The Twilight of the Third Reich
By the spring of 1945, the tide of World War II had irrevocably turned against Nazi Germany. The once-mighty Reich, which had dominated Europe from the Atlantic to the gates of Moscow, now faced annihilation from Allied forces advancing from both east and west. The landscape of collaboration and resistance had shifted dramatically since the early war years. Where Nazi sympathizers and opportunistic collaborators had once flourished, now resistance movements—both within Germany and across occupied Europe—gained momentum, eager to hasten Hitler’s downfall.
The Normandy landings in June 1944 marked the beginning of the end. Despite fierce German counterattacks and logistical challenges, Allied forces under General Dwight D. Eisenhower pushed through France, liberating Paris by August. By autumn, much of Western Europe—including Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Germany itself—had fallen to the Allies. Yet, as winter set in, Hitler launched a desperate last gamble: the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge). Though initially successful, the German advance faltered due to fuel shortages and the relentless Soviet advance in the east. By March 1945, the final Allied offensive began, encountering a fractured German defense—some fought fanatically, others surrendered eagerly to avoid Soviet capture.
The Desperation of a Dying Regime
As the Reich crumbled, Nazi leadership grew increasingly erratic. Hitler’s orders for total national self-destruction were largely ignored, but pockets of fanaticism remained. In Austria, for example, a local Nazi governor ordered the massacre of 229 political prisoners in Stein prison, fearing they might aid post-war reconstruction. Meanwhile, Allied bombing reduced German cities to rubble, and indiscriminate attacks left civilians and soldiers alike scrambling for survival.
The final months saw a surge in resistance activity, including opportunistic latecomers—former collaborators now eager to distance themselves from the collapsing regime. In Paris, police who had once aided the Gestapo in rounding up Jews suddenly turned on retreating German troops. Liberation brought not only jubilation but also brutal reprisals. Women accused of fraternizing with German soldiers were publicly shamed, often with their heads shaved, while suspected collaborators faced summary executions.
The Myth of the Werewolves and Nazi Guerrillas
As defeat loomed, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels promoted the idea of Werwölfe (Werewolves)—a guerrilla movement meant to harass Allied forces from behind the lines. In reality, this was largely a myth, though it succeeded in sowing fear. The Allies, particularly the Soviets, took the threat seriously, diverting resources to counter a phantom resistance. The only notable Werwolf action was the assassination of the pro-Allied mayor of Aachen, followed by swift retribution. Historian Perry Biddiscombe estimates that 3,000–5,000 Germans, mostly young men, were executed for alleged guerrilla activities—far more than the actual resistance warranted.
The Fate of German Prisoners and Civilians
Surrender was a perilous choice for German soldiers. Military police executed deserters on the spot, and even after Germany’s formal capitulation in May 1945, some were tried and shot for “cowardice.” Millions of German soldiers captured by the Western Allies endured harsh conditions, particularly in makeshift outdoor prison camps where exposure and malnutrition claimed many lives. Those taken by the Soviets fared far worse—of the 90,000 Germans captured at Stalingrad in 1943, only 5,000 returned home.
German civilians, meanwhile, faced retribution from liberated populations. In Eastern Europe, ethnic Germans—long resented as a privileged class under Nazi rule—were expelled en masse. Estimates suggest up to 13 million were displaced, with as many as 2 million perishing in the process.
The Legacy of German Resistance
The most famous act of German resistance was the July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Hitler, led by Claus von Stauffenberg. Though it failed, the conspiracy involved high-ranking officers, diplomats, and intellectuals who sought to end the war and salvage Germany’s honor. Yet, after the war, these resisters were often scorned—in East Germany, they were dismissed as reactionaries; in the West, many saw them as traitors. Only decades later were they recognized as moral exemplars.
Eastern Europe’s Bloody Reckoning
The war’s end brought not liberation but further turmoil to Eastern Europe. Soviet occupation meant repression, mass deportations, and the imposition of communist regimes. Retribution against collaborators and ethnic minorities was widespread—Hungary and Romania, once Axis allies, now turned on their German populations. Soviet soldiers, fueled by vengeance, committed widespread atrocities, particularly against German women.
Conclusion: The Shadow of the Past
The final months of World War II were marked by chaos, vengeance, and the painful birth of a new Europe. The Nazi regime’s collapse revealed the depths of human cruelty—but also the courage of those who resisted. Today, the legacy of this period serves as a grim reminder of the cost of tyranny and the fragile nature of justice in the aftermath of war.