While waiting for Weidlin's arrival, I called Zhukov and reported to him about the new German propaganda minister Fritsch sending people to negotiate, the Berlin defense commander Weidlin's announcement of surrender, and the suicide of Goebbels' family.
"Where is Bowermann" Hitler is dead, Goebbels is dead, and the new German head of Germany Dönitz has not yet taken office, and now the most powerful person in Berlin is the party minister Balman, Zhukov is anxious to know whether this negotiation has been authorized by Bowermann, so as not to have another situation in which the negotiations end without a hitch.
"Did the negotiation delegation sent by Fritsch get his authorization?"
"Comrade Marshal," I knew the real situation of Baulmann at the moment, even without asking the negotiators, so I replied without hesitation: "Bowerman has committed suicide by detonating a grenade at home, and his whole family and Goebbels are dead." ” Zhukov was silent for a moment, then asked: "What are you going to ask the Fritsch representatives to do?"
"I intend to have Fritsch speak on the radio and announce the death of Hitler and Goebbels to all Germans."
I cautiously stated my long-considered plan: "Tell them that our high command has accepted their unconditional surrender and put Berlin and its entire garrison under our protection." ” "Leda, you're in a good idea."
Zhukov was quite interested in my proposal, but he still had concerns: "How can you guarantee that Dr.
Fritsch's speech to the German people on the radio is in line with our requirements?"
"Comrade Marshal, you can rest assured of this."
In response to Zhukov's concerns, I assured him: "We will send someone to monitor them to make sure that Dr.
Fritsch is speaking exactly what we want." ” "Good."
Zhukov, seeing that I had taken all this into account, praised me and continued: "Now I will talk about the terms of surrender that the German side is required to carry out."
I put down the phone, walked back to the negotiators, and said to them: "Gentlemen, I now announce to you the terms proposed by Marshal Zhukov: First, the Soviet High Command accepted the surrender of Berlin and ordered the cessation of military operations.
Secondly, all existing German civil and military authorities should declare to all soldiers, officers and inhabitants that all military materiel, buildings, utilities and things of great value should be kept in their proper condition and must not be blown up or destroyed.
Thirdly, I would like you, Mr.
Heinersdorf, to come with our officers to Dr.
Hansfrits, and take him to the radio to give a speech, and then come back here.
Fourthly, I would like to stress once again that we will guarantee the safety of soldiers, officers, generals and residents and provide medical care to the wounded as much as possible.
Fifthly, we ask the Germans not to carry out any provocative actions, such as shooting or other sabotage, otherwise our troops will be forced to take counter-fire measures. ” After listening to the terms I had announced, Heinersdorf and the two assistants sitting on the left and right muttered a few words in a low voice, looked up and said cautiously: "Your Excellency, General, I ask you to send special personnel to provide the necessary protection for the personnel of our Propaganda Department. ” In the face of Hainersdorf, who was so afraid of death, I smiled faintly, and then said: "Before our troops entered Berlin, they gave orders to the commanders and fighters, telling them not to casually harm the German officers and soldiers who had laid down their arms and surrendered to our army, and to ensure their personal safety. ” Seeing the relief of Heinersdorf, I added: "However, since the people's stormtroopers organized by Hitler were all dressed in civilian clothes, we could not accurately judge who was coerced and who were die-hard Nazis, and in order to ensure the safety of our commanders and fighters, we would kill people in civilian clothes without mercy if they saw them carrying offensive weapons." ” My words startled Heinersdorf, and he quickly took out a brand-new Browning pistol from his pocket, put it on the table, and said in some panic: "This is the weapon I use for self-defense, but since you said that you can send someone to protect our personal safety, I don't think this pistol will be used, so I will leave it for you as a souvenir." ” After handing over his weapons, Heinersdorf turned to his deputy and asked: "Have you brought your weapons with you, so as not to cause yourself unnecessary trouble."
The two deputies shook their heads, indicating that they were not carrying any weapons.
I asked the staff officer to put away the pistol that Hainersdorf had placed on the table, and whispered to Chuikov about the next steps.
After listening to this, he picked up a telephone in front of him and said into the microphone: "Let Colonel Vaigachev and his translator, Warrant Officer Zhuravlyov, come to me." ” A few minutes later, Colonel Vaigachev, dressed in a brand new military coat, and Warrant Officer Zhuravlev, the interpreter, appeared at our headquarters.
Chuikov walked up to the two of them, and after examining them carefully, he looked at Vaigachev and said: "Colonel, I now give you a glorious and difficult task.
He turned half-sideways, bowed his mouth to Heinersdorf, and continued, "You go with Heinnersdorf to Dr.
Hansfrits.
In the name of the new German government, Fritsch would order the surrender of the troops and the orderly transfer of equipment and technical weapons to our troops.
Let Fritch make a radio announcement stating that the Soviet High Command had accepted their surrender and had placed Berlin and its entire garrison under its own protection.
You have to make sure that Fritsch arrives at our station smoothly and that you supervise his speech on the points I have said.
After the presentation, Fritsch and his colleagues should come back here and we'll talk about the next steps.
Do you understand?"
Vaigachev glanced at Hainersdorf, then nodded and replied: "Understood, Comrade Commander, I will definitely complete the task you gave me." ” Just as Vaigachev and Hainersdorf were about to leave, they unexpectedly met Weidlin and his party, who had just walked in from outside.
Wei Delin, who was of medium stature and looked a little old, glanced at the other party with slanted eyes and muttered something in German.
The interpreter standing behind us quickly told us, "He said that this should have been done a long time ago."
After listening to the translation, the expression on Chuikov's face became happy, and he turned to me and said: "It seems that all the Germans, except for a few diehards, feel that this senseless war should be stopped. ” After shaking hands with Weidlin who came over, Chuikov asked politely: "General Weidlin, are all the city defense troops in Berlin under your command?"
"Yes," replied the elderly Weidlin with a blank face.
"And what about the entire Berlin garrison," Chuikov continued, "can you give them orders?"
Weidlin shook his head and said, "I gave an order to all the troops to resist to the end last night, but today I gave them an order to stop resisting, and I don't know how many people will obey my orders.
At this point, there was silence for a moment, and then he pointed to the map on the table and continued, "I have no right to command the remnants of the SS troops stationed here.
Unless it was Himmler or the chief of the General Staff, General Klebus, who gave them the order to surrender. ” "Himmler is not in Berlin and we can't get in touch with him."
As soon as Weidlin had finished speaking, I immediately continued: "But General Krebs is a guest with us, and you may issue a joint statement urging the German troops in Berlin to cease their resistance and lay down their arms and surrender to us." ” "What, General Klebs is with you" Weidling's eyes widened when he heard me say this, and he asked in an incredulous tone, "How is this possible?"
"Nothing is impossible, General Weidlin."
In order to give Klebs a little dignity, I said to Weidling euphemistically: "General Klebs, as Goebbels's plenipotentiary, has come to us for ceasefire negotiations.
Because Goebbels refused to agree to let the troops lay down their arms and surrender, our negotiations broke down.
General Kleebs was too emotional, and his body was slightly unwell, so he stayed with us to recuperate. ” Hearing that Klebs was staying with us for treatment, the expression on Weidlin's face became relaxed: "If General Klebs can show up, I will be more than happy to work with him to draft an order for the defenders to surrender completely." ” By the time Klebs arrived from Zhukov, the order drawn up by Weidlin had already been completed.
As a sign of sincerity, Klebs recites to us: "On March 8, 1945, the Führer took his own life, leaving behind all those who were loyal to him.
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According to the Führer's order: you, the German soldiers loyal to the Führer, should continue to fight for Berlin, and although it is no longer pointless to continue to resist, even though it has run out of ammunition and food, you should continue to fight for Berlin.
Now I declare a ceasefire, because for every hour of your continued resistance prolongs the suffering of the people of Berlin and of our wounded.
After consultations with the Soviet High Command, I ask you to immediately stop resisting.
Former commander of the Berlin garrison, Major General of Artillery, Major General Weidlin. ” After reading it, Klebs also picked up a pen and signed his name on the back: Colonel General Klebs, Chief of the General Staff of the German Army.
After signing it, he handed me the somewhat incoherent order, and said: "General Oshanina, as long as you play this surrender order, I believe that the resistance in Berlin will be completely over."
I took the surrender order from Klebs, shook hands with him and Weidling one by one, and said sincerely: "Two generals, what you have done today has saved Germany from the brink of destruction, and I believe that history will remember you and the German people will remember you."
After arranging for Klebs and them to rest in an empty room next to them, I called Zhukov to report on the surrender order, and then asked him for instructions: "Comrade Marshal, what should we do next to make the Berlin radio broadcast this surrender order?"
"It's not enough to use the radio, maybe a lot of German soldiers who are fighting won't be able to listen to it."
After hearing this, Zhukov immediately added: "I will ask the Political Department of the Front Army to dispatch a radio truck and broadcast the instrument of surrender jointly signed by Klebs and Weidrin along the streets, so as to make sure that everyone can hear it." ” Not long after we delivered the original instrument of surrender to the Front Headquarters, a bulletin was broadcast outside the window by a radio van, which, although I did not understand German, was well aware that they were playing on a loop the armistice orders of Klebs and Weidlin, calling on the German officers and men who were still stubborn to lay down their arms and surrender.
In the early morning of March 10, it suddenly became quiet outside the window, and I could not hear the explosions I was used to hearing, not even the sporadic gunshots.
Dukhanov, deputy commander of the army group, walked in from outside and reported to me and Chuikov: "Comrade commander, it has been figured out that it was three soldiers of the 79th Infantry Division of the 150th Infantry Corps of the 3rd Shock Army who planted the red flag on the top floor of the Reichstag" When I heard this, I couldn't help but feel in my heart that the corrective power of history was really too strong, and although Chuikov's troops were the first to storm the Reichstag, the last soldiers to plant the red flag on the roof of the building were still General Kuznetsov's subordinates.
I heard Pronin sighing in a low voice, regretting that his troops did not first plant the red flag on the top floor of the Reichstag, so I opened my mouth to persuade him: "Comrade Military Commissar, don't sigh, although I am not the commander and fighter of the 8th Guards Army, I planted the red flag on the roof of the building, and after all, it was our commanders and fighters of the 1st Belorussian Front who completed this action that is enough to go down in history.
After a pause, I continued, "Compared to Marshal Konev's troops, we were lucky."
According to the area of attack assigned to them by the High Command, they could only advance to the zoo southwest of the Tyre Garden area, and then they had to turn around and attack other areas. ” Standing in front of the window, after looking at the scenery outside for a while, Chuikov suddenly turned his head and said to us: "Comrade commanders, we have finally defeated the fascist invaders, are you interested in going to the street with me to have a look?"
Before I could answer, the high-frequency telephone to the headquarters of the Front Army rang.
A staff officer standing nearby picked up the phone and listened to it for a moment, then handed the microphone to me and said respectfully: "Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, your phone. ” I walked over and took the microphone, and as soon as I was close to my ear, I heard Zhukov's voice coming from inside: "It's over, Leda, it's all over, the defenders of Berlin are surrendering to our troops in all sections, we are victorious" Perhaps too excited, Zhukov's voice suddenly stopped, and after a while I heard him continue: "The only thing that is disappointing now is that Hitler was not captured alive.
What a joy it would be if I could capture that guy alive, but unfortunately I can't now fulfill my promise to capture Hitler alive a few years ago.
When Zhukov said this, he involuntarily sighed and changed the subject: "I plan to personally go to the Reichstag and celebrate the victory with our commanders and fighters.
Leda, you call Chuikov and them, and let's go and celebrate this great victory together." t1706231537: