The Soviet Vienna Operation began on 16 March 1945 when the assault armies of 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts succeeded in penetrating the Axis defense between Esztergom and Lake Balaton. It ended less than a month later, on 13 April 1945, when all its objectives were achieved, and Vienna was taken.
The defeat at Vienna inflicted a mortal blow on the Nazi economy – the Third Reich lost its important economic regions in Hungary and Eastern Austria that were still largely untouched by the war.
Finally, the victory at Vienna allowed Stalin to solidify his presence in Central and Eastern Europe and legitimize his absolute dominance over the region. The Western Allies and the small democratic countries of Western Europe were forced to realize that the Red Army wouldn’t fall back and return to its homeland, but would stay and erect an iron curtain behind which communist regimes would be installed. Thus, the Soviet Empire expanded to the west, and Europe was divided for the next 45 years.
Penned by a leading Bulgarian researcher, the book provides an expert analysis of this battle. A considerable number of German and Soviet wartime documents were accessed, and this allowed the author to tell the story from the perspective of both sides. It also contains many never-before-published photographs.
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“This book is a highly fascinating look at one segment of the final spring of World War II, a segment with more lasting significance than I for one had previously considered. The author uses a very fluid, easily read manner in writing, making the complexities of this campaign easy to grasp and understand. Not that easy, given the scope of this book, but in fact done very well by the author.” (AMPS) Read the full review
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“The author highlights the military, economic and political reasoning behind the Red Army’s attack strategy, along with Germany’s attempts to recapture territory… First-hand accounts from soldiers on both sides are augmented by stunning photographs… Nevenkin’s book is definitely worth a look, whether your interest is in history, photography or modelling.” (Key Model World) Read the full review
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“…an interesting combination of a military history book and a pictorial history, with plenty of reading in between numerous often page-sized photos.” (Britmodeller) Read the full review
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“Not just the history of the events being covered, but I think the modeller will find this one of the best mixes of equipment illustrated in one book, all used in the same area at the same time. The detail of so many vehicles and plenty of photos that I think could provide inspiration for enough dioramas to keep you busy for several years.” (Military Model Scene) Read the full review