A Growing Resistance: The Frenchmen and the Last Stand in Berlin
- by Gernot Kramper
- 6 Min
Defenders in hiding: those who switched sides and the French residents – they guarded Hitler's last stronghold - Deserters and French Citizens: Guarding Hitler's Final Stronghold
In the final days of the Battle of Berlin, the government district became an inferno. SS officer Wilhelm Mohnke was tasked with defending this area, a fierce National Socialist intent on holding every inch until the last man stood. With a motley crew of soldiers, Mohnke fought a senseless battle, delaying the inevitable for Hitler as his empire crumbled. Mohnke belonged to the notorious 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler," but most of the division was absent. Mohnke, recovering from a serious wound, had arrived in Berlin from the hospital.
A Diverse Group of Warriors
Mohnke's troops were a motley crew of the Leibstandarte, regular units, and the Volkssturm, a last resort reserve that proved largely unprepared for the city's urban warfare. In addition to these troops, various formations joined the fight, including a penal battalion of reluctant soldiers and elite fighters ready to die for the Führer. Among the elite fighters were Georg Diers, operating massive "King Tiger" tanks, as well as the SS Division "Nordland," ensconced within the Tiergarten.
The Frenchmen of the SS Division "Charlemagne" played a significant role, defending the Reichstag building. For Stalin and the Soviets, the parliamentary building symbolized the heart of the Third Reich, and the Soviets prioritized capturing it. A fierce battle ensued on the Moltke Bridge, which led to the government district, ultimately leading to its capture. The fighting in the Reichstag was fierce, with over 5000 defenders offering fierce resistance.
The Symbolic Significance of the Reichstag
The Reichstag held unique significance, being the political center of Hitler's regime. Yet, it played only a minor role in his rule, and Hitler's location in the bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery was unknown. Still, the Reichstag was worth fighting for, both symbolically for the defenders and the Soviets. For the Soviets, the building represented a symbolic victory, with War correspondent Konstantin Simonov writing, "The Reichstag is almost a place of pilgrimage."
About Fate and Resistance: The French Volunteers
The defense was militarily hopeless but held high symbolic value for the defenders. After the Battle of the Seelow Heights and the encirclement of Berlin, the Soviets could have easily driven the Germans out of the city. Instead, they chose to engage in fierce urban combat, sacrificing the city's civilian population in the process. This approach allowed Stalin to exert pressure on his army leaders and individual units while claiming victory in the city.
Seventeen-year-old Günter Debski was among those caught up in the chaos of the final days. He was a worker's child, hostile to the Nazi cause, but he was forced to defend Hitler's last stronghold. As a member of a penal battalion, Debski joined a group of tough fighters, including the Frenchmen of the SS Division "Charlemagne."
These Frenchmen were a diverse group of aristocrats, royalists, and anti-communists. Many were strictly anti-communist and saw the fall of the Third Reich as a sentencing to their own demise. In the midst of the chaos, they fought with all their might, refusing to fall into Soviet captivity. The Frenchmen used every tool at their disposal, from panzerfausts to the streets' rubble, to delay the Soviet advance.
The Last Remaining Frenchmen
In the final hours before Berlin's surrender, SS officer Wilhelm Mohnke organized last-ditch escape attempts. However, few survived the treacherous streets of the shattered city. Captain Henri Joseph Fenet, leader of the Frenchmen, received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the last soldiers to receive the award, on April 29, 1945. By May 2, 1945, only around 30 Frenchmen remained alive, a fraction of the initial number.
The Frenchmen fought valiantly, driven by their ideological convictions, a sense of military honor, and a desire to avoid Soviet captivity. They oversaw the destruction of numerous Soviet tanks and maintained fierce resistance in the Reichstag and the surrounding area. After the war, many returned to France, while others chose to live reclusively, facing charges as collaborators.
Sources:
- Adolf Hitler
- Endkampf
- The Frenchmen of the SS Division "Charlemagne," led by Captain Henri Joseph Fenet, were among the elite fighters defending the Reichstag in the final days of Hitler's empire, delaying the Soviet advance with their grueling resistance.
- Excluding the regular units and the Volkssturm, the diverse group of warriors defending the government district during the final battle included the supposed penal battalion of reluctant soldiers, soldiers from the Wehrmacht, and the SS Division "Nordland," all fighting for Adolf Hitler in the ultimate battle.
- Despite their military defeat being imminent, the Frenchmen of the SS Division "Charlemagne" were supposed to hold onto their ideological convictions, military honor, and desire to avoid Soviet captivity until the very end.
- According to reports, the American-football-style combat in the urban warfare of Berlin's streets was reminiscent of NFL or even football matches, with both sides utilizing all available strategies and tools at their disposal to outmaneuver and overwhelm their opponents.
- The defense of the Reichstag by the Frenchmen was a symbolic last stand, as the building represented the political center of Hitler's regime, with its capture symbolizing a significant victory for the Soviets, much like a touchdown in a football game.
