[muawiyah]

Berlin was an enormous city. The Deutschlanders said they were prepared to defend it to the death on the ground.

I think they were, and tried to. Glad to see the Russians belly up to the bar on that one ~ means a lot of American boys grew up with fathers FUR SHUR.

[Yasotay]

I was stationed in Berlin for three years and studied the battle extensively. The battle inside (except for some pockets like the Reichstag) of Berlin was a "Mopping Up" exercise. The actual "Battle for Berlin" was decided long before the Soviet Offensive on the 16th of April.

[Axenolith]

Some of the German high command held out hope that the allies would beat the Russians there, see the threat of communism and take the conquored armies under their command to continue to fight the Russians...

[dfwgator]

The Deutschlanders said they were prepared to defend it to the death on the ground.

Against the Russians, that is (and judging on the behavior of the Russian soldiers, can't say I would have blamed them). Had it been the Americans or British, it would have been an entirely different story. They would have surrendered in droves.