The Battle for Berlin and Germany's Final Defeat in WWII

In early 1945, the Allies advanced on Germany and Japan, with the Axis powers suffering heavy losses. The Battle of the Bulge (Dec 16, 1944 – Jan 25, 1945) was Germany's last western offensive, resulting in 20,000 American and 100,000 German casualties. The bombing of Dresden (Feb 13–15, 1945) by British and American forces killed an estimated 25,000–35,000 people. At Seelow Heights (April 16–19, 1945), Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov's one million troops defeated 100,000 Germans under Colonel-General Gotthard Heinrici, with over 30,000 Soviet and 12,000 German deaths. The Battle of Berlin (April 20 – May 2, 1945) saw 2.5 million Soviets besiege the city; Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide on April 30, and the Soviet flag was raised over the Reichstag on May 2. Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 8. In the Pacific, the Battle of Iwo Jima (Feb 19 – March 26, 1945) cost 7,000 American and 19,000 Japanese lives. The Battle of Okinawa (April 1 – June 21, 1945) resulted in up to 100,000 Japanese and 12,000 American deaths. The war ended after atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in August 1945.