Steiner's Attack: A Downfall Of Hope & Delusion - History Uncovered
Did a single military decision, or rather, the lack of one, truly seal the fate of Berlin and, by extension, the Third Reich? The historical non-event of Steiner's attack, a desperate gambit conceived in the Fhrerbunker, represents a turning point, a stark illustration of the chasm between reality and delusion that consumed the Nazi regime in its final days.
The narrative surrounding Army Detachment Steiner, and its commander, SS-Obergruppenfhrer Felix Steiner, offers a compelling case study in leadership, the pressures of wartime, and the ultimate consequences of strategic miscalculations. Its a story of orders issued, defiance enacted, and the chilling realization that sometimes, even the most fervent belief cannot overcome the brutal realities of war. In the desperate spring of 1945, as the Red Army tightened its grip on Berlin, Hitler, clinging to the vestiges of hope, pinned his aspirations on a counteroffensive that was, from the outset, a phantom in the making.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Felix Martin Steiner |
| Date of Birth | May 23, 1896 |
| Place of Birth | Stallupnen, East Prussia |
| Date of Death | May 12, 1966 |
| Place of Death | Munich, West Germany |
| Military Rank | SS-Obergruppenfhrer and General of the Waffen-SS |
| Years of Service | 1914-1945 |
| Commands Held | 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking", III SS Panzer Corps, Army Detachment Steiner |
| Notable Actions | Served on the Eastern Front; Led the counterattack during the Ardennes Offensive; Commander during the Battle of Berlin. |
| Awards and Decorations | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
| Controversies | Allegations of war crimes, potential involvement in the planning of the Battle of Berlin |
| Primary Conflicts | World War I, World War II |
| Reference Website | Encyclopaedia Britannica |
The situation in Berlin during April 1945 was dire. Soviet forces were relentlessly closing in, their artillery shelling the city, and their infantry clearing the rubble-strewn streets. Inside the Fhrerbunker, a sense of impending doom was palpable. Hitler, however, refused to accept defeat. His mind, clouded by ideological fanaticism and fueled by denial, sought a solution, a means to stave off the inevitable. That solution, in his mind, was a counterattack led by Steiner, a seasoned SS commander known for his leadership on the Eastern Front. On the evening of April 21st, the order was delivered: Steiner's army detachment was to strike the northern flank of the salient created by the 1st Belorussian Front's breakout, a pincer attack intended to relieve the pressure on the capital. The stakes were impossibly high; the order was delivered with the implied threat of execution should the attack fail.
However, the reality on the ground bore little resemblance to Hitler's idealized vision. By this stage of the war, the majority of Steiners troops were a far cry from the Wehrmacht of the earlier years. What existed on paper, three divisions and a Panzer Corps, was a shadow of the military might that had once swept across Europe. Many of the units were understrength, lacking in equipment, and composed of inexperienced soldiers and hastily assembled Volkssturm units. The army detachment was in fact a gathering of disparate, often demoralized troops, scarcely capable of mounting a sustained offensive against a well-equipped and numerically superior enemy.
The order to attack reached Steiner late on April 21st, delivered from the Fhrerbunker itself. He was justifiably shocked. He knew the situation, he understood the realities of the battlefield, and he recognized the futility of the task assigned to him. He was being asked to orchestrate a counterattack with forces that were simply not up to the challenge. His staff informed Hitler of Steiners inaction. The Fhrer, refusing to accept the obvious, dispatched Gotthard Heinrici and Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel to force Steiner to comply. Their attempts were unsuccessful. The wheels of the Nazi war machine were visibly beginning to fall apart.
Steiners reluctance to launch the attack, and his subsequent defiance, stemmed from a realistic assessment of the military situation. As commander of the III SS Panzer Corps, he was acutely aware of the dwindling resources and the overwhelming strength of the Soviet forces. Launching an attack under those circumstances would have been a suicide mission, resulting in the needless loss of life with no prospect of achieving the strategic goals that Hitler envisioned. In the end, Steiner's strategic understanding, combined with the impossible task he was assigned, formed the foundation for a decision with lasting consequences.
The planned Steiners attack was supposed to coincide with General Theodor Busse's Ninth Army attacking from the south in a pincer movement. Such an offensive, even if it had been executed by a fully equipped and well-supplied force, would have faced a formidable enemy, dug in and prepared for defense. The Red Army had overwhelming superiority in artillery and air support. The skies of eastern Germany were ruled by the VVS (Soviet Air Force), and the artillery support was timely and devastating. The chances of success were, at best, miniscule, and in practice the attack was a non-starter.
The historical account of the events surrounding the Battle of Berlin is marked by dramatic contradictions. The conference on the 22nd of April, where Hitler was informed that Steiner would not attack, did take place, as the famous film "Downfall" dramatically portrays. In the film, Hitlers reaction to the news is a descent into fury, a volcanic eruption of rage and despair. He recognized that the failure of the attack signified the imminent fall of Berlin and, consequently, the end of the Third Reich. In the dimly lit halls of the Fhrerbunker, the scene became an execution chamber of sorts for the hopes and dreams of the Nazi regime.
This decision of Steiner not to execute the attack, as ordered, remains a controversial and fascinating aspect of the final days of the war. On April 27, 1945, Steiner was relieved of his duties, but his actions had already sealed a course of history. The importance of his decision is hard to overstate. Without the counterattack, Berlin was undoubtedly lost, and the war ended soon thereafter. While some historians argue that a successful attack might have prolonged the fighting, it is far more likely that such an offensive would have resulted in even greater casualties on both sides without altering the eventual outcome.
The events of April 1945 serve as a critical reminder of the human cost of war and the impact of leadership decisions. In the desperation of the final days, the failure of Steiner's attack offers a glimpse into the breakdown of the Nazi regime and the agonizing choices faced by individuals caught in the vortex of a catastrophic conflict. The incident showcases the chasm between delusional visions and the brutal reality of the battlefield. The incident underscores the importance of realistic assessments, strategic thinking, and the consequences of clinging to illusions in the face of overwhelming odds.
It is crucial to remember that Hitlers insistence on Steiner's attack was an act of pure fantasy. By April 21, he was calling the ragtag units under Steiner's command Army Detachment Steiner. He ordered Steiner to attack the northern flank of the huge salient created by the 1st Belorussian Fronts breakout. Simultaneously, the Ninth Army was to attack from the south. This operation, however, was doomed from the start. Steiner's attack, if it had materialized, would have been met by entrenched Soviet forces, and the Ninth Army was in no position to launch a successful offensive. The result of these orders was nothing more than a historical footnote.
In a desperate gamble to alter the course of the war, Hitler pinned his final hopes on a counteroffensive led by Steiner. Steiners decision to refuse Hitlers order can be attributed to several reasons, and his refusal has become a subject of debate. While the exact details of Steiners motivation are debated, his decision stands as a pivotal moment in the final days of the war. The consequences of his defiance highlight the complex interplay of military strategy, political pressures, and human factors that ultimately determined the outcome of the war.
The story of Army Detachment Steiner, and the refusal to attack, is a testament to the complexities of war and the immense responsibility that comes with command. It is a story that resonates with the broader themes of leadership, courage, and the inevitable collision of dreams and reality. The episode provides a powerful insight into the collapse of the Third Reich, a period in history when delusion and denial clashed head-on with the relentless advance of the allied forces.
By April 21, 1945, Adolf Hitler, ignoring the facts, started to call the ragtag units that came under Steiners command Army Detachment Steiner. He ordered Steiner to attack the northern flank of the huge salient created by the 1st Belorussian Fronts breakout, but the offensive never materialized. Steiners decision to defy Hitlers orders reveals a leader who understood the military realities of the time and was not afraid to prioritize the lives of his men over the futile goals of a crumbling regime. His defiance underscores the importance of critical thinking and the courage to make the difficult choices in times of crisis, a reminder of the human capacity to rise above the madness of war, even at its very end.
The incident of April 22 is mentioned in several texts, but surprisingly, the important eyewitnesses for many events shown in the movie, "Downfall", were very few. It is an intriguing episode for military historians, it offers a window into the last, desperate days of the Third Reich, and shows the collapse of the war machine from within.
