Vistula–Oder offensive

The Vistula-Oder offensive, was an operation by the Red Army of the Soviet Union against the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany that happened on the Eastern Front of the European theatre of World War II and took place from 12 January - 2 February 1945. The operation liberated city’s like Kraków, Warsaw (the capital city of Poland that saw the Warsaw Uprising a few months earlier and was later liberated by the First Army of the Polish People's Army), and Poznań. The liberation also liberated Nazi concentration camps like Auschwitz concentration camp and also destroyed the General Government in Poland. At the start of the operation, the soviet and Polish forces were at the Vistula river. By the end of the operation, the soviet and polish forces were at the Oder river and closer to the German capital city Berlin. The final advance to Berlin wouldn’t happen until 16 April and would end with its capture on 2 May

Vistula-Oder offensive
Part of The Eastern Front of the European theatre of World War II
Map of the Vistula-Oder offensive
Date 12 January - 2 February 1945 Location German occupied [[Second Polish Republic|]] Result Soviet and Polish victory
Belligerents
Nazi Germany	Soviet Union Poland
Commanders and leaders
Ferdinand Schörner (Army Group A) (From 20 January) Josef Harpe (Army Group A) (Until 20 January)	Georgy Zhukov (1st Belorussian Front) Ivan Konev (1st Ukrainian Front) Stanislav Poplavsky (1st Polish Army)

Vistula–Oder Offensive Media

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  Delegation of German officers arriving to negotiate for the capitulation of Festung Breslau

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  Vistula–Oder Offensive

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  World War II Eastern Front during the 1945 Vistula–Oder offensive; the map also shows the East Prussian offensive, Lower Silesian offensive, the East Pomeranian offensive, and the battles in Courland.

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  Tree carving in Bielinek (Bellinchen), Pomerania, immediately east of the Oder. It reads, in Russian, "March 1945, Death to the Germans."