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After a time of comparatively slow progress, the brilliant Soviet officer, Konstantin Rokossovsky, engineered "Operation Bagration", named-so after the Napoleonic Russian hero. The operation was extremely successful for the Soviets, leading to around 600,000 Soviet casualties and over 500,000 German casualties, including over 60,000 German vehicles and tanks. Furthermore, the German Army Group Center (Heeresgruppe Mitte) ceased to exist as an effective fighting force, due to its massive losses in men and material. Even the Germans' best officer, Erich von Manstein, couldn't turn the situation around.

After a time of comparatively slow progress, the brilliant Soviet officer, Konstantin Rokossovsky, engineered "Operation Bagration", named-so after the Napoleonic Russian hero. The operation was extremely successful for the Soviets, leading to around 600,000 Soviet casualties and over 500,000 German casualties, including over 60,000 German vehicles and tanks. Furthermore, the German Army Group Center (Heeresgruppe Mitte) ceased to exist as an effective fighting force, due to its massive losses in men and material. Even the Germans' best officer, Erich von Manstein, couldn't turn the situation around.

The Vistula-Oder Operation took place on the Eastern Front between January 12 and February 2, 1945.  Soviet troops, led by Marshals [[Georgi Zhukov]] and [[Ivan Konev]], advanced from the [[Vistula]] river in [[Poland]] to the Oder river which was only 50 miles from Berlin.  The extermination camp at [[Auschwitz]] was liberated on January 27, 1945.  The Wehrmacht suffered enormous losses as a result of the operation.

The Vistula-Oder Operation took place on the Eastern Front between January 12 and February 2, 1945.  Hitler appointed [[Heinrich Himmler]], who never had any combat training or duty, in charge of German operations on the front.  Soviet troops, led by Marshals [[Georgi Zhukov]] and [[Ivan Konev]], advanced from the [[Vistula]] river in [[Poland]] to the Oder river which was only 50 miles from Berlin.  The extermination camp at [[Auschwitz]] was liberated on January 27, 1945.  The Wehrmacht suffered enormous losses as a result of the operation.

[[File:Depiction of Soviet flag over the Reichstag.jpg|right|415px|thumb|[[Victory Day]] depiction of the Soviet flag raised over the [[Reichstag]].]]

[[File:Depiction of Soviet flag over the Reichstag.jpg|right|415px|thumb|[[Victory Day]] depiction of the Soviet flag raised over the [[Reichstag]].]]

The Waffen-SS Division Charlemagne was formed in September 1944 from French collaborationists, many of whom were already serving in various other German units. Named after [[Charlemagne]], the 9th-century Frankish emperor, it superseded the existing Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism formed in 1941 within the German Army and the SS-Volunteer ''Sturmbrigade'' France formed in July 1943.  The division also included French recruits from other German military and paramilitary formations and ''Miliciens'', who were created by the Vichy regime to help fight the French Resistance.  The SS Division Charlemagne had 7,340 men at the time of its deployment to the Eastern Front in February 1945. It fought against Soviet forces in Pomerania where it was almost annihilated within a month.

The Waffen-SS Division Charlemagne was formed in September 1944 from French collaborationists, many of whom were already serving in various other German units. Named after [[Charlemagne]], the 9th-century Frankish emperor, it superseded the existing Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism formed in 1941 within the German Army and the SS-Volunteer ''Sturmbrigade'' France formed in July 1943.  The division also included French recruits from other German military and paramilitary formations and ''Miliciens'', who were created by the Vichy regime to help fight the French Resistance.  The SS Division Charlemagne had 7,340 men at the time of its deployment to the Eastern Front in February 1945. It fought against Soviet forces in Pomerania where it was almost annihilated within a month.