Liberation of Vienna from fascism. Liberation of Vienna from Nazi invaders. Reference. Relationship with the locals and the city

Austria and Hungary are those countries that, although they seem very similar, differ from each other in many ways. This also applies to mentality. So, upon arrival in Hungary, the Red Army of the Secular Union was received extremely coldly, hostilely, while the Austrians were neutral and even loyal to the military.

There is still no common opinion about the preparation and conduct of the operation. This is due to the rivalry between Soviet ideology and Austrian neutrality, pro-fascist views and common sense. Nevertheless, the liberation of Vienna is an interesting, exciting and awe-inspiring topic before the might of soldiers and inextinguishable patriotism. Especially considering the fact that it was possible to liberate the Austrian capital not only very quickly, but also with minimal human losses.

Preparing for the operation

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

The main danger for them was that if the Soviet troops were to gain a foothold on the new frontier, the capture of Hungary could be forgotten for a long time. And if this country is lost, Austria too will soon be under the control of the Russians.

At this time, the fighters of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts face 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 to inflict a crushing blow on the enemy and by April 15th reach the Tulln, St. Polten, Neu-Lengbach line.

offensive resources

Since high hopes were placed on the liberation of Vienna not only by the command, but also by ordinary soldiers, 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 receipt of new copies, but also thanks to the soldiers who restored weapons as far as possible.

At the time when the operation to liberate Vienna began, in the arsenal of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were:

• 18 rifle divisions;
• about two hundred tanks and self-propelled guns (self-propelled artillery mounts);
• almost 4,000 guns and mortars.

Overall evaluation of the operation

As already mentioned, we cannot unambiguously speak about the ease or complexity of actions. On the one hand, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 is one of the fastest and most spectacular operations. On the other hand, these are significant human and material losses. It is possible to say that the capture of the capital of Austria was simple, only with a discount to the fact that most of the 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 already had 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 each step forward is a direction to a quick return home lifted my spirits.

Tasks before the onset

The liberation of Vienna, in fact, dates back to February, when the option of cleaning up Hungary and then expelling the Nazis from Vienna began to be developed. The exact plan was ready by the middle of March, and already on the 26th of the same month, the Soviet offensive grouping (Russian and Romanian soldiers) was tasked with 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, the enemy was forced out across the Nitra River.

Red Army forces

The gradual advance continued until April 5 (it was on this day that the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops began). At 7:00 a.m. that day, the attack on Bratislava began. The 25th Rifle Corps of the Red Army, the 27th Guards Tank Brigade, and the 2nd Romanian Tank Regiment took part in it. After a grueling battle, Bratislava was taken by the end of the day.

In parallel, the Soviet-Romanian troops 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 9, the forcing 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 connect with separate units of the 4th Guards Airborne Division a little later.

10 T-34 tanks, 5 Romanian self-propelled guns and 15 tanks were also transferred here.

Forces for the defense of the capital of Austria

A rather powerful German group opposed. Thus, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 would have been possible subject to victory over:

• 8 tank and 1 infantry divisions;
• 15 infantry battalions for the Volkssturm (foot attack);
• the entire staff of the capital's military school;
• police, from which 4 regiments were created (this is over 6,000 people).

In addition, do not forget about the advantage on fascist side thanks to natural resources. The west of the city was covered by mountains, the eastern and northern sides were washed by the almost impassable Danube, and the Germans fortified the south with anti-tank ditches, various pillboxes, trenches, and bunkers.

Vienna itself was literally crammed with weapons hidden in the ruins, the streets were blocked by barricades, and the old buildings served as a kind of bastions.

Capture plan

Objectively assessing the situation and realizing that the liberation of Vienna by the Soviet troops will not be the easiest, F. I. Tolbukhin plans to direct strikes from 3 sides, thereby creating panic among the command due to surprise. The three attack wings were to look like this:

1. The 4th Guards Army, together with the 1st Guards Corps, fought in the southeast.
2. The southwestern side would be attacked by the 6th Guards Army along with the 18th TC.
3. 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 to the values ​​of the city: it was planned to minimize the destruction in the capital.

The plan was approved immediately. The capture of the position and the clearing of the city would have taken place at lightning speed, if not for the strongest resistance.

First half of the attack

On the 5th, the operation started, which lasted until April 13th. Nevertheless, the liberation of Vienna ended relatively quickly and without catastrophic human losses, but such battles cannot be called a walk either.

The first day did not bring success to the Red Army due to the fierce resistance of the German forces. Even despite the active offensive Soviet troops, progress remained meagre. The Nazis understood that they had nowhere to run and fought to the last.

April 6th was marked by fierce fighting near the city, on its outskirts. On this day, the Soviet Army managed to pass more, and by evening even reach the western and southern outskirts, then find themselves in the Viennese suburbs.

The other wing made a detour along the Alps and went to the western approaches, and then to the Danube.

Such actions led to the fact that the enemy group was surrounded.

city ​​capture

The liberation of Vienna from the Nazis enters an active phase already from the evening of April 7, when the right wing of the 3rd UV captures Pressbaum and moves on in three directions: west, east and north.

From the 9th, the most bloody part of the capture begins. The Germans are especially resisting near the Imperial Bridge, since its capture would mean complete encirclement. The end of the fifth day of the operation was marked by the success of the Red Army - the aggressor grouping was in the ring, although the central units were still trying to fight and counteract.

On April 11, the crossing of the Danube Canal begins, as well as the last battles, the liberation of Vienna from the Nazis is coming to an end.

To make it easier to deal with the enemy, the German garrison was divided into four parts, and then neutralized.

The cleansing of the city begins, which continues until lunch on April 13th. It is on this date that the Liberation Day of Vienna is celebrated.

Relationship with the locals and the city

The command of the Soviet Army showed respect for the history and culture of the Austrian capital. Confirmation of this is the appeal to the call to help the Red Army. The essence of such help was that the townspeople were simply asked not to leave their houses, preventing the Germans from destroying buildings and destroying monuments. Such words were accepted with a bang.

In fact, it was a tactical move, the essence of which is: if you want to be helped, save a person a thing dear to the heart. After such a statement, the initially neutral attitude of the Austrians changes for the better, and therefore active cooperation begins.

The victory in this city became symbolic, because the first country captured by the Nazis was Austria. Throughout the war, this event was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.

Union victory

The first thing worth noting, speaking of the results, is the destruction of a large Wehrmacht grouping, but, in addition, it cannot be said that Hungary was completely liberated in the course of preparations for the operation, which was facilitated by the fighters of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. Each participant received a medal for the liberation of Vienna.

Then the eastern regions of the country and the capital were occupied.

The path to Prague was also opened, which made it possible to move on as quickly as possible.

The cultural and historical heritage of one of the most picturesque capitals of Europe has been preserved, and the restoration of Vienna has begun.

The Austrian people were literally impoverished after robbery, bombing and destruction, therefore, in the same 1945, a firm decision was made to provide food assistance to the population.

Losses for Nazi Germany

As for the losses for Berlin, this is the loss of control over the largest industrial center - the Vienna Industrial Region, as well as the battle for the Nagykanizsa oil field. Without it, nearby fuel plants were left without raw materials. Thus, German equipment lost its mobility, and the command was forced to withdraw it deep into the conquered territories, which allowed the Soviet troops to move forward quickly. Resistance was provided only by infantry formations, which could not give a serious rebuff to the enemy, being under artillery fire.

There is a direct threat of the defeat of Germany, and, as a result, the surrender of the Nazi troops.

The behavior of the German command was deprived. The soldiers showed themselves as 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 been celebrating the Day of the Liberation of the city from the German invaders on April 13 every year. On one of the streets, the Museum of the Liberation of Vienna was established.

And on the day when the enemies left the city, 24 volleys from three hundred guns were fired in Moscow. After a while, it was decided to establish a new award for the participants in these events - the medal "For the Liberation of Vienna".

Today, in addition to the museum, these fierce battles are reminiscent of the monument to the fallen soldiers on Schwarzenbergplatz, which was installed in the same 1945 at the very beginning of the restoration of the city and the whole country. It is made in the form of an evenly standing fighter. In one hand, the soldier holds a banner, the other he put on the shield in the form of some details, modern masters painted yellow.

To commemorate this victory, 50 combat formations that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna were given the honorary name "Vienna".

April 13, 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Vienna from Nazi invaders.

April 13, 1945, after the Vienna offensive operation, Vienna, the capital of Austria, was liberated by the Soviet Army. The Vienna offensive operation was carried out by the troops of the 2nd (commander Marshal Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd (Commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin) Ukrainian Fronts.

The German command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, hoping to stop the Soviet troops and hold out in the mountainous and wooded regions of Austria in the hope of concluding a separate peace with England and the USA. However, on March 16 - April 4, Soviet troops broke through the enemy defenses, defeated Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.

For the defense of the Austrian capital, the fascist German command created a large grouping of troops, which included 8 tank divisions that withdrew from the area of ​​Lake. Balaton, and one infantry and about 15 separate infantry and Volkssturm battalions, consisting of youth 15-16 years old. The entire garrison, including fire brigades, was mobilized to defend Vienna.

The natural conditions of the area favored the defending side. From the west, the city is covered by a range of mountains, and from the north and east by the wide and abundant Danube. On the southern approaches to the city, the Germans built a powerful fortified area, consisting of anti-tank ditches, a well-developed system of trenches and trenches, and many pillboxes and bunkers.

A significant part of the enemy artillery was set up for direct fire. Artillery firing positions were located in parks, gardens, squares and squares. Guns and tanks designed for firing from ambush were disguised in the destroyed houses. The Nazi command intended to make the city an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the Soviet troops.

The plan of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Army ordered the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front to complete the liberation of Vienna. Part of the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were supposed to cross from the south bank of the Danube to the north. After that, these troops were supposed to cut off the retreat of the Vienna enemy grouping to the north.

On April 5, 1945, Soviet troops launched an assault on Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, tank and mechanized troops began bypassing Vienna from the west. The enemy, with strong fire from all types of weapons and counterattacks by infantry and tanks, tried to prevent the breakthrough of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, despite the decisive actions of the troops of the Soviet Army, during April 5 they failed to break the resistance of the enemy, and they only slightly advanced.

All day on April 6, there were stubborn battles on the outskirts of the city. By evening, Soviet troops reached the southern and western outskirts of Vienna and broke into the adjacent part of the city. Stubborn fighting began within the boundaries of Vienna. The troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having made a detour, in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps, reached the western approaches to Vienna, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The enemy grouping was surrounded on three sides.

Wanting to prevent unnecessary casualties among the population, to save the city and save its historical monuments, on April 5, the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front appealed to the population of Vienna with calls to stay in place and shake the Soviet soldiers, not to let the Nazis destroy the city. Many Austrian patriots responded to the call of the Soviet command. They helped the Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle against the enemy who had settled in the fortified quarters.

By the evening of April 7, the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front had partly captured the Viennese outskirts of Pressbaum and began to spread like a fan - to the east, north and west.

On April 8, the fighting in the city became even more intense. The enemy used large stone buildings for defense, erected barricades, blocked the streets, laid mines and land mines. The Germans widely used "nomadic" guns and mortars, tank ambushes, anti-aircraft artillery, and Faust cartridges to fight Soviet tanks.

On April 9, the Soviet government issued a statement confirming its decision to implement the Moscow Declaration of Austrian Independence.
(Military Encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing. Moscow. In 8 volumes -2004. ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)

During April 9-10, Soviet troops fought their way to the city center. For each quarter, and sometimes even for a separate house, fierce battles flared up.

The enemy offered especially fierce resistance in the area of ​​​​the bridges across the Danube, since if Soviet troops reached them, the entire group defending Vienna would be surrounded. Nevertheless, the force of the strike of the Soviet troops continuously increased.

By the end of April 10, the defending German fascist troops were in a vice grip. The enemy continued to resist only in the center of the city.

On the night of April 11, the forcing of the Danube Canal by Soviet troops began. The last, final battles for Vienna unfolded.

After fierce fighting in the central part of the city and in the quarters located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, the enemy garrison was divided into separate groups, and their destruction began. And by noon on April 13, Vienna was completely cleared of Nazi troops.

The swift and selfless actions of the Soviet troops did not allow the Nazis to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Soviet soldiers prevented the explosion of the Imperial bridge across the Danube, as well as the destruction of many valuable architectural structures prepared for the explosion or set on fire by the Nazis during the retreat, among them St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna City Hall and others.

In honor of the victory won on April 13, 1945 at 21.00 in Moscow, salute was given by 24 artillery salvos from 324 guns.

To commemorate the victory, more than twenty formations that distinguished themselves in the battles for Vienna were given the name "Viennese". The Soviet government established the medal "For the Capture of Vienna", which was awarded to all participants in the battles for the city.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The area in the Vienna region was a hollow cut through by numerous canals and roads. The capital of Austria lay among the mountains and forests, which gave great advantages to the enemy for building a defense system that not only relied on engineering structures, but also used natural conditions.

The German military leadership made every effort to hold the city. By order of Hitler for the defense of the Austrian the capital was formed "Vienna Defense Zone" under the command of General of the Infantry R. von Byunau. The grouping defending Vienna included 9 divisions, 8 of which were tank divisions, including such elite units as the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Reich", the 3rd SS Panzer Division "Dead Head" and the 232nd Panzer Division "Tatra ". Also, training units, Volkssturm and police units were connected to the defense. By order of Dietrich, commander of the 6th SS Panzer Army, the male population of Vienna from 16 to 60 years old was herded into Volkssturm detachments and armed with fauspatrons. The entire city was blocked by barricades and mined blockages, and all bridges across the Danube and the Danube Canal were also mined. Carefully camouflaged ambushes of self-propelled artillery mounts and heavy tanks were prepared in dilapidated brick and stone buildings. Preparing Vienna for defense, the Nazis least of all thought that the most beautiful city would be destroyed, architectural monuments, beautiful Viennese parks would be destroyed.

On the eve of the assault on the Austrian capital, parliamentarians from the 17th Austrian mobilization corps arrived at the location of the 9th Guards Army: senior sergeant major F. Kez and corporal I. Reif. They said that an uprising was being prepared in Vienna. The insurgents had the following forces at their disposal: two reserve infantry battalions, an artillery battery, more than a thousand Austrian soldiers in other formations, were ready to join the uprising, according to them, and about twenty thousand inhabitants. The leader of the uprising was an officer of the corps, Karl Sokol. He sent parliamentarians. The command of the 9th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front discussed with the parliamentarians their tasks during the operation to take Vienna. The rebels were supposed to capture bridges across the Danube and tributaries, communications, defeat the institutions of the Nazi Party and the police, public utilities. Radio contact was established with the leadership of the rebels. Soon a meeting took place with Karl Sokol, signals for an uprising were agreed with him. The uprising was scheduled for 6 April.

On the eve, according to the agreement, the rebels were given a signal by radio and from an airplane, the signal was received, but the uprising did not start, although it would greatly facilitate the task of Tolbukhin's troops. As it turned out later, the traitors betrayed to the Nazis the leaders who were preparing an armed uprising. On the morning of April 6, many of them were arrested and later executed.

Throughout the day on April 5, fierce fighting continued on the eastern and southeastern outskirts of the city. German troops withstood the first onslaught of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. After analyzing the first day of the assault, the front commander decided to regroup the 6th Guards Tank Army northwest of Vienna in order to block possible escape routes for German forces, and also to begin the assault on the capital of Austria also from the western direction.

On the morning of April 6, the commander of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, I.N. Russiyanov, received an order from the commander of the 4th Guards Army to break into Vienna and occupy Simmering with its industrial enterprises and the Arsenal during the day. Behind the Arsenal, our soldiers had to cross the Danube Canal. A particularly fierce battle broke out near the bridge over the canal leading to Star Square. From it opened the road to the North Station and the main avenue of the Vienna Woods. The right bank was cleared of the enemy by the morning of April 11. It was imperative to gain a foothold on the other side, to win back at least a piece of land, but the bridge was under fire and was mined.

The task of breaking through to the other side of the command set before the tankers. The tank of the Guard Lieutenant Alexander Kudryavtsev was the first to jump onto the bridge at high speed. Several enemy anti-tank guns immediately opened fire on the car. The tank managed to pass half of the bridge, but then the chassis was damaged by a shell. The car froze. The crew continued to fight with the enemy, suppressing enemy firing points from cannons and machine guns. After the second hit, only Alexander Kudryavtsev survived, he was also wounded, but continued to fight, allowing other combat vehicles to move forward. A tank of the guard, junior lieutenant Dmitriev, went to help Kudryavtsev. On the bridge, his tank was set on fire, but continued to move. The lieutenant ordered the battle to continue and the tank, engulfed in flames, rushed across the bridge, enticing the infantrymen with its example. Kudryavtsev did not have a chance to survive this fight. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to him posthumously.

Stubborn street fighting for the city lasted more than a week. The German command, to the last, did not lose hope of holding at least part of the city, transferring more and more new units to Vienna, including the Fuhrer Grenadiers division.

By April 7, Army Group South was disbanded and Army Group Austria was created on its basis, the command of which was entrusted to the Austrian Lothar Rendulich. However, all the steps taken by the German leadership failed to change the situation. Block after block, street after street passed under the control of the Soviet troops.

The battle began in the Transdanubian quarters of the city. The battles for Vienna entered the final stage. Our troops already controlled most of the capital: Simmering, old Vienna, the North, East, South stations. The Nazis withdrew to the left bank of the Danube, blowing up all the bridges, except for one - the Imperial Bridge. It was necessary to protect it from an explosion, otherwise it would have been necessary to cross the full-flowing wide Danube. And these are hundreds of soldiers' lives. The Nazis, realizing the significance of this only crossing, literally stuffed the bridge with mines and explosives: hundreds of kilograms of it hung on piles and piers of the bridge. The approaches to the bridge were also mined. The Germans fired at the coastal line from cannons and machine guns. Repeated attempts to capture the bridge were crowned with success on April 12 thanks to the feat of the scouts of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Brigade. In the morning, along the saved bridge, our tanks made a throw to the shore, still occupied by the Germans, followed by artillery and infantry.

Most recently, on April 15, 70 years have passed since the end of the Vienna offensive operation, during which the Nazi troops Austria was cleared, including its capital - Vienna.

The Vienna offensive operation is a strategic offensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. It was carried out from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian Army (Bolg.) with the aim of defeating German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria. Vienna was taken on 13 April.

To this event, friends, I dedicate this photo collection.

1. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss son, buried in the central cemetery of Vienna. 1945 .

2. 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 .

3. 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 .

4. Soviet soldiers are fighting for the Imperial Bridge. 3rd Ukrainian Front. Vienna. April 1945

5. Rewarding Soviet soldiers who distinguished themselves in the battles for the capture of Vienna. 1945

6. Artillerymen of self-propelled guns of the Guard Lieutenant Colonel V.S. Shonichev, who were the first to enter Austrian soil, are passing along the street of one of the cities. 1945

7. Soviet self-propelled guns cross the border. 1945

8. Soviet tanks in the Vienna area. 1945

9. The crew of the M4A-2 "Sherman" tank, the first to break into Vienna, with its commander; on the left is Nuru Idrisov, a driver-mechanic. 1945

10. Machine gunners are street fighting in the central part of Vienna. 1945

11. Soviet soldiers are walking along one of the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945

12. Soviet troops on the street of the liberated city of Vienna. 1945

13. Soviet soldiers on the streets of Vienna. 1945

14. View of one of the streets of Vienna after its release. 1945

15. Residents of Vienna on the square in front of the ruined building of the Cathedral of St. Stephen. 1945

16. Dancing on the streets of Vienna on the occasion of the Victory Day. 1945

17. Soviet tanks on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945

18. Soviet military signalmen on one of the streets of Vienna. April 1945

20. Residents of Vienna return to their homes after the end of street fighting and the liberation of the city by Soviet troops. April 1945

21. Cossack patrol on one of the streets of Vienna. 1945

22. Festivities on the occasion of the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops on one of the squares of the city. 1945

23. Soviet self-propelled guns on the mountain roads of Austria. 1945

24. Soviet military equipment on the mountain roads of Austria. April 1945

25. Guards submachine gunners of the division of Senior Lieutenant Gukalov are fighting for locality. Austria. 1945

26. Meeting of Soviet soldiers with the inhabitants of one of the cities of Austria. 1945

27. Mortars of the Hero of the Soviet Union Nekrasov firing at enemy positions. Austria. March 31, 1945

28. Sergeant Pavel Zaretsky talks with residents of the Austrian village of Lekengauz. 1945

29. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss son, buried in the central cemetery of Vienna. .

30. Soviet mortars carry an 82-mm battalion mortar in Vienna. 1945

31. Soviet soldiers cross the bridge over the Danube Canal in Vienna. May 1945

32. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of Johann Strauss son. April 1945.

33. Soviet traffic controller N. Klimenko on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945

34. Soviet officer visits the grave of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, buried in the central cemetery of Vienna.

35. Soviet traffic controller on the streets of Vienna. May-August 1945

36. Soviet self-propelled artillery SU-76M in Vienna, Austria. 1945

37. Soviet mortars with a regimental mortar at the Hofburg Winter Palace in Vienna. 1945

38. Soviet armored personnel carrier M3A1 in battle on the streets of Vienna. April 1945

39. A column of Soviet T-34 tanks on the streets of Vienna. 1945

40. Before the arrival of the Soviet troops, the Nazi shot his family and committed suicide on the streets of Vienna. April 1945

41. Soviet traffic controller in liberated Vienna. May 1945

42. Soviet traffic controller in liberated Vienna. May 1945

43. Killed German soldier on the street of the liberated Vienna. April 1945

44. Tank "Sherman" of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps on Vienna Street. April 1945

45. Human remains on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945

46. ​​Human remains on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945

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. Soviet armored boats of the Danube military flotilla in Austria. April 1945

50. Soviet regimental military band in the Austrian village of Donnerskirchen on Victory Day. On the far right, Private Nikolai Ivanovich Pershin (in addition to playing in the orchestra, he also acted as a signalman). 05/09/1945

51. A column of Soviet T-34-85 tanks on the street of the Austrian town of St. Pölten. 1945

52. Aviation technicians of the 213th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment on the street of the Austrian town of Stockerau. 1945

The assault on the Austrian capital was the final part of the Vienna Offensive, which went 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 Fyodor Tolbukhin) with the help of 1- th Bulgarian Army (Lieutenant General V. Stoichev). Its main goal was to defeat German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

Our troops were opposed by part of the troops of Army Group South (commander General of the Infantry O. Wehler, from April 7, Colonel General L. Rendulich), part of the troops of Army Group F (commander Field Marshal M. von Weichs), from March 25 Army Group E (commanded by Colonel-General A. Lehr). The German high command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, planning to stop the Soviet troops on these lines and hold out in the mountainous and wooded regions of Austria, hoping to conclude a separate peace with England and the USA. However, March 16 - April 4 Soviet forces broke through the German defenses, defeated the forces of Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.


On April 5, 1945, Soviet troops began an operation to take Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, mobile formations, including tank and mechanized units, began to bypass the Austrian capital from the west. The enemy responded with fire and furious 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 failed to break the enemy’s resistance, progress was insignificant.

The whole next day - April 6, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city. By the evening of that day, Soviet troops were able to reach the southern and western outskirts of the city and broke into the surrounding suburbs of Vienna. Stubborn fighting began already in the city. The forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army made a detour in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps and reached the western approaches to the city, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The German group was surrounded on three sides.


The Soviet command, trying to prevent unnecessary civilian casualties, to preserve the beautiful city and its historical heritage, on April 5 appealed to the population of the Austrian capital to stay in their homes, on the ground 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 the 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 Viennese outskirts of Pressbaum and continued to move - to the east, north and west. On April 8, stubborn battles continued in the city itself, the Germans created new barricades, blockages, blocking roads, set mines, land mines, and transferred guns and mortars to dangerous directions. During April 9-10, Soviet forces continued to fight their way to 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 the Soviet troops had reached it, the entire German group in Vienna would have been completely surrounded. The Danube Flotilla landed troops to capture the Imperial Bridge, but heavy enemy fire stopped it 400 meters from the bridge. Only the second landing was able to capture the bridge without letting it blow up. By the end of April 10, the defending German group was completely surrounded, its last units offered resistance only in the city center.


On the night of April 11, our troops began to force the Danube Canal, the final battles for Vienna were underway.
Soviet soldiers on the streets of Vienna. April 1945

Having broken the resistance of the enemy in the central part of the capital and in the quarters that were located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, the 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.


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







- Quick and selfless actions of the Red Army 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 prepared for the explosion or were set on fire by Wehrmacht units during the retreat, including St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Vienna City Hall and other structures.
80th Guards Rifle Division on the streets of liberated Vienna


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