Steiner's Attack: Hitler's Last Hope In Berlin - What If?
Could a single, improbable counterattack have altered the course of World War II, potentially saving Berlin and delaying the inevitable Allied victory? The story of Army Detachment Steiner, and the desperate orders issued from a crumbling bunker, offers a stark illustration of the chasm between reality and delusion in the final days of the Third Reich.
By April 21, 1945, the situation in Berlin was dire. Soviet forces were closing in, the city was under siege, and the Third Reich was teetering on the brink of collapse. Yet, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Adolf Hitler clung to the increasingly fantastical hope of a military turnaround. Ignoring the stark reality, he pinned his hopes on a ragtag collection of units under the command of General Felix Steiner, which was hastily designated as Army Detachment Steiner.
Hitler's orders were nothing short of audacious. Steiner was to launch a counterattack against the northern flank of the massive salient created by the 1st Belorussian Front's breakout. The success of this offensive, according to Hitler's warped strategic vision, would not only obliterate the Red Army at the Oder River but also push them back to the Vistula, allowing the Germans to retake the Balkans and steamroll France. This, in turn, would pave the way for a full-scale invasion of the USSR, culminating in the capture of Moscow and Soviet capitulation. It was a plan born not of strategic acumen, but of desperate wishful thinking.
Steiner's attack was designed to coincide with General Theodor Busse's Ninth Army, which was intended to attack from the south in a pincer movement. The orders to Steiner came directly from the Fhrerbunker late on April 21, with threats of execution hanging over Steiner and his staff if they failed to comply. The gap between Hitler's delusional expectations and the actual situation on the ground was immense. When Steiner received the attack order, the shock he felt was palpable. He was facing the impossible.
Further compounding the already improbable scenario, Hitler, ensconced in his bunker, issued further orders to General Walther Wenck's 12th Army, instructing them to join forces with the Ninth Army and deliver a final blow to the Soviets. The potential outcome of such a maneuver, had it somehow materialized, would have been catastrophic, not for the Allies but for the remaining German forces.
On that Sunday, April 22nd, Hitler met with his remaining generals and SS chief Heinrich Himmler. He was informed that Steiner had refused to carry out his orders, primarily because he simply did not have the men or the resources that Hitler believed he did. This revelation sparked one of Hitler's infamous tirades, a clear demonstration of the disconnect from reality. Later, Steiner was relieved of his duties on April 27th, a testament to the failure of the operation.
The story of Army Detachment Steiner is a microcosm of the final days of the war, highlighting the desperation and delusion that consumed the Nazi leadership. The attack that never was, and the imagined triumph that never would be, serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of leadership and the consequences of ignoring reality.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Felix Martin Julius Steiner |
| Born | May 23, 1896, Stallupnen, East Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | May 12, 1966 (aged 69), Munich, West Germany |
| Allegiance | German Empire (1914-1918), Weimar Republic (1919-1933), Nazi Germany (1933-1945) |
| Service/Branch | German Army (Wehrmacht) |
| Years of Service | 19141945 |
| Rank | SS-Obergruppenfhrer und General der Waffen-SS |
| Commands Held | SS Division Wiking, III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps, Army Detachment Steiner |
| Battles/Wars | World War I, World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
| Notable for | Commanding Army Detachment Steiner during the Battle of Berlin |
| Controversies | Accused of war crimes related to his service in the Waffen-SS, though never charged. |
| Reference | Wikipedia |
In a desperate attempt to salvage a lost cause, Hitler appointed Steiner as the head of the improvised Army Detachment Steiner on paper on April 21, 1945, during the Battle of Berlin. The orders were clear: launch an immediate counteroffensive. It was a final, futile gamble, and the price of failure was high.
The point of the attack, despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, was to disrupt the Soviet advance, to relieve the pressure on Berlin, and, in Hitler's mind, to provide an opening for a wider German counteroffensive. Steiners attack was designed to strike the northern flank of the Soviet forces that had broken through towards Berlin, a strategy to throw the enemy off balance and buy the embattled German forces time, and perhaps, create an opportunity to stabilize the front.
The scenario paints a picture of near-impossible odds, of an army desperately attempting to hold back an unstoppable tide. The reality, however, was far different. Steiner's forces were woefully understrength, lacking the necessary armor, manpower, and air support to mount a successful offensive. They were, in essence, ordered to attack the strongest elements of the Soviet pincers closing in on Berlin. The attack never materialized, the orders were not executed, and the situation remained unchanged.
The failure of Steiner's attack highlighted the utter disconnect between the Nazi leadership and the military realities on the ground. The lack of resources, the depleted German forces, and the overwhelming superiority of the Red Army meant that any such offensive was doomed to fail from the start.
The events surrounding Army Detachment Steiner highlight the catastrophic consequences of decisions based on denial, delusion, and the pursuit of an impossible victory. The incident serves as a grim lesson in the dangers of ignoring the facts, and the tragic consequences of clinging to false hope in the face of inevitable defeat.
