor about two and a half kilometers wide that remained in their hands.

The Bulgarians and cavalrymen deprived the Wehrmacht of fuel

The Germans managed to avoid encirclement, but failed to stop the Soviet troops. Having immediately crossed the line of the Raba River, the Red Army rushed to the Hungarian-Austrian border.

On March 25, the 2nd Ukrainian Front launched an attack on Bratislava, which deprived the German command of the opportunity to transfer reserves to the Vienna direction.

On March 29, 1945, on the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, the 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies went on the offensive in the direction of Nagykanizh. A day later, the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps began a raid behind the German group in the Nagykanizh area.

Soon, Soviet and Bulgarian troops captured Nagykanizh, the center of one of the last oil-bearing regions remaining in German hands. Thus, the Wehrmacht found itself in conditions of an acute fuel crisis.

On April 1, 1945, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command clarified the task - the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were ordered to capture the capital of Austria and, no later than April 12-15, reach the line of Tulln, St. Pölten, Neu-Lengbach.

"Alpine Fortress"

After heavy battles in March, the Red Army's offensive developed rapidly in early April. By April 4, the strike force of the 3rd Ukrainian Front reached the approaches to Vienna.

The German command intended to defend Vienna to the end. The most important objects of the city, its main attractions, were mined, houses were turned into fortified firing points.

The city was defended by units of the 6th SS Panzer Army, which had withdrawn from Balaton, 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions, cadets of the Vienna military school, 4 combined regiments of the Viennese police of 1,500 people each.

The defense of Vienna was also facilitated by its geographical position - from the west Vienna was covered by a ridge of mountains, and from the northern and eastern sides by a powerful water barrier, the wide and high-water Danube. On the southern side, on the approaches to the city, the Germans created a powerful fortified area, which consisted of anti-tank ditches, a developed system of fortifications - trenches, pillboxes and bunkers. The Nazis dubbed Vienna the “Alpine Fortress.”

The Soviet command was faced with a difficult task - it was not easy to take the city in the shortest possible time, but also to prevent large-scale destruction of the ancient pearl of Europe.

Message from Marshal Tolbukhin

The attack on Vienna began on April 5. Marshal Tolbukhin's original plan was to launch simultaneous attacks from three directions: from the southeast - with the forces of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the south and southwest - with the forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army with 18 1st Tank Corps and part of the forces of the 9th Guards Army. The remaining forces of the 9th Guards Army were to bypass the city from the west and cut off the enemy's escape route.

On April 5 and 6, fierce battles broke out on the southern and southeastern approaches to the city. The enemy tried to launch counterattacks and put up desperate resistance.

On April 6, Fyodor Tolbukhin addressed the population of Vienna on the radio with an appeal to remain in place, in every possible way to prevent the Nazis from attempting to destroy the city, its historical monuments, and to provide assistance to Soviet troops. Many Austrians responded to this call.

On April 7, the main forces of the 9th Guards Army and formations of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having overcome the mountainous forest of the Vienna Woods, reached the Danube. Thus, the German group was covered by Soviet troops from the east, south and west. With great difficulty, the Nazis held back the advance of the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which could have slammed the cauldron.

Heavy street fighting broke out in Vienna, which continued both day and night. On April 9, 1945, a tank battalion of the 6th Guards Tank Army under the command of guard captain Dmitry Loza. For 24 hours, the battalion held its position until the main forces of the tank brigade arrived. For this feat, Dmitry Fedorovich Loza was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Landing on the Imperial Bridge

By the end of April 10, the German garrison in Vienna continued fierce resistance in the city center, keeping under its control the Imperial Bridge - the only surviving bridge across the Danube. The Imperial Bridge allowed the western and eastern defense nodes of Vienna to interact.

The bridge was mined, and the German command, in a hopeless situation for itself, intended to blow it up, which would force Soviet troops to fight to cross the full-flowing Danube and fight heavy battles to capture and hold bridgeheads.

To capture the Imperial Bridge, it was decided to carry out an amphibious operation using armored boats of the Danube military flotilla.

The landing party was given the task of landing from boats on both banks of the Danube at the bridge, capturing it and holding it until the main forces arrived.

The landing force included about 100 soldiers of the rifle company of the 80th Guards Rifle Division. They were reinforced with one 45-mm cannon and four heavy machine guns. The artillery of the Danube flotilla and army artillerymen were supposed to cover the paratroopers.

The task was incredibly difficult - armored boats to the landing site had to pass along the coast controlled by the Nazis, past fortified firing points, avoiding destroyed bridges and sunken ships, and all this during daylight hours.

Three days of fire and blood

The operation began on the morning of April 11. A group of five armored boats made a breakthrough to the Imperial Bridge, while the remaining ships were supposed to suppress enemy firing points on the banks.

The daring plan of the Soviet command came as a complete surprise to the Nazis, which allowed the landing boats to reach the landing point without losses. With a swift attack, the Imperial Bridge was captured.

The command of the Vienna garrison realized the seriousness of what had happened. Tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry were urgently transferred to the bridge with orders to recapture the bridge at any cost. Enemy artillery fire fell on the Soviet armored boats. With great difficulty they returned to base.

The Soviet landing force holding the Imperial Bridge found itself under continuous enemy fire. The attacks came one after another, but the company fought to the death.

The bloody battle for the bridge, which became key in the battle for Vienna, lasted three days. On the night of April 13, a battalion of the 7th Guards Airborne Division managed to break through to the bridge. In response, the Germans threw everything that was still in reserve towards the bridge. Both sides suffered heavy losses.

On the morning of April 13, a combined assault detachment of marines under the command of Senior Lieutenant Kochkin broke through to the bridge. A rifle regiment of the 80th Guards Rifle Division was brought into the breakthrough. After some time, the main forces of the division, supported by self-propelled guns of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Brigade, having cut through the eastern group of Germans, reached the bridge. 16 self-propelled artillery units crossed the bridge at high speed and took up a perimeter defense on the western bank. The sappers of the approaching units removed all the explosives left by the Nazis from the bridge. The bridge completely came under the control of Soviet troops, and the threat of its destruction was eliminated.

For the Viennese group of Germans it was all over. Its eastern part, deprived of communication with the western, cut into several isolated groups, was finally defeated by the end of April 13. The western part of the group began a hasty retreat from the city.

Among those who fought with the Nazis on the Imperial Bridge was 19-year-old Red Navy man Georgy Yumatov, a future Soviet cinema star who played a brilliant role in the film “Officers”.

The landing participants were presented with orders and medals, and six soldiers who prevented the bombing of the Imperial Bridge were awarded the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union.

At the expense of the residents of Vienna, an obelisk was erected in front of the Imperial Bridge in honor of the Soviet soldiers who saved this priceless historical relic of the city from destruction.

50 Soviet units and formations that distinguished themselves in the battles for Vienna received the honorary title “Viennese”. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal “For the Capture of Vienna.” In August 1945, a monument to Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of the country was erected in Vienna on Schwarzenbergplatz.

Berlin was ahead

During the Vienna offensive operation, Soviet troops lost 167,940 people killed and wounded. The irretrievable losses of the Red Army amounted to 38,661 people. The losses of the allied Bulgarian army amounted to 9,805 people killed and wounded, of which 2,698 people were irretrievable losses.

There are no exact data on German losses. The fact is that from the beginning of 1945, complete chaos reigned in the Wehrmacht documents, similar to what happened in the Red Army in the tragic summer of 1941.

It is known that the more than 400,000-strong group of German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria virtually ceased to exist. About 130 thousand German soldiers and officers were captured.

With the defeat of the Nazi group in Austria and the capture of Vienna, the plans of the leaders of the Third Reich to prolong the war finally collapsed.

There were three days left before the start of the attack on Berlin...

April 15 is the date marking the end of the Vienna operation in the fight against the German army during the 2nd World War. This operation put an end to fascist tyranny in the lands of Austria, including in its heart - Vienna.

Reference. The Vienna operation (03/16/1945 – 04/15/1945) is a strategically important offensive action by the USSR army against the enemy army during the 2nd World War. The participants in this operation were the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the support of the 1st Bulgarian Army. The main objective of the operation was to destroy the invaders in western Hungary and eastern Austria. The main center of Austria was liberated on April 13, 1945.

Dear friends, this event inspired us to create a selection of photographs.

1. USSR Army officers lay flowers. Burial of the Austrian composer Strauss J. Central Cemetery, Vienna, 1945.

2. 6th Tank Army 9th Mechanization Corps 46th Tank Brigade 1st Battalion, Sherman armored vehicles. Vienna street, April 1945

3. 6th Army of Tank 9th Mechanized Corps 46th Tank Brigade 1st Battalion, Sherman armored vehicles. Vienna street, April 1945

4. Vienna, April 1945. 3rd Ukrainian Front. Red Army soldiers in the fight for the Imperial Bridge.

5. Presentation of awards to Red Army soldiers who distinguished themselves in the battles for Vienna. 1945

6. The first to cross the Austrian border were the artillerymen of the Guards self-propelled guns. Shonicheva V.S. on the boulevards of one of the settlements. 1945

7. Red Army soldiers crossing the line. 1945

8. Allied armored vehicles in the vicinity of Vienna. 1945

9. Vienna, 1945. The team of the Sherman M4A-2 vehicle with the commander, who was the first to burst into the city. On the left side is Nuru Idrisov (driver).

10. Vienna, center, 1945. Machine gun squad, battle on one of the boulevards.

11. Vienna, 1945. Red Army soldiers on one of the liberated streets.

12. Vienna, 1945. Red Army soldiers on one of the liberated streets.

13. The Red Army on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945

14. Boulevard of Vienna after the fighting, 1945

15. Main square. Vienna, 1945. Residents against the backdrop of the ruins of St. Stephen's Church.

16. Vienna, 1945. Victory celebration on one of the boulevards.

17. Vienna vicinity, USSR armored vehicles. April 1945

18. One of the alleys of Vienna, signalmen of the USSR. April 1945

20. Return of residents after the liberation of city streets. Vienna, April 1945

21. Cossack patrol. Vienna street, 1945

22. Celebrating the liberation of the city in one of the squares. Vienna, 1945

23. Soviet armored vehicles on the slopes of the mountains. Austria, 1945

24. USSR combat armored vehicles on the slopes of the Austrian mountains. April 1945

25. Austria, 1945. Guards squad of machine gunners under the leadership of Art. Lt. Gukalov in the battle for the city.

26. Meeting of residents with liberators. Austria, 1945

27. Firing mortars at enemy positions. Detachment of Hero of the USSR Nekrasov. Austria, 1945

28. Conversation between Ser-P. Zaretsky and residents of Lekenhaus. 1945

29. A Soviet officer lays flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. Central Cemetery. Vienna, 1945

30. A detachment of Red Army mortarmen are moving the battalion’s 82-mm gun. Vienna, 1945

31. Vienna. May 1945 Red Army soldiers passing the Danube Canal.

32. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. Central Cemetery. Vienna, 1945

33. Neighborhoods of Vienna. April 1945 USSR traffic controller Klimenko N.

34. Soviet officer at the grave of composer L. Beethovin. Central Cemetery, Vienna

35. USSR traffic controller at a fork in the Viennese roads. May-August 1945

36. Military equipment of the USSR SU-76M on the streets of Vienna. Austria, 1945

37. Red Army mortarmen with regimental weapons. Hofburg Winter Palace. Vienna, 1945

38. USSR M3A1 armored vehicles in combat. Vienna, April 1945

39. Soviet armored vehicle T-34. Vienna, 1945

40. The suicide of a fascist in Vienna right on the street, who had previously shot his family in fear of retribution for what he had done in April 1945.

41. A Soviet girl regulates traffic on the streets of Vienna after liberation in May 1945.

42. A Soviet girl regulates traffic on the streets of Vienna after liberation in May 1945.

43. Reich soldier who died in the battle for Vienna in the spring of 1945.

44. First guards mech. frame. American "Sherman" in Vienna in the spring of 1945.

45. The horrors of war on the streets of Vienna after liberation in the spring of 1945.

46. ​​The horrors of war on the streets of Vienna after liberation in the spring of 1945.

47. Liberators on the streets of Vienna in May 1945. The foreground is a seventy-six-millimeter ZiS-3 cannon.

48. Sherman tanks of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945

49. Combat boats of the Danube flotilla in the spring of '45 in Austria.

50. Band of Soviet troops in the village of Donnerskirchen, Austria, May 9, 1945. In the photo on the right is signalman and orchestrator Pershin N.I.

51. Soviet unit of T-34-85 tanks in the city of St. Pölten, Austria, in the victorious spring of 1945.

52. Aircraft repair brigade of the Guards 213th Fighter Aviation Regiment in Stockerau in Austria in 1945

53. A pair of medium armored vehicles Turan II40M of the Hungarian army, left by the retreating on the railway. stations in the vicinity of Vienna in March 1945.

54. In the photo, Hero of the Soviet Union, guardsman, Major General Kozak S.A. - commander of the 21st Guards Motorized Rifle Corps (years of life from 1902 to 1953). Next to him is Yeletskov S.F., guard colonel.

55. The long-awaited connection of two groups of US and USSR troops in the area of ​​the bridge over the Enns River in the spring of 1945 near the city of Liezen in Austria.

56. The long-awaited connection of two groups of US and USSR troops in the area of ​​​​the bridge over the Enns River in the spring of 1945 near the city of Liezen in Austria.

57. The advance of our infantry, accompanied by British Valentine tanks, in the vicinity of Vienna in April of the victorious forty-fifth year of the last century.

58. Soviet soldiers, against the backdrop of a T-34-85 tank, greet an American division of armored vehicles at a parade near the city of Linz on May 2, 1945.

59. Attack of an Austrian city by troops of the Soviet Union and an armored car M3 Scout Car of the United States in the victorious forty-fifth.

60. Soviet soldiers at a post on the Austrian road from May to August 1945.

61. Sergeant Guards Zudin and his 120 mm mortar fighters.

62. After the fall of the defense of Vienna, guardsmen of the 80th Division in the spring of 1945.

63. Monument to Soviet soldiers-liberators of Vienna. Nowadays.

64. Monument to Soviet soldiers-liberators of Vienna. Nowadays.

Vienna offensive operation, which was completed on April 13, 1945 the liberation of the capital of Austria from the Wehrmacht was one of the brilliant offensive operations that ended the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, at the same time it was both quite simple and incredibly difficult. These are the very last, decisive battles.
The relative ease of capturing the Austrian capital , compared with other operations, was due to the fact that the Red Army had already worked out a scheme for the destruction of enemy groups. In addition, by April 1945, our troops already felt the proximity of Victory, and it was impossible to stop them. Although it was especially difficult psychologically to fight at this time, people knew “a little more, a little more,” plus mortal fatigue.

It is clear that it was not an easy walk : our total losses in this operation are 168 thousand people (of which more than 38 thousand people died). The Germans desperately resisted, but their strength was already undermined - before that, the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, in alliance with Hungarian units, fought heavy battles in Hungary. Hitler ordered to hold the Hungarian oil fields at any cost - the battle for Budapest and the subsequent Balaton operation were among the bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Our troops entered Hungary in October 1944 , having previously carried out the Belgorod operation, and only at the end of March 1945 they reached Austria. The attitude of the population also differed; while the Hungarians mostly supported the Nazis and were hostile to the Red Army, the Austrians were neutral. Of course, they weren’t greeted with flowers or bread and salt, but there was no hostility.
Preparation for surgery


By 1945 By this year, both warring parties were already exhausted: morally and physically - the soldiers and the rear, economically - each country that took part in this bloody struggle. A surge of new energy appeared when the German counter-offensive near Lake Balaton failed. The forces of the Red Army literally wedged themselves into the Nazi defense, which forced the Germans to quickly take measures to eliminate such a “hole.”

Main danger for them, the idea was that if the Soviet troops had gained a foothold on the new frontier, the capture of Hungary could be forgotten for a long time. And if this country is lost, Austria will also soon be under Russian control. At this time, the fighters of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts are faced with the task of defeating the Germans in the area of ​​Lake Balaton no later than March 16th. At the same time, the forces of the 3rd UV were supposed to deliver a crushing blow to the enemy and by April 15 reach the line of Tulln, St. Pölten, Neu-Lengbach.
Offensive Resources

Since the liberation of Vienna Since not only the command, but also ordinary soldiers had high hopes, preparations for the operation began immediately. The main blow was to be delivered by the fighters of the Third Ukrainian Front. Depressed, with many losses among people and equipment, they found the strength to prepare for the offensive. The replenishment of combat vehicles occurred not only due to the arrival of new units, but also thanks to the soldiers who restored weapons whenever possible. At the time when the operation to liberate Vienna began, the 3rd Ukrainian Front had in its arsenal: 18 rifle divisions; about two hundred tanks and self-propelled guns (self-propelled artillery); almost 4,000 guns and mortars.

General assessment of the operation

As already said , we cannot speak unequivocally about the ease or complexity of actions. On the one hand, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 is one of the fastest and brightest operations. On the other hand, these are significant human and material losses. To say that the capture of the Austrian capital was simple can only be done with a discount for the fact that most other assaults were associated with significantly greater human losses. The almost instantaneous liberation of Vienna is also the result of the experience of the Soviet military, since they had already developed successful capture schemes. We should not forget about the special high spirits of our soldiers, which also played a significant role in the successful resolution of the struggle for the capital of Austria. The fighters felt both victory and mortal fatigue. But the understanding that every step forward is a direction towards a quick return home lifted my spirit.

Tasks before the onset

Liberation of Vienna in fact, it dates back to February, when the option of cleaning up Hungary and then expelling the fascists from Vienna began to be developed. The exact plan was ready by mid-March, and already on the 26th of the same month, the Soviet offensive group (Russian and Romanian soldiers) was given the task of attacking and occupying the Veshi-Pozba line.

By the evening of that day the operation was only partially completed. In fierce battles, our army suffered many losses, but even with the onset of darkness the fire did not stop. The very next day they managed to push the enemy beyond the Nitra River.
Red Army forces

Gradual promotion lasted until April 5 (it was on this day that the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops began). At 7.00 in the morning of this day, the attack on Bratislava began. It was attended by the 25th Rifle Corps of the Red Army, the 27th Guards Tank Brigade, as well as the 2nd Romanian Tank Regiment. After a grueling battle, Bratislava was taken by the end of the day.

In parallel, Soviet-Romanian troops They began to cross the Morava River, however, unlike the capture of the city, the task was not completed in the same time frame. Until April 8, local battles were fought on this front, which prevented a relatively calm crossing to the other side. Already on April 9th ​​the crossing was completed. At three o'clock in the afternoon our troops were able to cross to the other side. The military was assembled in Zwerndorf in order to a little later link up with individual units of the 4th Guards Airborne Division. 10 T-34 tanks, 5 aircraft, SU-76 and Romanian self-propelled guns and 15 tanks were also transferred here.

Forces for the defense of the capital of Austria

Red Army forces was opposed by a fairly powerful German group. Thus, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 would have become possible subject to victory over:
*8 tank and 1 infantry divisions;
*15 infantry battalions for Volkssturm (foot attack);
*the entire staff of the capital's military school;
*police, from which they created 4 regiments (over 6,000 people).

Besides , we should not forget about the advantage on the fascist side due to natural resources. The west of the city was covered by mountains, the eastern and northern sides were washed by the almost insurmountable Danube, and the Germans fortified the south with anti-tank ditches, various fortifications, pillboxes, trenches, bunkers. Vienna itself was literally crammed with weapons hidden in the ruins, the streets were blocked off with barricades, and ancient buildings served as bastions of sorts.
Capture plan

Objectively assessing the situation and realizing that the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops will not be the easiest, F.I. Tolbukhin plans to direct attacks from 3 sides, thereby creating panic among the command due to surprise. The three wings of the attack should have looked like this: the 4th Guards Army, together with the 1st Guards Corps, attacked the southeast. The southwestern side would be attacked by the 6th Guards Army along with the 18th Tank Corps. The West, as the only escape route, was cut off by the rest of the forces.

Thus , natural protection would turn into a death trap. It is also worth noting the attitude of the Soviet military towards the values ​​of the city: it was planned to minimize destruction in the capital. The plan was approved instantly. The capture of the position and the clearing of the city would have happened at lightning speed if not for the strongest resistance.
Assault on Vienna (April 5 – 13, 1945)


Assault on the Austrian capital was the final part of the Vienna offensive operation, which lasted from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the forces of the 2nd (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin) with the help of the 1st Bulgarian Army (Lieutenant General V. Stoychev). Its main goal was the defeat of German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

Our troops were opposed part of the troops of Army Group South (commander General of the Infantry O. Wöhler, from April 7 Colonel General L. Rendulic), part of the troops of Army Group F (commander Field Marshal M. von Weichs), from March 25 Army Group " E" (commander Colonel General A. Löhr). The German high command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, planning to stop Soviet troops at these lines and stay in the mountainous and forested regions of Austria, hoping to conclude a separate peace with England and the United States. However, from March 16 to April 4, Soviet forces broke through the German defenses, defeated the forces of Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.

For the defense of the capital of Austria The German command created a fairly strong group of troops, consisting of the remnants of the 8th tank and 1st infantry divisions from the 6th SS Panzer Army, which had withdrawn from the Lake Balaton area, and about 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions were formed. The entire composition of the Vienna military school was mobilized to defend Vienna; 4 regiments of 1.5 thousand people each were created from the Vienna police. The natural conditions of the area around the city favored the German side. From the west, Vienna was covered by a ridge of mountains, and from the northern and eastern sides by a powerful water barrier, the wide and high-water Danube. On the southern side, on the approaches to the city, the Germans created a powerful fortified area, which consisted of anti-tank ditches, a developed system of fortifications - trenches, pillboxes and bunkers. In all tank-dangerous directions along the outer circumference of Vienna, ditches were dug and anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers were installed.
Substantial part The Germans prepared their artillery for direct fire to strengthen the city's anti-tank defense. Firing positions for artillery were equipped in parks, gardens, squares and squares of the city. In addition, in the destroyed houses of the city (from air strikes) guns and tanks were camouflaged, which were supposed to fire from an ambush. The streets of the city were blocked by numerous barricades, many stone buildings were adapted for long-term defense, becoming real bastions, with firing points equipped in their windows, attics, and basements. All bridges in the city were mined. The German command planned to make the city an insurmountable obstacle to the Red Army, an impregnable fortress.

Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front F.I. Tolbukhin planned to take the city with the help of 3 simultaneous attacks: from the south-eastern side - by troops of the 4th Guards Army and 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the southern and south-western sides - by troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army with assistance from the 18th Tank Corps and part of the troops of the 9th Guards Army. The remaining part of the forces of the 9th Guards Army was supposed to bypass Vienna from the west and cut off the Nazis' escape route. At the same time, the Soviet command tried to prevent the destruction of the city during the assault.

April 5, 1945 Soviet troops began an operation to capture Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, mobile formations, including tank and mechanized units, began to bypass the capital of Austria from the west. The enemy responded with fire and fierce infantry counterattacks with reinforced tanks, trying to prevent the advance of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, on the first day, despite the decisive actions of the Red Army troops, they were unable to break the enemy’s resistance, and progress was insignificant.
The whole next day - On April 6, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city. By the evening of this day, Soviet troops were able to reach the southern and western outskirts of the city and broke into the adjacent suburbs of Vienna. Stubborn fighting began within the city limits. The forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army made a roundabout maneuver in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps and reached the western approaches of the city, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The German group was surrounded on three sides.

Soviet command Trying to prevent unnecessary casualties among the civilian population, to preserve the beautiful city and its historical heritage, on April 5, it appealed to the population of the capital of Austria with an appeal to stay in their homes, locally, and thereby help the Soviet soldiers, preventing the Nazis from destroying the city. Many Austrians, patriots of their city, responded to this call from the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front; they helped Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle for the liberation of Vienna.

By the end of the day on April 7 The forces of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front partly took the Vienna outskirts of Pressbaum and continued moving - to the east, north and west. On April 8, stubborn fighting continued in the city itself, the Germans created new barricades, blockages, blocking roads, laid mines, land mines, and transferred guns and mortars to dangerous directions. During April 9-10, Soviet forces continued to fight their way towards the city center. The Wehrmacht offered especially stubborn resistance in the area of ​​the Imperial Bridge across the Danube, this was due to the fact that if Soviet troops reached it, the entire German group in Vienna would be completely surrounded. The Danube Flotilla landed troops to capture the Imperial Bridge, but heavy enemy fire stopped them 400 meters from the bridge. Only the second landing was able to capture the bridge without allowing it to be blown up. By the end of April 10, the defending German group was completely surrounded; its last units offered resistance only in the center of the city.

On the night of April 11, our troops They began to cross the Danube Canal, and the final battles for Vienna were underway. Having broken the enemy's resistance in the central part of the capital and in the neighborhoods that were located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, Soviet troops cut the enemy garrison into separate groups. The “cleansing” of the city began - by lunchtime on April 13, the city was completely liberated.
Results of the operation

- As a result of the offensive Soviet troops in the Vienna offensive operation defeated a large Wehrmacht group. The forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts were able to complete the liberation of Hungary and occupied the eastern regions of Austria along with its capital, Vienna. Berlin lost control over another major industrial center of Europe - the Vienna industrial region, including the economically important Nagykanizsa oil region. The road to Prague and Berlin from the south was open. The USSR marked the beginning of the restoration of Austrian statehood.

-Quick and selfless actions of the Red Army troops did not allow the Wehrmacht to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Soviet soldiers were able to prevent the explosion of the Imperial Bridge over the Danube River, as well as the destruction of many other valuable architectural structures that the Germans had prepared for the explosion or were set on fire by Wehrmacht units during the retreat, including St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna City Hall and other buildings.

- In honor of another brilliant victory Soviet troops on April 13, 1945 at 21.00 in the capital of the USSR - Moscow, a victorious salute was given with 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns.

- To commemorate this victory 50 military formations that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna received the honorary name “Viennese”. In addition, the Soviet government established the medal “For the Capture of Vienna,” which was awarded to all participants in the battles for the capital of Austria. In Vienna in August 1945, a monument was erected on Schwarzenbergplatz in honor of Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of Austria.
Losses for Nazi Germany

Regarding losses for Berlin , is the loss of control over the largest industrial center of Western Europe - the Vienna industrial region, and also the battle for the Nagykanizskoe oil field was lost. Without it, nearby fuel factories were left without raw materials. Thus, German equipment lost mobility, and the command was forced to withdraw it deep into the conquered territories, which allowed the Soviet troops to quickly move forward. Resistance was provided only by infantry formations, which could not seriously repel the enemy while under artillery fire. There is a direct threat of the defeat of Germany, and, as a consequence, the surrender of fascist troops.

Behavior of the German command was deprived of honor and dignity. The soldiers showed themselves to be a crowd of barbarians and vandals who destroyed the most beautiful and largest cathedrals of the city, and also tried to blow up the maximum number of monuments. And leaving the city, they mined the Imperial Bridge. Memory and Celebration Since 1945, Vienna has celebrated the liberation of the city from German invaders every year on April 13th. The Museum of the Liberation of Vienna was established on one of the streets. And on the day when the enemies left the city, 24 salvos from three hundred guns were fired in Moscow.

After some time, it was decided to establish a new award for participants in these events - Medal "For the Liberation of Vienna" . Today, in addition to the museum, the monument to fallen soldiers on Schwarzenbergplatz, which was erected in the same 1945 at the very beginning of the restoration of the city and the entire country, reminds of these fierce battles. It is made in the form of a straight-standing fighter. In one hand the soldier holds a banner, the other is placed on a shield in the form of the coat of arms of the USSR. Modern craftsmen painted some parts yellow. To commemorate this victory, 50 military formations that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna were given the honorary name “Viennese”.
Memoirs of Ivan Nikonovich Moshlyak , became a fighter in the Red Army in 1929. During his thirty-eight years of service, he rose from private to general. For heroism and courage shown in the battles on Lake Khasan, I.N. Moshlyak received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, I.N. Moshlyak commanded the 62nd Guards Rifle Division. Under his command, the division's soldiers took part in the crossing of the Dnieper, in the Korsun-Shevchenko and Iasi-Kishinev operations, and in the liberation of Hungary and Austria from the Nazi invaders. Major General I. N. Moshlyak talks about all this - about the hard work of his headquarters, about the exploits of the soldiers, commanders, and political workers of the division - in his book.

Liberation of Vienna


in autumn When the division crossed the Danube without hindrance and began to quickly advance to the northwest, it seemed to many of us that the enemy had been broken and was no longer able to seriously resist us. But life showed the opposite. The closer our troops came to the borders of the Reich, the more stubborn the enemy’s resistance became.
Within two weeks of the offensive the division was exhausted by rapid marches and intense battles. But despite this, the offensive impulse of the troops increased every day, the morale of the guards was unusually high.
...It was warm April days . The sky is solid blue, not a cloud. At night it became cooler: snow from the nearby Eastern Alps made itself felt.
Departing from Sopron the enemy was pursued by two regiments of the division along two parallel roads. The 186th Regiment had the task of preventing the Nazis from breaking away from us and organizing the defense of the town of Eisenstadt. The 182nd Regiment moved with a forced march towards this town, hurried to bypass it and cut off the Germans' escape route. On the shoulders of the enemy, Kolimbet's regiment burst into the first Austrian city that lay on its way and captured it. The enemy infantry regiment was defeated by a blow from the front and rear. More than three hundred German soldiers and officers were killed, up to two hundred Nazis, including the wounded, surrendered.
Inspired by the first successes on Austrian soil, the division's regiments rushed forward. But the enemy had already managed to cover the approaches to Vienna with defensive lines.
On the way of the division there was a heavily fortified defense center - the town of Schwechat, which was a southern suburb of Vienna. After intensive artillery preparation, all three regiments attacked the enemy and penetrated their defenses for three kilometers. To the west of the breakthrough site was the town of Ebepfurt. I ordered Mogilevtsev and Kolimbet to bypass the city from the north and block all roads. Grozov's regiment was advancing on the town from the east.
And now Kolimbet reported, that his regiment captured the town of Werbach northeast of Ebepfurt with battle. The enemy, sensing the threat of encirclement, began to retreat. By evening Ebepfurt was in our hands.
...Ahead, along the heights , - the defensive contour of Schwechat, a suburb of Vienna. At eleven o'clock, after powerful artillery preparation, the 186th and 182nd regiments - the first echelon of the division - with the support of a division of self-propelled guns, went on the offensive. Our artillery continued to fire at enemy positions, covering the attacking infantry with fire. The first and second trenches were taken after a short hand-to-hand fight. The regiment of the 252nd German Infantry Division opposing us could not withstand the pressure of the guards and began to hastily retreat. In the afternoon, the regiments of Kolimbet and Grozov, having immediately captured several strong points, advanced eight kilometers, breaking through the entire depth of the enemy’s defenses. The 7th Infantry Division, our right neighbor, also successfully moved forward.
Everything seemed to be going well. But by the end of the day, the Nazis pulled up the SS unit and counterattacked the 182nd Regiment, pushing back its right flank.
There was no time to hesitate: enemy tanks could break through at the junction of the 182nd and 186th regiments. We had to throw Mogilevtsev’s regiment, which was in the second echelon, into battle. And I really wanted to keep it fresh for the assault on Schwechat. At midnight I learned: the 184th Regiment stopped the enemy, in cooperation with the 186th Regiment, hit the Germans in the flank and forced them to retreat. During the night, all three regiments advanced seven kilometers and reached Schwechat.
In the morning I brought out the 184th regiment from the battle and ordered Mogilevtsev to make a deep enveloping maneuver, cut off the roads north of the city, bring up artillery and hold the occupied line, thereby blocking the enemy’s path to retreat.
In the morning the battle for Schwechat began. The city was surrounded by two lines of trenches, houses were turned into firing points. Under the cover of tanks and self-propelled guns, the 182nd and 186th regiments went on the attack. The Germans fired intensely, especially in the sector of the 182nd regiment. The first two attempts to approach the enemy trenches failed. After a short fire raid, the 182nd Regiment began its offensive again. Major Danko personally led the attack of his battalion, and his soldiers were the first to break into the trench.
In this battle he distinguished himself again - for the umpteenth time! - commander of the submachine gunner squad Tretyakov. The soldiers of his squad, having got out of the first trench, firing from machine guns as they walked, quickly reached the second trench. And at this time, Private Voronets, sent forward by Tretyakov, crawled to the bunker and threw a grenade into the embrasure. The machine gun fell silent. The machine gunners covered the last ten meters to the second trench and drove the Germans out of there. Soon a platoon under the command of Lieutenant Mamedov and a platoon of anti-tank guns arrived. The guards managed to capture a village not far from the outskirts of the city. However, the Germans counterattacked the village and surrounded the units that had rushed forward. Mamedov ordered to take up a perimeter defense.
And at this time the main forces of the regiment Having occupied the first trench, they came across a powerful defense center covering the city from the east. The offensive stalled. I went to Grozov. When he arrived at the regiment's OP, Grozov reported that he had moved the 3rd battalion to bypass the defense center. But from the east the road was covered by a trench with machine-gun nests. From the regiment's OP it was visible how the companies, pinned down by dense fire from machine guns and mortars, lay down.
Grozov, always calm and self-possessed, bit his lip . Without looking up from the stereo tube, he said to the messenger: - Lieutenant Krapivinsky, quickly!
"Familiar surname" , I thought. A tall, ruddy lieutenant descended into the trench. Well, of course, the same one who was once looked after by the elderly sergeant Ivanov near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky. On the lieutenant's chest there were two stripes for wounds, the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, and the Order of the Red Star. Krapivinsky’s face no longer had that youthful roundness, and the fluff from his upper lip disappeared under the razor, leaving only a blush and an embarrassed smile.
Introducing himself to me , the lieutenant reported to Grozov that he had arrived. The lieutenant colonel invited him to look through the stereo tube and, while he looked, explained the situation to him in a nutshell. - Take a platoon of machine gunners, go to the rear of the enemy covering the road, and destroy him. The last reserve was put into action... - Grozov sighed.
Soon we saw , as machine gunners led by Krapivinsky - he stood out for his height - came out to the road and, firing from machine guns, threw grenades into the trench. Immediately the 3rd battalion occupied the road and attacked the defense center from the rear, the 1st battalion attacked from the front. Half an hour later, the Nazis defending the strong point laid down their arms.
Tretyakov Department, The artillery platoon and Mamedov's platoon, taking up a perimeter defense, fought surrounded until they were released by Danko's battalion. By noon, the 182nd Regiment broke into the eastern outskirts of Schwechat. At this time, the 184th Regiment, having bypassed the city, blocked the roads and began to create a strong defense on the occupied line.
All day and all night The soldiers were hammering away at the stubborn, dry earth. And at dawn the next day, enemy columns with tanks and self-propelled guns leaving Schwechat and other towns under attacks from our and neighboring divisions were forced to stop in front of the defensive positions of the regiment, which met them with destructive fire. The Nazis immediately turned into battle formation and attacked, trying to break through the regiment's defenses on the move. They failed. But enemy attacks continued all day. The Germans threw more and more tanks and armored personnel carriers with infantry into battle. Despite the enemy's numerical superiority, the guards held firm. Direct fire artillery hit the tanks and scattered enemy infantry with rapid fire. Convinced that nothing could be achieved by frontal attacks, the next day the enemy began to cover the positions of the 184th Regiment from the flanks and closed an encirclement ring around it. The guards took up a perimeter defense. They perfectly understood their task: to tie up enemy units in battle.
By the evening of the second day The surrounded people ran out of ammunition. Mogilevtsev decided to fight his way out of the enemy ring. At night, with an unexpected attack, the regiment broke through the Nazi positions and escaped the encirclement. In the morning, the regiment's units linked up with the main forces of the division.

It was a sunny April day. It was hot even in just a tunic. Probably, the larks are now ringing above the arable fields... And from my OP I looked at the gentle heights occupied by the enemy, the river valley, the trembling haze over the fields. I was thinking about how to reach the height of 220 without major losses. Its greenish-red hump stood out clearly against the blue sky. Last night I was summoned by the corps commander, General Kozak. The conversation began in a joking tone: “Ivan Nikonovich, do you want to see Vienna?” “Who doesn’t want that?” The whole army is dreaming. - So give yourself and the army this pleasure - tomorrow by nine o’clock, take height two hundred and twenty, followed by Vienna. Then, abandoning jokes, General Kozak discussed with me issues of interaction with other units.
And now, Looking first at the height, then at the map, I decide the question: how? Gradually clarity comes. The 184th Regiment must go around the ridge of heights at night and end up at the northern foot of Height 220. The plan for the upcoming battle was discussed with Mogilevtsev. We decided that we would send Zubalov’s battalion forward. He would have to begin the encircling movement in the afternoon. The battalion set out in the afternoon. I was at the Mogilevtsev NP and was looking forward to the first messages. And finally Zubalov is on the radio. “I’ve knocked the enemy out of a populated area, a village looms ahead, I’m attacking...
Zubalov's battalion one after another, he captured three more settlements along the route. The latter was located on the river bank. Retreating, the Germans rushed across the bridge. Zubalov instantly realized that the bridge was mined and would fly into the air as soon as the Germans were on the other side. Without wasting a second, the battalion commander gave the order to pursue the fleeing Nazis. Having burst into the enemy's position on the opposite bank, the sappers immediately cut the wire and began clearing mines. Leaving a barrier at the bridge, Zubalov led the battalion to a large village, which turned out to be an enemy stronghold. The appearance of our soldiers on the northern bank of the river was so unexpected, and their onslaught so swift, that the enemy fled. But further progress slowed down. The Nazis sent a company with two tanks to Zubalov’s battalion. With four shots, the artillerymen knocked out both tanks, and the infantry retreated. An hour and a half later, an infantry battalion with a dozen tanks and self-propelled guns moved towards Zubalov’s guards. The battle lasted until the evening, and again the enemy retreated, leaving up to a hundred dead and wounded and four burning tanks on the battlefield. Soon the entire regiment came to the aid of the battalion. Meanwhile, the 182nd and 186th regiments, knocking down enemy barriers, began to advance to the heights from the front. By eight o'clock in the morning, height 220 was taken. From the captured height, a panorama of the Austrian capital opened in front of us. In the light haze, piles of sharp Gothic roofs, cathedral spiers, factory chimneys loomed... To the right, the Danube glowed blue. Light bridges hung over the canals. To capture Vienna, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command attracted the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 4th, 9th Guards Combined Arms and 6th Guards Tank Armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The 9th and 6th Tank Guards Armies bypassed the city from the southwest and west, the 46th Army moved from the east and southeast. Our 4th Guards Army was advancing from the south and southeast.
62nd Guards Rifle Division made its way to Vienna through a narrow valley between the spurs of the Eastern Alps and Lake Neusiedler See. The 1st Guards Mechanized and 20th Guards Rifle Corps were advancing next to us. Assault groups of our division and neighboring formations, under the cover of tanks and self-propelled guns, rushed into the outskirts of Vienna. Shooting, grenade explosions, shouts of “Hurray!”...
Factory and factory buildings The Germans left quickly, because between them there were vacant lots that were inconvenient for defense. And in the narrow streets and alleys they offered strong resistance. The exception, perhaps, was the automobile plant. The Nazis sat down behind the railway embankment in the basements of the factory building and fired machine guns from there, preventing our assault groups from advancing. Major Pupkov climbed with machine gunner Luzhansky onto the flat roof of a low house on this side of the embankment and saw voluminous tanks near the factory building, similar to oil tanks. “Well, hit them!” - he shouted to Luzhansky. The machine gunner set the Maxim and fired a burst at the tanks. Water splashed out of them. “Hit the tanks,” the battalion commander ordered the machine gunner, “we will drown the Nazis.” When the water poured into the basements in a strong stream, the Nazis began to jump out of there and began to run. The Germans began to roll back to the center, to densely populated neighborhoods.
Assault Troops Danko's battalion approached a tall building, in the second floor of which a German machine gunner was holed up. He kept two streets leading to the center under fire.
Guardsmen decided to outwit the fascist. While the armor-piercing gunner Kuliev was firing at the machine gunner, they climbed up the fire escape onto the roof of the house

The initial plan for the offensive in the Vienna direction was outlined by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command in a directive dated February 17, 1945. However, it was not possible to implement it due to the dramatically changed situation. In the last ten days of February, German troops liquidated the bridgehead of the 7th Guards Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the river. Gron, and also began to concentrate tank divisions against the 3rd Ukrainian Front. In the current conditions, the Supreme High Command Headquarters ordered the commander of its troops, Marshal of the Soviet Union, to gain a foothold on the achieved line and repel enemy attacks there.

Three days after the start of the Balaton defensive operation, on March 9, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief clarified the tasks of the two fronts. Unlike the original plan, the main role in the upcoming offensive operation, which later became known as “Vienna,” was assigned to the 3rd Ukrainian Front. He was ordered no later than March 15-16 to move from defense to offensive without an operational pause and strike in the direction of Papa, Sopron. On March 17-18, the 46th Army and the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were to begin active operations, which had the task of conducting an offensive with the support of the Danube Military Flotilla and the 5th Air Army in the direction of Győr.

The commander of the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front allocated the 9th (received from the reserve of the Supreme High Command Headquarters) and the 4th Guards armies of Colonel General V.A. to the main strike group. Glagolev and Lieutenant General N.D. Zakhvataev - a total of 18 rifle divisions, 3,900 guns and mortars, 197 tanks and self-propelled artillery units. At the first stage, they had to encircle and defeat the enemy group in the area south and southwest of Székesfehérvár, as well as cut off possible escape routes for the main forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army, which, after localizing their wedge in the area of ​​Lake. Balaton were in the operational “bag”. The destruction of the latter was entrusted to the 27th and 26th armies of lieutenant generals and the 18th and 23rd tank and 1st guards mechanized corps (a total of 217 tanks and self-propelled guns). The task of the 57th and Bulgarian 1st Armies of Lieutenant Generals and V. Stoychev was to defeat the German 2nd Tank Army in the Nagykanizsa area. The ground forces were supported by the 17th Air Army (Colonel General of Aviation V.A. Sudets), numbering 837 aircraft.

In most directions, the enemy in mid-March hastily made the transition from offensive to defensive on previously achieved lines and sought to prepare them in engineering terms. The exception was the site of Esztergom, Szekesfehervar, which he occupied in advance. Here, in the main defense line 5-7 km deep, there were two or three lines of trenches with wood-earth firing points, the approaches to which were covered with wire barriers and minefields. At a distance of 10-20 km from the front edge there was a second stripe. It housed individual strongholds and resistance units. In the operational depth, the construction of a line along the western bank of the river was carried out. A slave, which was already a difficult natural obstacle to overcome. A large number of different defensive structures, built taking advantage of the rugged terrain, were also located on the approaches to the capital of Austria - Vienna. Their density increased as they approached the city.

The offensive of the main strike group of the 3rd Ukrainian Front began in the afternoon of March 16 after artillery and air preparation. Formations of the 9th and 4th Guards armies successfully overcame the first position of the enemy defense, but subsequently the pace of their advance slowed down. First of all, this was due to the lack of direct infantry support tanks and self-propelled guns in the battle formations, as well as the lagging behind of accompanying artillery. As a result, the penetration of Soviet troops into the defense by the end of the day ranged from 3 to 7 km. They did not complete the task of the first day of the offensive. In order to increase the force of the strike, the Supreme High Command Headquarters transferred the 6th Guards Tank Army of the Colonel General to the 3rd Ukrainian Front, which until that time had been part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and was located in the Budapest area. Its introduction into battle after regrouping could be carried out no earlier than two days later.

During March 17, the rifle divisions of the 9th and 4th Guards armies continued to slowly push back the enemy and increased the penetration into their defenses only to 10 km. The next day did not bring a turning point in the course of hostilities. On the morning of March 19, the 6th Guards Tank Army began entering the battle, whose task was to complete the encirclement of German troop groups southeast and southwest of Székesfehérvár. However, its tank corps met stubborn resistance from numerous enemy tactical groups (several tanks and assault guns), were unable to break away from the rifle units, and ultimately did not have a significant impact on the overall pace of the offensive. In such a situation, the command of Army Group South was able to increase efforts against the formations of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front through maneuver from unattacked areas and began the withdrawal of the 6th SS Panzer Army from the area southeast of Székesfehérvár.

In an effort to prevent her from leaving the emerging encirclement, Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin decided to strike with the 4th Guards, 27th and 26th armies in order to cut the enemy group into two isolated parts. At the same time, the 9th Guards and 6th Guards Tank Armies were to continue the offensive in the same direction in order to exclude the approach of enemy reserves.

Over the next two days, March 20 and 21, heavy fighting took place on the right wing of the front. German tank divisions, using numerous rivers, canals, defiles and minefields, held back the advance of Soviet troops with fire and counterattacks, inflicting significant losses on them in men and military equipment. Only by the end of March 21, the main forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army were blocked in the area of ​​​​Szekesfehervar, Berhida, Polgardi. True, they soon struck with a powerful blow along the northern shore of the lake. Balaton broke through to the west.

In the direction of another attack, the 46th Army of Lieutenant General A.V. Petrushevsky, going on the offensive on March 17, broke through the enemy’s defenses on the very first day and ensured the entry into battle of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps of Lieutenant General K.V. Sviridova. By the end of March 20, his brigades had reached the Danube and deeply engulfed the enemy’s Esztergom-Tovarosh group, numbering about 17 thousand people, from the southwest. In general, in the period from March 16 to 25, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts broke the resistance of German and Hungarian army formations between the river. Danube and lake Balaton, overcame the Werteshheldshekh mountains and the Bakon forest, advanced to a depth of 80 km and created conditions for the development of an attack on Vienna.

During the pursuit of the enemy, which began on March 26, the 46th Army, together with the Danube Military Flotilla (Rear Admiral G.N. Kholostyakov), eliminated the Esztergom-Tovaros group, captured the cities of Komar and Gyor, and completely cleared the southern bank of the Danube from enemy troops. Esztergom to the mouth of the river. Slave. At the same time, the divisions of the 9th and 4th Guards armies crossed this river on the move and continued the offensive in the direction of Sopron. As they approached the Hungarian-Austrian border, the resistance of the Hungarian units began to weaken significantly. Only for three days south of the river. On the Danube, about 45 thousand soldiers and officers surrendered from their composition. On March 30, formations of the 6th Guards Tank Army immediately broke through the border fortifications south of Sopron and invaded Austria along a 20-kilometer stretch. By April 4, the main forces of the strike group of the 3rd Ukrainian Front reached the approaches to Vienna.

Due to the deep advance of the armies of his right wing in the direction of Sopron, and the 27th and 26th armies towards Zalaegerszeg and Sombatel, the German 2nd Panzer Army, occupying defenses in the Nagykanizsa area, found itself deeply enveloped from the north. Fearing being cut off from communications with Germany, its command began withdrawing its troops on March 28. The next day, the 57th and Bulgarian 1st armies operating on the left wing of the front went on the offensive. On April 1, their formations fought and captured the center of the oil-bearing region of Hungary - the city of Nagykanizsa.

On the same day, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command issued a directive to develop a further offensive. She ordered the 3rd Ukrainian Front, with the forces of the right wing, to capture Vienna no later than April 10-15, and the armies of the center and left wing to gain a foothold at the line of the Muri, Mur and Drava rivers. The 46th Army with the 2nd Guards Mechanized and 23rd Tank Corps (transferred from the 3rd Ukrainian Front) had to cross from the right bank of the Danube to the left and cut off the retreat routes of the Vienna enemy group to the north.

On the approaches to the capital of Austria and in the city itself, units of eight tank and one infantry divisions, which had withdrawn in battle from the lake area, occupied the defense. Balaton, as well as up to fifteen separate infantry and Volkssturm battalions. Numerous defensive positions and engineering structures were prepared in advance here. German troops blocked the streets with barricades and mined rubble, firing points were placed in houses, carefully camouflaged tanks and guns intended for direct fire were placed in destroyed buildings, and all bridges across the Danube were prepared for explosion.

Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. To capture Vienna, Tolbukhin decided to launch several simultaneous attacks from different directions: from the southeast - with the forces of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps (85 serviceable tanks and self-propelled guns); from the south, west and northwest - by the forces of the 6th Guards Tank and 9th Guards armies, for which they had to bypass the city through the eastern spurs of the Alps.

Fighting on the immediate approaches to Vienna began on April 5. But throughout the day, rifle formations only slightly pushed back the enemy. Using numerous water barriers and populated areas prepared for defense, which extremely limited the maneuver of tanks, he did not allow the front strike group to break through to the city. This result was achieved only by the evening of the next day, when formations of the 4th and part of the forces of the 9th Guards Armies with the support of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps of Lieutenant General I.N. Russiyanov reached the southern and western outskirts of Vienna and started fighting in its streets. At the same time, the 6th Guards Army and two rifle corps of the 9th Guards Army maneuvered through the eastern spurs of the Alps, reached the western approaches to the city and cut off the enemy’s escape routes.

During April 7-9, Soviet troops, making extensive use of assault groups, which included rifle units, tanks and self-propelled guns, escort guns and sappers, fought for every block and individual house. The fighting did not stop at night, for which reinforced rifle battalions were allocated from the divisions. On April 10, units of the 4th Guards Army captured the central quarters of Vienna and drove the opposing enemy beyond the Danube Canal.

This channel was a serious artificial obstacle. Its depth reached 3 m, and its width - 40-60 m. Vertical, granite-lined banks 6-7 m high made crossing extremely difficult. In addition, during the retreat, German units destroyed all crossings and raised the locks. They set up firing points and observation posts in stone buildings along the canal, which allowed them to control all approaches to the front line.

In order to fire at the enemy, it was necessary to undermine the walls of houses and install guns and mortars in the gaps made. Their low density did not allow them to reliably suppress enemy fire weapons. The assault sapper groups, who crossed the canal using improvised means and set fire to buildings with combustible mixture bottles, were also unable to break his resistance. And only the approach of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps was able to change the situation. Using the fire of tank guns, rifle formations of the 4th Guards Army crossed the Danube Canal on the night of April 11 and began to advance towards the railway bridge.

By 2 p.m. on April 13, that is, on the seventh day of fighting, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front completed the defeat of the Vienna garrison and completely captured the capital of Austria. Two days later, the 46th Army, 23rd Tank and 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, after crossing to the northern bank of the river. Danube, reached the area northwest of the city. However, delays in crossing the river and during the advance did not make it possible to timely intercept the retreat routes of the enemy Vienna group to the north. Therefore, part of her forces was able to avoid destruction and capture.

As a result of the operation, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts defeated the main forces of the German Army Group South, completely cleared the territory of Hungary of the enemy, liberated a significant part of Czechoslovakia and the eastern regions of Austria with its capital. They captured more than 130 thousand soldiers and officers, destroyed and captured over 1,300 tanks and assault guns, more than 2,250 field guns, and a large amount of other military equipment. At the same time, the losses of the two fronts amounted to 167,940 people, of which 38,661 were irrecoverable, 603 tanks and self-propelled guns, 764 guns and mortars, 614 aircraft. For courage, heroism and high military skill shown during the Vienna operation, 50 formations and units were awarded the honorary name “Viennese”. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 9, 1945, the medal “For the Capture of Vienna” was established, which was awarded to more than 268 thousand Soviet soldiers.

Sergey Lipatov,
Researcher at the Research Institute
(military history) Military Academy
General Staff of the RF Armed Forces

On March 16, 1945, the Vienna offensive operation of the Red Army began, depriving the Nazis of their last hopes of prolonging the war...

In the spring of 1945, the outcome of the war was already obvious to all its participants. The main goal of the top leaders of Nazi Germany was to delay the inevitable outcome as much as possible, counting on the possible conclusion of a separate peace with the USA and Great Britain. The priority task of the Soviet Union is the final defeat of the Third Reich, forcing it to unconditional surrender.
On February 17, 1945, a directive from the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command assigned the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts the task of preparing an attack on one of the European capitals still in the hands of the Nazis - Vienna.


Austria, which had lost its independence in 1938 as a result of the Anschluss, was in an ambivalent position at the final stage of the war. On the one hand, the Austrians became one of the victims of Nazi aggression. On the other hand, Nazi sentiments were strong in Austria, and units of the Wehrmacht and SS throughout the war were steadily replenished with ideological supporters from the homeland of the Fuhrer of the Third Reich.
The leaders of Nazi Germany, pushing the Austrians to resist the advancing units of the Red Army, promised them “the bloody horrors of the Stalinist occupation.” The work of Hitler's propagandists made it possible to form Volkssturm units in Vienna, which were supposed to delay the final collapse of the Reich at the cost of their lives.

"Spring Awakening" failed

The start of the Soviet offensive was scheduled for March 15. Almost simultaneously with the decision to prepare for the Vienna offensive operation, the Soviet command received information about the impending powerful attack of the Nazis in the area of ​​Lake Balaton.
It was decided to repel the German offensive in the Lake Balaton area, without stopping preparations for the attack on Vienna.
The Wehrmacht's Operation Spring Awakening was the last German offensive in World War II and the last defensive operation of the Red Army in it.
During the nine-day offensive, the Nazis managed to advance 30 km in the direction of the main attack, but failed to achieve decisive success.
By March 15, the German offensive had stopped, their reserves were depleted. An excellent situation arose for the Soviet troops to launch their own offensive.


The plan of the operation included delivering the main attack with the forces of the 4th and 9th Guards armies from the area north of Székesfehérvár to the southwest with the aim of encircling the 6th SS Panzer Army. In the future, the main forces were supposed to develop an offensive in the direction of Papa, Sopron and further to the Hungarian-Austrian border, with part of the forces attacking Szombathely and Zalaegerszeg with the aim of enveloping the enemy’s Nagykanizsa group from the north.
The 26th and 27th armies were supposed to launch the offensive later and contribute to the destruction of the enemy, who was surrounded by that time. The 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies, operating on the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, were supposed to go on the offensive south of Lake Balaton with the task of defeating the opposing enemy and capturing the oil-bearing region centered in the city of Nagykanizsa.

Escaped from the Cauldron

The 3rd Ukrainian Front was commanded by Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin, the 2nd Ukrainian Front by Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, and the allied 1st Bulgarian Army by General Vladimir Stoychev.
The offensive of the Soviet troops began on March 16, 1945 at 15:35. The artillery preparation turned out to be so powerful that both the 4th and 9th Guards Armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, which were the first to go on the offensive, initially encountered no resistance at all. Then, however, the enemy began hastily transferring fresh units towards the guardsmen.
At the first stage, fierce battles broke out for the Hungarian Székesfehérvár, a large center of German defense, the occupation of which by Soviet troops threatened them with going to the rear of the Nazis and complete encirclement of the German group.


Photo by Aron Zamsky. Author's signature: “On the roads of war. The attack on Vienna using German technology.
By the end of March 18, Soviet troops managed to advance to a depth of about 18 km and expand the breakthrough to 36 km along the front. The 6th Guards Tank Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front was introduced into the breakthrough, however, the Germans also brought up units from other sectors to repel the offensive: three tank and one infantry division. Despite this, Soviet troops managed to advance another 8 kilometers. On March 20, the time came for the 26th and 27th armies to attack.
The threat of complete encirclement and defeat hung over the Balaton group of Nazis. The main force of the Germans in this area - the 6th SS Army - was withdrawn through a corridor about two and a half kilometers wide that remained in their hands.

The Bulgarians and cavalrymen deprived the Wehrmacht of fuel

The Germans managed to avoid encirclement, but failed to stop the Soviet troops. Having immediately crossed the line of the Raba River, the Red Army rushed to the Hungarian-Austrian border.
On March 25, the 2nd Ukrainian Front launched an attack on Bratislava, which deprived the German command of the opportunity to transfer reserves to the Vienna direction.


On March 29, 1945, on the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, the 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies went on the offensive in the direction of Nagykanizh. A day later, the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps began a raid behind the German group in the Nagykanizh area.
Soon, Soviet and Bulgarian troops captured Nagykanizh, the center of one of the last oil-bearing regions remaining in German hands. Thus, the Wehrmacht found itself in conditions of an acute fuel crisis.
On April 1, 1945, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command clarified the task - the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were ordered to capture the capital of Austria and, no later than April 12–15, reach the line of Tulln, St. Pölten, Neu-Lengbach.

"Alpine Fortress"

After heavy battles in March, the Red Army's offensive developed rapidly in early April. By April 4, the strike force of the 3rd Ukrainian Front reached the approaches to Vienna.
The German command intended to defend Vienna to the end. The most important objects of the city, its main attractions, were mined, houses were turned into fortified firing points.
The city was defended by units of the 6th SS Panzer Army, which had withdrawn from Balaton, 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions, cadets of the Vienna military school, 4 combined regiments of the Viennese police of 1,500 people each.


The defense of Vienna was also facilitated by its geographical position - from the west Vienna was covered by a ridge of mountains, and from the northern and eastern sides by a powerful water barrier, the wide and high-water Danube. On the southern side, on the approaches to the city, the Germans created a powerful fortified area, which consisted of anti-tank ditches, a developed system of fortifications - trenches, pillboxes and bunkers. The Nazis dubbed Vienna the “Alpine Fortress.”
The Soviet command was faced with a difficult task - it was not easy to take the city in the shortest possible time, but also to prevent large-scale destruction of the ancient pearl of Europe.

Message from Marshal Tolbukhin

The attack on Vienna began on April 5. Marshal Tolbukhin's original plan was to launch simultaneous attacks from three directions: from the southeast - by the forces of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the south and southwest - by the forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army with 18 1st Tank Corps and part of the forces of the 9th Guards Army. The remaining forces of the 9th Guards Army were to bypass the city from the west and cut off the enemy's escape route.
On April 5 and 6, fierce battles broke out on the southern and southeastern approaches to the city. The enemy tried to launch counterattacks and put up desperate resistance.
On April 6, Fyodor Tolbukhin addressed the population of Vienna on the radio with an appeal to remain in place, in every possible way to prevent the Nazis from attempting to destroy the city, its historical monuments, and to provide assistance to Soviet troops. Many Austrians responded to this call.


Fyodor Tolbukhin - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously), People's Hero of Yugoslavia, Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (posthumously), holder of the Order of Victory.
On April 7, the main forces of the 9th Guards Army and formations of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having overcome the mountainous forest of the Vienna Woods, reached the Danube. Thus, the German group was covered by Soviet troops from the east, south and west. With great difficulty, the Nazis held back the advance of the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which could have slammed the cauldron.
Heavy street fighting broke out in Vienna, which continued both day and night. On April 9, 1945, a tank battalion of the 6th Guards Tank Army under the command of Guard Captain Dmitry Loza broke into the center of Vienna. For 24 hours, the battalion held its position until the main forces of the tank brigade arrived. For this feat, Dmitry Fedorovich Loza was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Landing on the Imperial Bridge

By the end of April 10, the German garrison in Vienna continued fierce resistance in the city center, keeping under its control the Imperial Bridge - the only surviving bridge across the Danube. The Imperial Bridge allowed the western and eastern defense nodes of Vienna to interact.
The bridge was mined, and the German command, in a hopeless situation for itself, intended to blow it up, which would force Soviet troops to fight to cross the full-flowing Danube and fight heavy battles to capture and hold bridgeheads.
To capture the Imperial Bridge, it was decided to carry out an amphibious operation using armored boats of the Danube military flotilla.


The landing party was given the task of landing from boats on both banks of the Danube at the bridge, capturing it and holding it until the main forces arrived.
The landing force included about 100 soldiers of the rifle company of the 80th Guards Rifle Division. They were reinforced with one 45-mm cannon and four heavy machine guns. The artillery of the Danube flotilla and army artillerymen were supposed to cover the paratroopers.
The task was incredibly difficult - the armored boats to the landing site had to pass along the coast controlled by the Nazis, past fortified firing points, avoiding destroyed bridges and sunken ships, and all this during daylight hours.

Three days of fire and blood

The operation began on the morning of April 11. A group of five armored boats made a breakthrough to the Imperial Bridge, while the remaining ships were supposed to suppress enemy firing points on the banks.
The daring plan of the Soviet command came as a complete surprise to the Nazis, which allowed the landing boats to reach the landing point without losses. With a swift attack, the Imperial Bridge was captured.
The command of the Vienna garrison realized the seriousness of what had happened. Tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry were urgently transferred to the bridge with orders to recapture the bridge at any cost. Enemy artillery fire fell on the Soviet armored boats. With great difficulty they returned to base.
The Soviet landing force holding the Imperial Bridge found itself under continuous enemy fire. The attacks came one after another, but the company fought to the death.


Soviet sappers are crossing the Danube Canal in the center of Vienna. 2nd Ukrainian.
The bloody battle for the bridge, which became key in the battle for Vienna, lasted three days. On the night of April 13, a battalion of the 7th Guards Airborne Division managed to break through to the bridge. In response, the Germans threw everything that was still in reserve towards the bridge. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
On the morning of April 13, a combined assault detachment of marines under the command of Senior Lieutenant Kochkin broke through to the bridge. A rifle regiment of the 80th Guards Rifle Division was brought into the breakthrough. After some time, the main forces of the division, supported by self-propelled guns of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Brigade, having cut through the eastern group of Germans, reached the bridge.
16 self-propelled artillery units crossed the bridge at high speed and took up a perimeter defense on the western bank. The sappers of the approaching units removed all the explosives left by the Nazis from the bridge. The bridge completely came under the control of Soviet troops, and the threat of its destruction was eliminated. For the Viennese group of Germans it was all over. Its eastern part, deprived of communication with the western, cut into several isolated groups, was finally defeated by the end of April 13. The western part of the group began a hasty retreat from the city.
On the night of April 14, Vienna completely came under the control of Soviet troops.
Among those who fought with the Nazis on the Imperial Bridge was 19-year-old Red Navy man Georgy Yumatov, a future Soviet cinema star who played a brilliant role in the film “Officers”.


The landing participants were presented with orders and medals, and six soldiers who prevented the bombing of the Imperial Bridge were awarded the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union.
At the expense of the residents of Vienna, an obelisk was erected in front of the Imperial Bridge in honor of the Soviet soldiers who saved this priceless historical relic of the city from destruction.
50 Soviet units and formations that distinguished themselves in the battles for Vienna received the honorary title “Viennese”. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal “For the Capture of Vienna.” In August 1945, a monument to Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of the country was erected in Vienna on Schwarzenbergplatz.

Berlin was ahead

During the Vienna offensive operation, Soviet troops lost 167,940 people killed and wounded. The irretrievable losses of the Red Army amounted to 38,661 people. The losses of the allied Bulgarian army amounted to 9,805 people killed and wounded, of which 2,698 people were irretrievable losses.
There are no exact data on German losses. The fact is that from the beginning of 1945, complete chaos reigned in the Wehrmacht documents, similar to what happened in the Red Army in the tragic summer of 1941.


It is known that the more than 400,000-strong group of German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria virtually ceased to exist. About 130 thousand German soldiers and officers were captured.
With the defeat of the Nazi group in Austria and the capture of Vienna, the plans of the leaders of the Third Reich to prolong the war finally collapsed.
There were three days left before the start of the attack on Berlin...