The Battle of Breslau, otherwise known as the Siege of Breslau was a four months long siege of the city of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) in Lower Silesia, Germany. The city was besieged by the Soviet 6th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front under Marshal Ivan Konev from February 13, 1945 and the siege lasted until the final days of World War II. A siege is a military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... Wrocław. ... Coat of arms of Lower Silesia. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Marshal Ivan Konev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 – May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia (now in Kirov Oblast). ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... This article is becoming very long. ...

History

On July 25, 1944 Adolf Hitler declared the city of Breslau a Festung (fortress) that was to be defended at all costs. On January 19, 1945, the Gauleiter of Silesia Karl Hanke ordered the civilian inhabitants of the city to evacuate to German heartland, mostly to Dresden. At the same time the Wehrmacht, aided by the Volkssturm and slave labourers started to convert the city into a military fortress, capable of lengthy defence against a possible Soviet assault. Much of the city centre was demolished and turned into an airfield. On February 13 the Soviet forces laid siege to the city and the battle started. July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Hitler redirects here. ... Festung is a generic German word for a fortress. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau. ... SS-Oberführer Karl Hanke Karl-August Hanke (August 24, 1903–May, 1945) was a Nazi Party official who served as Gauleiter of Lower Silesia from 1940 to 1945 and was also a key member of Joseph Goebbelss Propagandaministerium throughout the years of the Third Reich. ... Dresden (Sorbian: Drježdźany; etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest) is the capital city of the German Federal State of Saxony and situated in a valley on the River Elbe. ... German cavalry and motorized units entering Poland from East Prussia during the Polish Campaign of 1939 Wehrmacht (Defence force) was the name of the armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... German Peoples Storm Defense Force The Volkssturm, literally translated as Peoples Storm in the meaning of National Storm, was a German national militia of the last months of the Nazis Third Reich. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On February 15 of that year, the Luftwaffe started an airlift to aid the besieged garrison. For 76 days, until May 1, the German air force made more than 2000 sorties with supplies and food, more than 1638 tons of supplies were delivered. During the battle in the heavily-bombarded city, both sides resorted to setting entire districts on fire. Finally, on May 6, only two days before the unconditional surrender of Germany in World War II, General Hermann Niehoff, the German commander of the Festung Breslau surrendered the city to the Soviets. February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... In logistics and military terminology: An airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ...

Reference

1. (Polish) Festung Breslau
2. Achtung Panzer Article
3. Duffy, Christopher 'Red Storm on the Reich'