Review: Berlin: The Downfall 1945, by Antony Beevor

Yes, it’s shockingly modern, but recently(ish) I read this book recounting the end of the Second World War, primarily from the Eastern aspect involving the Russians rather than the Allies. A note that I actually finished this a month or so ago but I’ve been relatively busy hence this review only being written/posted now.

World War Two is far more recent than my usual periods of classical history or medieval England, so I can’t comment on context/accuracy etc, but I did find this retelling of the events leading to the fall of Berlin to be both compelling and easy to read. Easy to read in terms of a straightforward style, that is. As might be expected with such a book there are grim aspects that are necessary, as their removal would soften reality to the point of deceit.

There’s a lot of politics alongside the military matters, and, from what I can tell (given my general ignorance of the period) there does seem to be an even-handed and honest approach to figures of history in terms of how good/bad they were. Wenck, for example, stands out as a moral man, trying to save as many of his people as he could, whereas Hitler seemed to consider the citizens of Berlin to be the kindling for the pyre of his dreams.

Politics largely gives way to military matters once the end draws near, as one might expect, (although it was present on the other side too, with Stalin and the NKVD constant sources of fear for Soviet troops). Widespread rape by Soviet soldiers is not pleasant reading, and makes the juxtaposition of the Soviet commander in Berlin after the conquest providing the population with food seem all the stranger.

With the remnants of the generation that experienced these horrors dying out, it’s important to remember the lessons of the past, without being chained by them. This book was engaging, and I read it more rapidly than I imagined it would. Not for those who are easily upset, though.

Thaddeus