Who liberated Prague in 1945. With minimal losses

At the beginning of May 1945, when units of the Red Army completed the destruction of the enemy in Berlin, numerous Wehrmacht groups operating in Western Europe and Italy began to surrender everywhere to American and British troops. Understanding the futility of further resistance, the newly formed German government led by Grand Admiral K. Doenitz, nevertheless, sought to hold the areas of Central and Western Czechoslovakia in order to preserve Army Groups “Center” and “Austria”, gain time and with approach of the armies of the USSR allies in the anti-Hitler coalition to capitulate to them.

The two German army groups included 62 divisions, including 16 tank and motorized divisions, a large number of individual regiments and battalions, special units and units, various combat groups - in total more than 900 thousand people, 9,700 guns and mortars, over 2,200 tanks and assault guns, about 1000 aircraft. At the same time, a significant part of the tanks and assault guns were out of order and were used as fixed firing points, and the air force was experiencing a shortage of fuel.

In accordance with the plan of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, the 1st, 4th and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts were involved in the Prague offensive operation, which by that time, operating in a zone 1200 km wide, had reached areas north of Dresden, west of Moravska-Ostrava, south- west of Brno and enveloped the enemy group in South Saxony and Czechoslovakia from the north, east and south. They had 18 armies, three tank and three air armies, five tank, two mechanized and three cavalry corps - a total of 153 rifle divisions and 7 rifle brigades, 24,500 guns and mortars, more than 2,100 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, over 4,000 combat aircraft . It was planned to attack the directions converging on Prague with the forces of the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts from the areas northwest of Dresden and south of Brno to encircle the main enemy forces in Czechoslovakia, together with the 4th Ukrainian Front, cut them into pieces and prevent the withdrawal of German troops to the west and southwest.

The enemy's most prepared defensive lines in terms of engineering were located in front of the center and left wing of the 1st Ukrainian Front. Here, in a tactical defense zone 18 km deep, there were numerous artificial barriers. In the operational depths along the entire German-Czechoslovak border along the line of the Ore and Sudeten Mountains, concrete fortifications were located. In the zones of the 4th and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts, in front of the Soviet troops there were only field-type defensive structures.

Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev decided to deliver the main blow in the direction of Prague with the forces of three armies (13th, 3rd Guards, 5th Guards), two tank armies (3rd and 4th Guards), two tank and cavalry corps, six aviation corps , five breakthrough artillery divisions (21 rifle divisions, 5,680 guns and mortars, 1,040 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,900 aircraft). Other attacks were planned: the first from the area north-west of Görlitz with the aim of dissecting the enemy group (28th and 52nd armies, one mechanized corps); the second - to bypass Dresden from the southeast (2nd Army of the Polish Army).

In accordance with the decision of the commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky and clarifications of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, the main strike group, which went on the offensive from the Brno area towards the 1st Ukrainian Front, included the 53rd, 7th and 9th Guards, 46th Armies, 6th Guards Tank Army and the 1st Guards Cavalry Mechanized Group. The 40th Army was assigned to direct another attack on Olomouc.

The 60th and 38th armies of the 4th Ukrainian Front (Army General A.I. Eremenko) attacked it from the north and northeast. After the encirclement of the German 1st Tank Army in the Olomouc salient, it was planned to launch an attack on Prague from the east with all its forces. To capture the capital of Czechoslovakia, a mobile group was created as part of the reinforced 31st Tank Corps.

Preparations for the operation were carried out within an extremely limited time frame. At the same time, a major regrouping of forces and means had to be carried out. On the 1st Ukrainian Front alone, five armies were involved in it, including two tank armies, as well as a number of separate corps. The field administration of the 2nd Ukrainian Front had to solve complex problems. He had to withdraw the 6th Guards Tank Army and the 1st Guards Cavalry Mechanized Group from the battle and move to a new direction, accept into its composition and withdraw to the first echelon the 9th Guards Army, organize the transfer of the 53rd and 40th armies in order to occupy the starting position for the offensive. An important condition that required accelerating the start of the operation was the armed uprising that began in Prague on May 5. In an effort to suppress it, the occupiers used artillery, tanks and aircraft against the Czechoslovak patriots.

The offensive of the 1st Ukrainian Front began on May 6, a day earlier than planned. On the morning of that day, reconnaissance established that northwest of Dresden the enemy was occupying defenses in individual strong points with insignificant forces. Therefore, it was decided to strike without waiting for the complete concentration of the main group. At 2 p.m., after a short artillery preparation of the divisions of the 13th and 3rd Guards Armies, Colonel General N.P. Pukhov and V.N. Gordova attacked the enemy. Following them, the advanced detachments of the 4th and 3rd Guards Tank Armies of Colonel General D.D. began to advance. Lelyushenko and P.S. Rybalko. Having broken through the main line of defense of the German troops within 2-3 hours, they overtook the rifle units and by the end of the day advanced 23 km.

On the night of May 7, after a 30-minute artillery barrage, formations of the 5th Guards Army under Colonel General A.S. went on the offensive. Zhadova. Using surprise, they quickly broke the resistance of the Hermann Goering tank division, the 20th Panzer and 2nd Motorized Divisions and began to advance into the depths of the enemy’s defenses. On the same day, the armies of the center and the left wing of the front began combat operations, as a result of which the width of the zone of its active operations increased to 430 km.

In the Dresden area, the enemy tried to delay the advance of Soviet troops with infantry and tank counterattacks, but, unable to withstand their attacks, was forced to retreat 30-40 km. Soon, the armies of the main strike group of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached the northern slopes of the main ridge of the Ore Mountains in a 60 km wide zone and began fighting for the passes. Despite the stubborn resistance of the German rearguard units, who blew up bridges and created blockages on the roads, on May 8, the 4th and 3rd Guards Tank Armies crossed the Ore Mountains, and the 5th Guards Army captured the large administrative and industrial center of Saxony - Dresden.

On the 2nd Ukrainian Front, formations of the 7th Guards Army of Colonel General M.S. Shumilov completed the regrouping on May 7 and at 8:15 a.m., after 30 minutes of artillery preparation, went on the offensive. In one day they broke through enemy defenses to a depth of 25 km. On the morning of the next day, the 6th Guards Tank Army under Colonel General A.G. was brought into battle. Kravchenko, which increased the wedging to 50 km and reached the Jaroměřice area. Also operating successfully during May 8 were the 53rd (Lieutenant General I.M. Managarov), the Romanian 1st, 9th Guards (Colonel General V.V. Glagolev) and the 46th (Lieutenant General A. V. Petrushevsky) armies that covered from 30 to 40 km. At the same time, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front captured a large railway junction and an important military-industrial center of Czechoslovakia - the city of Olomouc and, in cooperation with the 40th (Lieutenant General F.F. Zhmachenko) and the Romanian 4th armies of the 2nd The Olomouc ledge was liquidated by the Ukrainian Front.

Aviation played a major role in the success of the offensive. Over the course of three days, the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 17th Air Armies under the command of Aviation Colonel General S.A. Krasovsky and S.K. Goryunov, Lieutenant General of Aviation V.N. Zhdanov and Colonel General of Aviation V.A. Sudets flew 7,640 sorties. In general, in the period from May 6 to 8, the armies of three fronts broke through the enemy defenses to their entire operational depth, overcame the Ore Mountains, and reached lines located 60-150 km north, east and south of Prague. Thus, they created favorable conditions for encircling the main enemy forces in Czechoslovakia. The accomplishment of this task was also facilitated by the destruction of Major General I.P. by the 5th Guards Mechanized Corps. Ermakov headquarters of Army Group Center, which made it extremely difficult for its commander, Field Marshal F. Schörner, to manage his subordinate formations.

At 20:00 on May 8, the Soviet command radioed an appeal to German troops with a proposal to stop resistance and lay down their arms. However, there was no response. On the contrary, enemy groups tried in every possible way to break through to the west and southwest with the goal of capitulating to the American army. To thwart these plans, troops from three fronts began pursuit without pause. The main role in it was assigned to the forward detachments, which were allocated to capture road junctions, bridges, passes in the mountains and airfields.

During the night of May 9, the tank armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front made an 80-kilometer march. At 4 o'clock in the morning, the 10th Guards Tank Corps of the 4th Guards Tank Army was the first to enter Prague. Following him, the 9th Mechanized Corps of the 3rd Guards Tank Army entered the city. Soon the tankers were supported by the advanced units of the 13th and 3rd Guards Armies. By 10 o'clock, Soviet troops, with the active support of the population, had completely cleared the capital of Czechoslovakia from the invaders. By 18 o'clock it included mobile formations of the 4th Ukrainian Front, which covered 200 km within 24 hours. By the same time, the 6th Guards Tank Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, having covered 120 km, reached a line 30-35 km southeast of Prague.

After capturing Prague - the main road junction of Czechoslovakia - the enemy's withdrawal routes to the west and southwest were cut off. On May 10, the Supreme Command Headquarters demanded that the commanders of the 1st and 4th Ukrainian Fronts take measures to prevent the encircled enemy group from breaking through into the American occupation zone and to destroy it as quickly as possible. In addition, the 1st Ukrainian Front was ordered to continue its rapid advance westward until contact was established with the Allied armies. At the same time, his mobile units were supposed to occupy the cities of Chemnitz, Karlovy Vary, and Pilsen.

During May 10-11, Soviet troops, pursuing the enemy, liquidated and captured his scattered groups. In those days, units of the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts came into contact with American units in the areas of Chemnitz, Karlovy Vary, east of Pilsen, and Ceske Budejovice. During the fighting, soldiers of the 25th Tank Corps, Major General E.I. The Fomins captured a significant part of the headquarters of the Russian Liberation Army, led by its commander A.A. Vlasov. By the end of May 11, most of the enemy formations and combat groups ceased resistance and laid down their arms. Only a few flank divisions of Army Group Austria managed to break into the zone of action of American troops.

As a result of the successful completion of the Prague operation, the last large Wehrmacht group on the Soviet-German front was defeated and the liberation of Czechoslovakia was completed. During its course, the 1st, 4th and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts captured 858 thousand German soldiers and officers, of which 60 generals, captured 9464 guns and mortars, 1822 tanks and assault guns, 1104 aircraft, and also a large number of other weapons and military equipment. At the same time, the losses of Soviet troops amounted to 49,348 people, of which 11,265 were irrecoverable, 373 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, more than 1,000 guns and mortars, 80 combat aircraft.

The offensive unfolded in a zone up to 1200 km wide to a depth of about 200 km with an average rate of 35-40 for rifle formations and up to 70 km for tank formations. The main blow was delivered at the weakest point in the enemy's formation, bypassing the strongest fortifications, along the valleys, in the direction shortest to Prague. This led to the rapid capture of road junctions and the interception of the enemy group’s escape routes. Its pursuit was carried out simultaneously in all directions, swiftly and non-stop, day and night, with the involvement of formations and units of various branches of the military.

For courage, heroism and high military skill shown during the Prague operation, about 250 of the most distinguished formations and units were awarded orders, and more than 50 of them were given honorary titles. To commemorate the victory, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal “For the Liberation of Prague,” which was awarded to over 390 thousand people, more than 40 thousand of them were citizens of Czechoslovakia.

Anatoly Borshchov, senior researcher
Research Institute (military history)
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces,
Candidate of Historical Sciences

The Czechoslovak Republic is a European state founded in 1918. However, in 1938, according to the Munich Agreement, part of Czechoslovakia - the Sudetenland - became part of Nazi Germany, since it was inhabited by up to 90% of ethnic Germans, who were allegedly oppressed by the “locals”. A few months later, Hitler declared Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate, which lasted for almost seven years.

But from history we know that Czechoslovakia was liberated by its allies, who approached the heart of the country - its capital - from three directions. How it happened liberation of Prague 1945 year and what was the participation of the Red Army in its liberation?

Czechoslovakia was “dismantled” piece by piece

Around the time that Germany annexed the Sudetenland, Poland claimed the Cieszyn District in the Czechoslovak Republic, where up to 100 thousand Poles actually lived. Simultaneously with the German troops, Poland sent its troops into the Cieszyn region. Czechoslovakia became extremely vulnerable, and then Hungary occupied part of Carpathian Rus', which it had long laid claim to, and part of Slovakia.

At that moment, Czechoslovakia, or rather what was left of it, could not “maintain fortifications and barriers on the border with Germany,” as a result of which on March 15, 1939, by decree of Hitler, a Protectorate was announced in Bohemia and Moravia. Just a day earlier, Slovakia separated from Czechoslovakia and became independent.

Hitler mistakenly decided that now it would not be difficult to take Europe. Almost 6 million pounds sterling was transferred from the London accounts of the Czechoslovak National Bank to the current accounts of the Reichsbank. And the inhabitants of the Czech Republic and Moravia “surrendered” almost without a fight. However, there in London, the exiled President of Czechoslovakia, Edward Benes, created a government in exile, which was supported by Great Britain, and in 1941 also by the USA and the USSR.

In the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the Fuhrer reserved the right to appoint Reich protectors himself. The first months of the German occupation, the “new” rule was relatively “tolerable,” although it entailed the dismissal of Jews from all government positions, the mobilization of the population to work for Germany, a significant reduction in the production of goods and strict control of the supply of the population. The leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia hastily left the country.

Since 1941, the Reich appointed Reinhard Heydrich as Head of the Protectorate Administration. This was followed by arrests, the closure of all cultural institutions, executions, and concentration camps. And after Heydrich was mortally wounded and died in June 1942, mass arrests and widespread executions began. There is information that by the end of 1941, about 200 thousand “Czechs” and 100 thousand “Slovaks” were driven to Germany, and in 1943, 350 thousand workers from Czechoslovakia were forcibly deported to Germany. Jews were taken to ghettos and then to concentration camps, the rest were forced to work 10-12 hours, peasants were forced to supply agricultural products to Germany, which led to a significant increase in prices in their homeland.

Resistance

The first underground organizations in Czechoslovakia were created already in 1939. For example, in November 1939, the death of wounded student Jan Opletal sparked a storm of protests against the occupation and student demonstrations. But the response to their resistance to the new regime was the mass arrests of everyone who was in any way involved in it: teachers, students, political and public figures.

Nevertheless, people resisted the Nazis as best they could: disobedience, strikes, propaganda and sabotage. In several battles that took place in Estonia, non-explosive “German” mines were discovered, upon careful examination of which it turned out that the explosive had been replaced with ordinary sand. This is how Czechoslovak workers helped their Slovenian brothers.

Underground organizations continued to form. In the summer of 1941, the leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia called on the people to strengthen their resistance to the Germans. For these purposes, all means were “good”: propaganda, organized strikes in factories, mines, and construction work. In the fall of 1942, the first partisan detachments were created. In the winter of 1943, the leaders of the Czech Communist Party and a number of bourgeois underground committees created the National Council, and since the spring of 1944 they have been intensively preparing for a national uprising.

August 1944 – the beginning of the Slovak National Uprising. This resulted in the approach of Soviet troops to the non-military borders of Czechoslovakia, and then there were uprisings, strikes, and the liberation of cities and villages. Only on May 3 and 4, 1945, a partisan uprising engulfed the front-line areas of southern and central Bohemia. Semily, Zelezny Brod, Nova Paka were liberated - cities 100 kilometers away from Prague. Finally, on May 5, an uprising began in the capital.

Actions of Czechoslovakia's allies

At the same time, Soviet troops were moving towards Prague, attacking from three sides:

• Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Konev from Saxony;
• Units of the 2nd Ukrainian Front approached from Moravia, they were led by Marshal Rodion Malinovsky;
• Units of the 4th Ukrainian Front, commanded by Colonel General Andrei Eremenko, advanced from Silesia.

In April 1945, American troops won a series of victories in western Bohemia - they liberated Ash Chleb and Karlovy Vary, but their actions were suspended by their own command. It turns out that, by agreement of the leaders of the Big Three, the main role in the liberation operations of Czechoslovakia was assigned to the Red Army. US Army General Dwight Eisenhower also knew about this. In principle, he had nothing against it, unlike the Great Briton Winston Churchill, who argued that the USSR would “impose” a communist regime on the countries of Eastern Europe, hinting at the “case” of Yugoslavia. The Americans “slowly” moved east of the Czech Pilsen.

However, the Czechs had already heard that Soviet and American troops were approaching, and on May 5 they began an uprising in Prague, led by the National Council. By the morning of May 6, 1.5 thousand barricades had already been organized in the capital to resist the advance of German troops. Despite the clear superiority in technology and equipment, the Germans received rebuff after rebuff from the Czechs. However, the forces were unequal, and Prague turned to the Red Army with a call for help.

Three regiments of the division under the command of Major General S.K. Bunyachenko entered Prague and attacked German batteries. Almost at the same time, Soviet and Czechoslovak partisans captured Germans from the troops of a stubborn but strong enemy - Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner. General Konev subsequently noted that the “Schörner” fellows resisted to the last, obeying the orders only of their field marshal. On May 8, 1945, a preliminary protocol on the surrender of Germany was signed in the city of Reims (France). Envoys went to Schörner's headquarters to inform him. Schörner gave the order to withdraw troops to the west of Prague.

May. Victory. Joy

On May 9, early in the morning, Lieutenant Ivan Goncharenko entered the capital on a tank. Subsequently, he died and his team too, but it was from this moment that the Liberation of Prague from the fascist occupiers began. In fact, the Germans continued to resist for several days both in the capital and on its outskirts.

On the morning of May 12, near the village of Slivice, one of the last battles on the territory of Czechoslovakia ended. The remnants of the SS divisions retreating from Prague under the “leadership” of Count Karl Friedrich von Pückler-Burghaus, Head of the SS Office in Bohemia and Moravia, SS Obergruppenführer, were destroyed. Von Pückler wanted to discuss with the Americans the possibility of surrender to the United States, but was refused. He had no choice but to shoot himself in the temple.

The fighting in Czechoslovakia ended, the residents of Prague rejoiced and greeted the Red Army soldiers with delight. Soviet tanks drove through the streets of Prague and grateful Czechs threw fresh flowers at them. It was lilac!

It was May 1945 in Prague...Spring, hope for a Bright Future, general rejoicing!

Especially for Liliya-Travel.RU - Anna Lazareva

65 years ago, on May 9, 1945, the Red Army liberated the capital of Czechoslovakia, Prague. This happened after Germany announced its surrender on the night of May 8-9. The events in Prague were the last major battles of World War II in Europe. And they have been the subject of political speculation for many years.

The uprising against the Nazi occupiers began in the city on May 5, 1945. It was led by the Czech National Council (CNS), which included both USSR-oriented and pro-Western politicians. Part of the units of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA) of Andrei Vlasov, led by General Sergei Bunyachenko, went over to the side of the rebels.

Together with the Czechs, the Vlasovites managed to liberate a number of districts of the city. But the Germans put up fierce resistance both in the city itself and on the approaches to it. The fighting spread throughout Prague. The Americans, stationed about 40 kilometers to the West, could help the rebels. However, they complied with the agreements with the USSR, according to which Prague should be liberated by the Red Army. But she was forced to make her way to the Czech capital from Berlin.

Having learned that Prague would be liberated by the Red Army, on May 8 the Vlasovites hurried from the city to the West - to the Americans. The position of the rebels became more complicated, although it was clear that the defeat of the Germans was near. The CHNS agreed with the German command that the Germans would leave heavy weapons to the Czechs and in return would freely pass through the city to the West in order to surrender not to the USSR, but to the USA.

However, the Germans violated the agreements, starting to destroy civilians and burn houses. In addition, there was a threat of destruction of architectural monuments. Therefore, the Red Army, which broke into the city, had to wage real battles in Prague, and only in the evening the city was cleared of the invaders. Several hundred Red Army soldiers died in these battles. The Czechs greeted the liberators with flowers and lilac branches. Many masterpieces of cultural heritage, which Prague is still proud of today, were saved.

Until 1989, both Soviet and Czechoslovak science tried to hush up the fact that some Vlasov units, who had previously fought side by side with the Germans, came to the aid of the rebel Czechs. They say that traitors are traitors in everything and always.

But after socialism fell in the Czech Republic, they started talking about how the Vlasovites played the main role in the liberation of the city. And the Red Army, they say, entered the city at the moment when there were no more Germans left. Russian anti-communist historians wrote and are writing about the same thing. Again a political moment - now it was necessary to belittle the role of the “communist Red Army soldiers.”

In the 90s Czech authorities liked to say that the liberation of Prague was not like that at all. They say that the Nazi occupation was replaced by the Soviet one. Regrets were expressed that the Americans did not come to the city. Every now and then the question arose about the demolition of the monument to Marshal Ivan Konev, whose subordinates, in fact, liberated Prague. The last time this was discussed was in 2008.

However, taking into account the protests of Czech veterans and Russian official departments, the Czech authorities abandoned these plans. And President Vaclav Klaus has repeatedly said that the role of the Red Army cannot be forgotten. Despite the fact that the subsequent establishment of socialism in Czechoslovakia brought many problems to the country. The Czech leader once again showed respect for the Red Army soldiers by accepting the invitation to come to Moscow today to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Victory.

As you can see, passions about those days in the Czech Republic were running high. There is no agreement in Russia either, especially among historians. They still have different assessments of the role of the Vlasovites and the Red Army in the events of those days. An example of this is the comments given"Pravde.Ru"two historians of the Second World War - Kirill Alexandrov and Alexander Dyukov.

Kirill Alexandrov:

— There are a lot of prejudices about those events. There are still titled historians who are firmly convinced that the Germans sent a Vlasov division to suppress the Prague Uprising, whose withdrawal from the Czech capital was covered by SS troops.

From the very beginning of the uprising in Prague, the complete superiority of the German units over the rebels was evident. The Germans were armed with tanks and artillery, and they bombed Czech positions from the air. The rebels were armed with small arms.

The Vlasovites intervened in the events during the heaviest battles - on the night of May 6-7. They drew back the active forces of the garrison, occupied the airfield in Ruzyn after a stubborn battle and did not allow other Wehrmacht and SS units that were rushing there to enter Prague. Until the morning of May 8, Bunyachenko's division conducted active combat operations in the southern, southwestern quarters of the city and the adjacent central areas.

On May 8, 1945 at 4 p.m., the German commandant of Prague Rudolf Toussenne signed an act of surrender of the German Prague garrison and the cessation of fighting in the Czech capital with the Czech National Council. By 6 p.m., the firefight between the rebels and the Germans stopped, and the surrender of weapons began. By evening, Prague was completely controlled by the Resistance forces.

The first Soviet armored vehicles reached Prague at four o'clock in the morning on May 9. That is, 12 hours after the commandant of the German garrison signed the act of surrender. This fact makes any controversy surrounding the question of who liberated Prague pointless.

If by the word “liberation” we mean the suppression of the armed resistance of the fighting enemy and his disarmament, then no one liberated Prague. The Prague garrison laid down their arms before the Resistance forces and the rebels.

Objectively, the actions of the Vlasovites minimized the losses of the townspeople, which were already quite high - according to Czech historians, more than 1,600 residents of the Czech capital died on May 5-8. That is why many Czechs call Bunyachenko’s Vlasov division the saviors of Prague.

Alexander Dyukov:

— As for the liberation of Prague, the fact remains: it was liberated from the Nazis by the Soviet troops of Marshal Konev and, in particular, by the tank army of General Pavel Rybalko. Vlasovites took part in battles with the Nazis in the capital of Czechoslovakia. But let's remember when she started her uprising. By that time, Berlin had capitulated, and the Anti-Hitler Coalition, in fact, was finishing off the remnants of the Nazi troops who had not yet laid down their arms.

Some people today talk about the “noble impulse” of the Vlasovites who decided to help the Czechs. But this was just an excuse to try to earn leniency for being in the Nazi ranks. And the arguments that “they were anti-Nazis at heart” are not confirmed.

Among the collaborators who went to serve Hitler, there were many who did it forcedly in order to get out of the concentration camps. And those who were really opposed to the Nazis, in 1943-44. went over to the side of the forces of the Anti-Hitler coalition. The most famous case is the departure to the partisans in 1944 of the Vladimir Gil-Rodionov brigade, created by the Nazis from prisoners of war who wanted to fight against the Red Army.

In 1943 alone, 10 thousand former collaborators found themselves on the side of the Soviet troops and partisans. And such a massive transition of “fighters against communism” to the side of Soviet power was due to the fact that the Stalinist leadership did not consider them as serious opponents, as those who want to see in the collaborationists a “third force” or “an alternative to Soviet power” are trying to present it.

There is a very bad memory of the Vlasovites in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is no coincidence that when in 1946-47. The leadership of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was preparing raids on the territory of Czechoslovakia; it issued leaflets stating that UPA fighters should, during these raids, in every possible way promote the fact that they are not Vlasovites.

One of the reasons for the appearance of pseudo-historical works that whitewash the Vlasovites and make them heroes is the desire to put history at the service of politics and to denigrate those who really made the Victory. Including the liberation of Prague.

The last strategic operation of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War, during which the city of Prague was liberated.

Army Group Center, numbering up to a million people under the command of Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner, following Hitler’s orders, intended to defend in the Prague area and in the city itself, turning it into a “second Berlin.”

Progress of hostilities

The approach of Soviet and American troops intensified the Resistance movement in the Czech Republic. In April 1945, 120 partisan detachments were operating there, the total number of which did not exceed 7.5 thousand people. The activities of the partisans were defensive in nature, which was explained primarily by the lack of weapons and the lack of experienced personnel. In addition, the Czech partisan movement was fragmented and did not have a single leadership center. Communication between individual detachments and the Soviet command was sporadic or absent altogether. It was only at the end of April that the creation of the Czech National Council (CNC) was completed with difficulty. It consisted of heterogeneous political organizations, although communists played an important role in it. The CHNS was headed by A. Prazhak, a professor at the University of Prague. In domestic policy, this body was oriented toward “the broadest democracy,” and in foreign policy, toward “closest cooperation” with the USSR and “friendly relations” with Western allies. However, deep internal contradictions and weak connections with the leaders of the local Resistance reduced the leadership role of the CHNS.

The immediate start of an uprising against the Nazi occupiers was not included in the calculations of either the ChNS, the communists, or the illegal Central Council of Trade Unions. The uprising in Prague was prepared by former Czechoslovak military personnel led by General K. Kutjavashr, who acted independently of the ChNS. In early May, their leadership came into contact with the commander of the 1st division of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA), General S.K. Bunyachenko. Formed by the traitor to the Motherland, General A. A. Vlasov, from Soviet soldiers and officers captured by the Germans, this army moved west, intending to surrender to the Americans. At the moment when representatives of “Bartosh” (the Kutyavashra organization) arrived, the 1st Vlasov Division was located 50 km southwest of Prague. Bunyachenko and almost the entire command of the division, counting on political asylum in Czechoslovakia, agreed to an alliance with the Czechs in the fight against “Nazism and Bolshevism.” Vlasov himself did not believe in the success of the uprising, but gave the division commander complete freedom of action.

On May 1, the commander of the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front received an order no later than May 4 to transfer the line along the Elbe River to the 1st Belorussian Front, and transfer the released forces to the Prague direction. On the same day, the troops of the right wing and center of the 1st Ukrainian Front, operating in a 650-km zone from Potsdam to Levenberg (3rd and 5th Guards, 13th, 28th, 52nd combined arms, 3rd and 4th I Guards Tank Armies, 2nd Army of the Polish Army, 4th Guards, 25th and 1st Polish Tank Armies, 7th Guards Mechanized and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps), began regrouping southward and preparing for the offensive to Prague. The troops of the left wing (31st, 2nd, 59th armies) continued to occupy defenses on the line west of Levenberg, north of Krnov. The 6th Army (Lieutenant General V.A. Gluzdovsky) blocked the garrison of the Breslau fortress. The actions of the front ground forces were supported by the 2nd Air Army.

The 4th Ukrainian Front (60th, 38th, 1st Guards and 18th Armies, 31st Tank Corps), operating in a 220 km wide zone from Krnov to Vsetin, completed the Moravian-Ostrava operation. The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps was part of the 18th Army. The ground forces of the front were supported by the 8th Air Army (Lieutenant General of Aviation V.N. Zhdanov), which included the 1st Czechoslovak Mixed Aviation Division.

From Vsetin to Korneyburg, in a 350 km zone, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front (40, 53, 7th Guards, 46th Combined Arms, 6th Guards Tank Armies, 1st and 4th Romanian Armies, 1st Guards Cavalry Mechanized Group). His right wing advanced to Olomouc to meet the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front. The armies of the center and left wing temporarily went on the defensive. The 23rd Tank Corps was in front reserve. The ground forces of the front were supported by the 5th Air Army (Colonel General of Aviation S.K. Goryunov).

Thus, by the beginning of May, on a 1220-km front, as part of three Ukrainian fronts, there were 20 combined arms (including two Romanian and Polish), 3 tank and 3 air armies, a cavalry-mechanized group (consisting of a mechanized and two cavalry corps), 5 tank, mechanized and cavalry separate corps. The total number of Soviet troops involved in the Prague operation was 2 million 28 thousand people. It was armed with about 30.5 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, and 3 thousand aircraft. The Soviet troops outnumbered the enemy by more than 2 times, and in terms of the number of tanks the forces were equal. Our superiority in artillery and aviation was threefold. The favorable general military-political situation and favorable operational position allowed Soviet troops to quickly complete the task of defeating the opposing enemy group and completing the liberation of Czechoslovakia, which began in September 1944.

The idea of ​​the Prague operation was to encircle, dismember and quickly defeat the main forces of fascist German troops on the territory of Czechoslovakia by delivering several strikes in converging directions towards Prague, and to prevent their withdrawal to the west. The main attacks on the flanks of Army Group Center were carried out by troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front from the area northwest of Dresden and troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front from the area south of Brno. In accordance with this plan, the Supreme High Command Headquarters on May 1-2 gave the fronts the necessary orders to conduct an offensive operation. In addition, the 2nd Ukrainian Front was reinforced by the 9th Guards Army, which had previously been part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. She received the task of advancing in the general direction of Pilsen.

The preparation for the Prague operation was associated with major regroupings of troops on the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian fronts. The 1st Ukrainian Front completed them on May 6, but the 2nd Ukrainian Front did not have time to complete them completely. Meanwhile, the current situation in Czechoslovakia required the Soviet command to accelerate the start of the operation, originally scheduled for May 7.

On May 5, Prague spontaneously rebelled. Wanting to save their city from destruction, tens of thousands of its residents took to the streets. They not only erected hundreds of barricades, but also captured the central post office, telegraph, train stations, bridges over the Vltava, a number of military warehouses, disarmed several small units stationed in Prague, and established control over a significant part of the city. The CHNS tried to take over the leadership of the uprising. However, he still did not seek to coordinate his actions with the Soviet command and did not even establish contact with them. This Council, about which practically nothing was known, was trusted neither by the Soviet command, which saw in it a protege of the exile government based in London, nor by the Czechoslovak government, which operated in the liberated territory of the country.

The commander of Army Group Center, Field Marshal F. Scherner, ordered the suppression of the uprising, which cut off the main escape route for his troops to the west. On May 6, German troops, using tanks, artillery and aircraft against the rebels, entered Prague and captured a significant part of the city. The rebels, having suffered heavy losses, radioed to the Allies for help. In this regard, Marshal I. S. Konev gave the order to the troops of his strike group to begin an offensive on the morning of May 6.

Finding themselves in a hopeless situation and not knowing whether military help would soon come from the allies, the ChNS, to which the Bartosh command was now subordinate, turned to the Vlasovites for help. On May 6, Bunyachenko's division entered Prague. The Vlasovites went into battle against their yesterday’s allies under the slogans: “Death to Hitler!”, “Death to Stalin!”

By evening they captured the western part of the city, knocking out the Germans from there. The next day, units of the division crossed to the right bank of the Vltava River and cut the enemy troops into two parts.

There was no unity in the leadership of the uprising towards the new allies. The ChNS, after some hesitation and under pressure from the communists, refused further negotiations with the Vlasovites and their help, realizing that such an alliance could be negatively perceived by the Soviet side. Representatives of the ChNS who arrived at Bunyachenko’s headquarters brought a letter of gratitude to General Vlasov for the assistance provided and informed the Council’s decision to refuse the services of his army.

Bunyachenko was ready to act against the Germans and separately from the ChNS. Now he asked the Czechs to broadcast his memorandum on the radio, explaining why he ended up in the ROA, why he came to the aid of Prague and will now continue to fight against the Nazis. Representatives of the ChNS refused to comply with this demand. Realizing that the Americans were not going to attack Prague, but that Red Army troops would enter it, Bunyachenko’s division began to leave the fighting city on the evening of May 7, now going west to the Americans. The Vlasovites did not heed the requests of the rebels to leave them weapons. Some of the division's fighters remained in Prague and continued the fight. Undoubtedly, among the Vlasovites there were people who sincerely wanted to fight the Nazis and thereby earn the forgiveness of their Motherland. In total, according to some sources, about 300 Vlasovites died in the battles for the city. With the departure of the Vlasov division from Prague, the Germans again became masters of the situation in it.

The 1st Ukrainian Front attacked Prague from the north through the Ore Mountains. Early in the morning of May 6, reconnaissance established that the enemy did not have time to create a continuous defense. In the afternoon, after a short but powerful artillery preparation, the troops of the 13th and 3rd Guards Armies, operating in their zones, the 25th and 4th Guards Tank Corps, as well as formations of the 3rd and 4th, went on the offensive. guards tank armies. By evening, the 5th Guards Army also joined the offensive. The simultaneous deployment of combined arms and tank armies in the same zones is the main distinguishing feature of the Prague offensive operation. “This immediately ensured the maximum power of the strike, the rapid destruction of the enemy’s defenses and further movement forward without the usual expenditure of time required to introduce tanks into a breakthrough,” wrote Marshal I. S. Konev. The most successful was the offensive of the 4th Guards Tank and 13th armies, whose troops advanced 23 km by the end of the day, having completed the task of the first day of the operation. This success was achieved despite heavy rains, which made driving on the sodden roads difficult. On this day, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front completed the liquidation of a more than 40,000-strong group of Nazi troops in Breslau. Recognizing the futility of further resistance, she capitulated.

The attack force's advance continued at an increasing pace. On May 7, the 4th Guards Tank and 13th Armies advanced another 45 km and reached the northern slopes of the Ore Mountains. The 3rd Guards Army captured the city of Meissen, and the troops of the 3rd Guards Tank and 5th Guards Combined Arms Armies began fighting for Dresden. On this day, the offensive of the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front unfolded in a zone of more than 400 km. On May 7, the 2nd Ukrainian Front also launched an attack on Prague. His 7th Guards Army immediately broke enemy resistance and advanced to a depth of 12 km within a day. Using its success, the commander of the front forces the next day brought the 6th Guards Tank Army into battle, which rushed to the capital of Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, the situation of the rebels in Prague seriously deteriorated. German troops advanced towards the city center. At the slightest suspicion, they mercilessly dealt with the residents. The rebels had an acute shortage of weapons and ammunition. Among some of the rebels, capitulatory sentiments began to appear; many officers of the former Czechoslovak army left the barricades.

On the afternoon of May 7, the commander of Army Group Center received by radio an order from Field Marshal W. Keitel about the surrender of German troops on all fronts, but did not convey it to his subordinates. On the contrary, he gave his order to the troops, in which he stated that rumors of surrender were false, they were being spread by Anglo-American and Soviet propaganda. Scherner assured the troops that “the war against the Soviet Union will continue.”

May 7th was the most difficult day for the rebels in Prague. American officers arrived at the headquarters of General Kutyavashr, who reported the surrender of Germany and advised an end to the fighting in Prague. At night it became known that the head of the garrison of German troops in Prague, General R. Toussaint, was ready to enter into negotiations with the leadership of the rebels on surrender. They began at 10 a.m. on May 8 in the building where the ChNS was located. At 16:00 the act of surrender of the German garrison was signed. Under its terms, German troops received the right of free retreat to the west, leaving heavy weapons at the exit from the city. Agreeing with such conditions, which bore little resemblance to capitulation, the leaders of the rebels simply sought to quickly get rid of the occupiers.

May 8 and 9 were the decisive days of the Soviet offensive on Prague. On May 8, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front captured the city of Olomouc and launched an attack on Prague. By the end of May 8, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front advanced to a depth of 40 km, broke enemy resistance at the passes through the Ore Mountains and entered the territory of Czechoslovakia. The forward detachments of the tank armies were located 70-80 km from Prague. Tankers of the 4th Guards Tank Army destroyed the headquarters of Field Marshal Scherner, who was heading to Karlovy Vary, where the Americans were already located. The control of the troops of Army Group Center was disrupted.

By the end of May 8, the troops of the 5th Guards Army had completely captured Dresden. In its vicinity, Soviet soldiers discovered and rescued the most valuable works of world art from the famous Dresden Art Gallery hidden by the Nazis in caves. The troops of the center and left wing of the front began to pursue the enemy, who began a general retreat throughout the entire offensive zone of these armies. The 2nd Army of the Polish Army occupied the city of Bautzen, and the 52nd Army occupied Görlitz. On the same day, the Czech cities of Teplice, Bilica, Most and others were liberated. The 2nd Air Army provided effective assistance to the ground forces: during that day alone, its pilots flew 2.8 thousand sorties.

The population of Czechoslovakia greeted the Soviet liberator soldiers with great joy. Residents of many settlements greeted them with red banners and flowers, just as they invited dear guests into their homes. Toasts were distributed everywhere in Czech and Russian in honor of the great Soviet Union and its army. On the evening of May 8, the Nazi troops received an appeal from the Soviet command demanding their unconditional surrender and were asked to lay down their arms by 11 p.m. However, the command of Army Group Center did not even respond to the appeal. As the prisoners later testified, although on that day the German troops were announced about Germany’s surrender, they immediately pointed out the need to speed up the retreat to the west in order to surrender to the Americans. An officer of the German General Staff, Colonel Mayer-Detring, arrived at the headquarters of Army Group Center and explained the “surrender order” to Scherner: “... continue the fight against the Soviet troops as long as possible, because only under this condition will numerous parts of the German army be able to gain time in order to get through to the west."

On the night of May 9, the 4th and 3rd Guards Tank Armies made an 80-km throw, and at dawn their advanced units entered Prague, followed by the advanced units of the 3rd Guards and 13th Armies on the morning of May 9 . On the same day, at 10 o'clock in the morning, the advanced units of the front mobile group of the 4th Ukrainian Front entered the capital of Czechoslovakia from the east - the 302nd Infantry Division (Colonel A. Ya. Klimenko) in vehicles, the 1st Czechoslovak Tank Brigade of 60 1st Army of Colonel General P. A. Kurochkin and the advance detachment of the mobile group of the 38 Army of Colonel General K. S. Moskalenko.

At 13:00, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front entered Prague from the south: the 6th Guards Tank Army and the infantry of the 24th Rifle Corps mounted on vehicles. Later, the 7th Mechanized Corps (Major General F. G. Katkov) from the cavalry mechanized group of General Pliev reached Prague. The actions of the ground forces of this front were supported not only by its own 5th Air Army, but also by part of the forces of the 17th Air Army (Colonel General of Aviation V.A. Sudets) of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.

With the active support of the population and rebel fighting squads, Soviet troops cleared Prague of the Nazis on May 9. The routes for the possible withdrawal of the main forces of Army Group Center to the west and southwest with the capture of Prague by Soviet troops were cut off. Only a few German divisions, located on the flanks of the group and cut off from its main forces, were outside the encirclement. On May 10, the Supreme Command Headquarters ordered the fronts to develop an offensive to the west to connect with the allies. On the same day, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front came into contact with the Americans on the Chemnitz-Rokytsani line. On May 11, Soviet units occupied the ledge south of Rokycany. The left flank formations of the 2nd Ukrainian Front reached the Ceske Budejovice area, where they also met with the allied forces. The main forces of Army Group Center found themselves in a “pocket” east of Prague.

On May 10-11 they capitulated and were captured by Soviet troops. This was the end of the last major Nazi group. Field Marshal Scherner, abandoning his subordinate troops to the mercy of fate, on the eve of their surrender, fled by plane from the “cauldron”, intending to move to the location of the Allied forces. However, the field marshal was unlucky: on the way to Southern Germany, his plane made an emergency landing. Scherner tried to escape, but was identified and detained by the Germans themselves, and then handed over to the Americans.

During the Prague operation, about 860 thousand enemy soldiers and officers and 35 generals were captured, 9.5 thousand guns and mortars, 1.8 thousand tanks and assault guns, 1.1 thousand aircraft, as well as a large number of other weapons and military equipment.

The line of contact between the Soviet troops and the Americans was finally established by the end of May 11 along the line of Chemnitz, Karlovy Vary, Pilsen, Ceske Budejovice and further south to the Austrian border (all settlements except Pilsen were in the Soviet zone). Moving to the Klatovy area (40 km south of Pilsen), reconnaissance officers of the 25th Tank Corps established that Bunyachenko’s division was retreating to the west, with which Vlasov was located. To capture the traitor, the corps commander, General E. I. Fominykh, allocated a group of reconnaissance officers led by Captain M. I. Yakushev. On May 12, they completed their task, capturing Vlasov. An American passport in his name, an old party card and a copy of his order to the troops to lay down their arms and surrender to the Red Army were found on him. Bunyachenko's division, which approached the line occupied by the Americans, was not allowed into its zone by the Allied command. Its commander, having learned about this, tore off the shoulder straps of the German major general and disbanded the division. Some soldiers and officers, after this order was conveyed to them, immediately shot themselves, others sat down indifferently on the side of the road, and still others headed east, towards the Soviet troops. On May 13-14, in the area of ​​​​the city of Pilsen, up to 20 thousand Vlasovites surrendered to Soviet troops. Vlasov himself and other leaders of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA) were awaiting trial in Moscow.

Losses

The losses of Soviet troops during the Prague operation amounted to about 50 thousand people (including over 11 thousand irretrievable losses), over 370 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1 thousand guns and mortars, 80 aircraft. In addition, Polish troops lost about 1 thousand people, Romanian troops - over 1.7 thousand and Czechoslovak troops - over 500 people. In total, more than 140 thousand Soviet soldiers died in the battles for the liberation of Czechoslovakia. The Prague operation was another clear evidence of the high military skill of Soviet military leaders and the combat skill of the Red Army soldiers. For the courage and heroism shown during the operation, many soldiers received orders and medals, and the most distinguished were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. About 260 units and formations were awarded orders, and more than 50 were given honorary titles.

• Personnel
• 11,997 non-refundable
• 40,501 wounded and sick
• Total 52,498
• Material losses
• 373 tanks and self-propelled guns
• 1,006 artillery installations
• 80 aircraft

German losses

Surrender of Army Group Center, almost all personnel were killed, wounded or capitulated (~850,000 people).

Bottom line

To commemorate the victory, the medal “For the Liberation of Prague” was established, which was awarded to 390 thousand people, including more than 40 thousand citizens of Czechoslovakia. After the liberation of Czechoslovakia, numerous monuments were erected as a sign of gratitude to the soldiers who died for its freedom and independence. Streets and squares in different cities and villages are named after Soviet soldiers. One of the squares in Prague, where a Soviet tank was installed in memory of those unforgettable days, is called the Square of Soviet Tankmen. The day of the entry of Soviet troops into Prague - May 9 - became the national holiday of the peoples of Czechoslovakia - Liberation Day.

The last strategic operation carried out by the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War was the Prague offensive operation (May 5-12, 1945), during which the capital of Czechoslovakia, the ancient city of Prague, was liberated and the last major Wehrmacht grouping, Army Group Center, was defeated. .

After the defeat of the enemy in the Berlin direction and the surrender of the Berlin garrison on May 2, the only Wehrmacht force that could still resist the Red Army was Army Group Center (commander Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner) in Czechoslovakia and part of Army Group Austria (commander Lothar Rendulic). Schörner, after the encirclement of Berlin, received orders from Hitler to withdraw troops to the area of ​​​​the capital of Czechoslovakia and turn Prague into a “second Berlin”. Rendulic also refused to capitulate and withdrew his troops to the west. Schörner had up to a million people, about 10 thousand guns, about 1900 tanks and 1000 aircraft.

Units of the 2nd Ukrainian Front (Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky), 4th Ukrainian Front (Army General A.I. Eremenko) fought against this group; they, having completed the liberation of Slovakia, liberated the territory of the Czech Republic. From the north there were units of the 1st Ukrainian Front, most of its troops were in the Berlin area at the beginning of May, the remaining units occupied defense on a front 400 km in the foothills of the Ore Mountains and the Sudetenland. The 3rd American Army (General D. Patton) was moving from the west to the border of the Czech Republic; it had the task of occupying the Ceske-Budejovice, Pilsen, and Karlovy Vary line, previously agreed upon with the Soviet command.

Start of operation in Czechoslovakia

As Germany was defeated in Czechoslovakia, local resistance, previously quite invisible, intensified. In April, approximately 120 partisan detachments were already operating, although their total number was small - 7.5 thousand people. There was no single leadership center, no constant communication with the Soviet command, the activities were of a defensive nature. At the end of April, they were able to create the Czech National Council (CNC), it consisted of representatives of different political forces, and was headed by a professor at the University of Prague A. Prazhak. The ChNS was not going to immediately start an uprising, since there were no serious forces for this.

But on May 5, a popular uprising began in Prague; it was prepared by former soldiers of the Czechoslovak army, led by General K. Kutyavashr (Bartos organization). At the beginning of May, they came into contact with the Russian Liberation Army (ROA), with the commander of the 1st division, General S.K. Bunyachenko. The ROA went west, hoping to surrender to the Americans. Bunyachenko and his commanders hoped for political asylum in Czechoslovakia and on the 4th agreed to support the uprising. Vlasov did not believe in success, but did not interfere. But already on the night of the 8th, most of the Vlasovites began to leave Prague, without receiving guarantees regarding their allied status. Schörner was forced to withdraw troops to Prague to suppress the uprising.

Soviet forces, operation plan

On May 1, I. S. Konev received an order to transfer the line along the Elbe River to the 1st Belorussian Front by May 4, and transfer the released forces to the Prague direction. The regrouping of forces and preparations for the strike began. The front was supported from the air by the 2nd Air Army, the 6th Army (Lieutenant General V.A. Gluzdovsky) surrounded the Breslau garrison. He was supported by the 4th Ukrainian and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts.

By the beginning of the operation, the 3 Ukrainian fronts had: 20 combined arms armies (including two Romanian and one Polish army), 3 tank armies and 3 air armies, one cavalry-mechanized group, 5 tank, 1st mechanized and one cavalry separate corps . Their total number was more than 2 million people with approximately 30.5 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 3 thousand aircraft. Our forces outnumbered the enemy almost twice in manpower, in aviation and artillery by three, and in armored vehicles the forces were almost equal.

They planned to carry out several attacks on the enemy’s flanks, the main attacks were carried out by the 1st Ukrainian, it struck from the area northwest of Dresden, and the 2nd Ukrainian, it struck from the area south of Brno. The Wehrmacht forces wanted to dismember, encircle and defeat.

Progress of the operation

The strike was planned for the 7th, but events in Prague forced the strike earlier, without completing the regrouping of forces. The rebels were able to capture most of the city, capturing rocks with weapons, disarming several small enemy units. The Field Marshal ordered the suppression of the uprising, since the rebels were blocking the escape route to the west. On the 6th, the Wehrmacht captured most of the city, using artillery, aviation and tanks; on the same day, Bunyachenko’s division came out on the side of the Czechs. Russian ROA soldiers drove the Wehrmacht out of the western part of the city. On the 7th, ROA units crossed the Vltava River and cut the Wehrmacht positions into two parts. But the ChNS, after some hesitation, thanked the Vlasovites and refused help. Bunyachenko was ready to stay if the Czechs at least broadcast a message on the radio about the reasons for joining the Wehrmacht units, about their actions at the present time, about their readiness to continue to fight the Nazis, but the Czechs refused. In the evening of the 7th, parts of the ROA began to retreat to the west, only some of the fighters remained with the Czechs. After the departure of the ROA division, the Wehrmacht again became the master of the situation in the city.

Therefore, Marshal Konev gave the order to march on the morning of the 6th. The 13th and 3rd Guards Armies, together with the 25th and 4th Guards Tank Corps, as well as units of the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies, advanced through the Ore Mountains. By evening, the 5th Guards Army also joined them. This was a feature of the Prague offensive operation - the simultaneous introduction of combined arms and tank armies into the offensive zone. On the same day, the German group in Breslau capitulated. On May 7, the most successfully attacking 4th Guards Tank and 13th Armies reached the northern slopes of the mountains, units of the 3rd Guards Tank and 5th Guards Combined Arms Armies began fighting for Dresden.

On May 7, the 4th Ukrainian Front also struck, the 7th Guards Army immediately broke through the enemy’s defenses, and on the 8th, the 6th Guards Tank Army, which was advancing on Prague, entered the breakthrough.

The situation of the rebels in Prague worsened, the Wehrmacht mercilessly suppressed resistance, advanced to the city center, and some of the rebels panicked and abandoned their defensive structures. The rebels also experienced a shortage of ammunition. On the afternoon of May 7, Schörner received Keitel’s order to surrender, but did not convey it to the troops; on the contrary, he ordered the resistance to be tightened. On the same day, American officers arrived at the rebel headquarters. They reported Germany's surrender and advised stopping the battle in Prague. Negotiations began with the head of the German garrison, R. Toussaint, who agreed to surrender heavy weapons upon leaving the city if the Germans were not prevented from withdrawing their troops.

On the 8th, units of the 4th Ukrainian Front captured the city of Olomouc and began an attack on Prague; The 1st Ukrainian entered the territory of Czechoslovakia, units of the 4th Guards Tank Army destroyed Schörner's headquarters, depriving Army Group Center of coordination. By the end of May 8, the 5th Guards Army captured Dresden, and several more cities were liberated on the same day.

The Czechs greeted Soviet soldiers with joy, many decorated houses and squares with red banners, invited them to their homes, gave flowers, and expressed their joy in every possible way.

On the evening of the 8th, the Soviet command offered the Wehrmacht to capitulate, but there was no answer. The Germans wanted to surrender to the Americans and accelerated their retreat. On the night of the 9th, Soviet tank units (4th and 3rd Guards Tank Armies) made a 90-km throw, and in the morning the first tanks entered Prague. They were followed by other units that entered the city - the 302nd Infantry Division (Colonel A. Ya. Klimenko) in vehicles, the 1st Czechoslovak Tank Brigade from the 60th Army and the advance detachment of the mobile group of the 38th Army under Colonel General K. S. Moskalenko. At lunchtime, units of the 2nd Ukrainian Front entered the city from the south: the 6th Guards Tank Army and the infantry of the 24th Rifle Corps, mounted on vehicles, and later the 7th Mechanized Corps. With the support of Prague residents, Soviet units “cleared” the city of the Nazis. Army Group Center's retreat routes to the west and south were cut off, only a few divisions were outside the encirclement, and most of the German forces found themselves in a "cauldron" east of Prague. On the 10th our units met with the Americans, on May 10-11 the Germans capitulated, thus ending the war as the last strong group of the Wehrmacht. The shooting continued in the vicinity of Prague until the 12th.

Results

Approximately 860 thousand people were captured, about 40 thousand died in battle and were wounded. A large amount of equipment and weapons were captured: 9.5 thousand guns and mortars, 1.8 thousand tanks and assault guns, and so on. Our losses: approximately 12 thousand killed and missing, about 40 thousand wounded and sick. During the liberation of the city itself, about a thousand Red Army soldiers died.

In total, for the liberation of all of Czechoslovakia, the Red Army paid a “price” of 140 thousand soldiers killed.

The Prague offensive operation once again demonstrated to the whole world the high skill of the Red Army and its commanders; in the shortest possible time the defense was broken, significant enemy forces were surrounded and captured. A victory point was reached in the Great Patriotic War. The medal “For the Liberation of Prague” was awarded to 390 thousand people.

The Americans did not allow the Vlasovites into their zone; some of them, upon learning about this, shot themselves. Most surrendered to Soviet units. Vlasov and other leaders of the ROA were awaiting trial in Moscow.

Sources:
For the liberation of Czechoslovakia, M., 1965.
Konev I. S. Notes of the front commander. 1943-1945. M., 1982.
Konev I. S. Forty-fifth. M., 1970.
Pliev I. A. On the roads of war. M., 1985.