Hitler's Last Bastion: The Final Battles for the Reich 1944-1945

by Franz Kurowski

The final stage of the Second World War, with the enemy across the Reichs borders, saw final desperate battles for numerous fortified places and blocking positions. Hitler ordered the defense of these fortified places such as Königsberg and Breslau, We

Genres: War

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written from the German point of view, so the allies are referred to as the enemy. This aspect was hard to adjust to. However, the focus of the book was the last months of the war and the German efforts as they retreated. Although it was evident that Germany would lose, their defense of their home land was tenacious and vigorous. The defense they were able to mount with diminished resources was amazing to me. The book concentrates mostly on the eastern front and the bitter conflict with the Russians. The army set up various cities, designated as fortresses, and fought bitterly to stop the Russian advances. As they retreated, the army did their best to allow civilians to escape the Russians. The atrocities committed by the Russians were horrific and the author decries these actions. It was interesting to me that the Germans perpetrated like atrocities when they invaded Russia. Both sides were guilty of extreme human rights violations. It was interesting to see the war from a different point of view.