World War II Question About The Fall of Berlin.?

Question

Why did the U.S. let Russia get to Berlin first. From what I've read about it and what General Patton has said is that we could have gotten there first? I know that there was supposed to be a last hold out in the mountains, but I would like to think that the U.S would have had better intelligance than that. It just seems like a very big prize to get after all that happened to just let the Russians have it. The Russians did have a very beg score to settle, even more so than the U.S., but their was an awful lot at stake.

Answer 1

The big prize, after ending the war, for the Allies was the scientists and technologies who were "liberated" and put to work for the victors.

The USA had no comparable (with USSR) score to settle with Germany – not even close.

>U.S would have had better intelligance than that
Hmmm

Answer 2

First up go look at a map - - - Berlin is deep in Germany and for all of Patton's boasting there were large pockets of very active Germans between the British & Americans and Berlin. And there were agreements to consider. At Yalta it was agreed that Berlin would be jointly occupied and Eisenhower was a man of his word and quite practical, why 'waste' his troops to take Berlin when by agreement he would get a chunk of the city?

Also Berlin was by then a questionable prize. Bragging rights, maybe, but the city was battered into rubble. For better or worse Intelligence still suggested that the Nazis would make a stand in Bavaria in the so called Alpine Redoubt, which is why Patton was sent spiraling off to Austria and Czeckoslovakia.

So for what it is worth all worked out. Russia got to Berlin first and stole everything & anything they could from the zone reserved for France & Britain & America but in the end a large part of Berlin went to the Western Allies as agreed. Eisenhower as noted did not see any sense in a race to Berlin, unlike Patton he felt confident he would get the better of Russia and in a sence he did, later as President he continued to out manuaver the Soviets.
Peace.................... /// --------------O . u . O ------------------ \\\

PS What puzzled the German high Command was why Hitler would not allow them to mount all their defences against the Russians while allowing the Americans & British to reach Berlin First, one of the few able German Generals left tried covertly redeploy troops towards that goal but he was knocked out of action and thus it can be said fate was on the side of the Russians.

Answer 3

Eisenhower was a smart man. He realized that Berlin was in what would become the Russian Sector of a conquered Germany and saw no point in wasting American lives to occupy a city from which most American troops would have to withdraw shortly, because America would only be responsible for part of Berlin after the surrender.

I believe that he also stated that the Russians had suffered more at the hands of the Nazis and more deserved that particular victory. I have always had the suspicion that American powers also felt that Berlin deserved whatever the Russians chose to do; a sentiment with which I concur.

Answer 4

general zukhov's ukranian division had surronded berlin except for the western suburbs. the west had also gone towards bavaria and much swinging southwards after entering germany from holland.

russia wanted the city pattons plan was to shoot through to berlin rather then go south.

in the end the west had to make serious pace to meet up with the russians unless the russians would have kept the city for a prize in the end they agreed to divide the city for administration purposes and to share in the 'victors spoils'

Answer 5

actually the agreement was that the US would approach berlin from the west and russia from the east, the russians just happen to reach the city slightly before the americans but the arrival of both groups was pretty close to being at the same time

Answer 6

Eisenhower decided to let Russia take Berlin. The reason being the great loss of life in Russia because of the war. Eisenhower felt they deserved to take the city and Hitler.

Answer 7

the post war boundaries were decided at Yalta by Churchill Stalin Truman and the french,and Patton was informed of that by Ike,who told him not to pursue it. Eisenhower was worried about the alpine redout of the Germans.