Not long after the representatives of the Propaganda Department left, Weidling, accompanied by General Glazunov, commander of the 28th Guards Army, arrived at Chuikov's headquarters.
Chuikov, who was sitting on the sofa, saw Weidelin and did not stand up. He just nodded to him and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, General Weidelin. I have an injury on my leg and cannot get up to greet you. Please forgive me for my inability to greet you."
present!"
Weidelin knew about Chuikov's injury before he came here. He even knew that the reason why the defense area in the direction of the zoo was bombarded for more than ten hours was entirely because someone there fired cold shots at Chuikov, and Chuikov's artillerymen were preparing for the attack.
Their commander took revenge. Precisely because he understood the situation, Weidelin said reasonably: "General Chuikov, you are injured, please sit down and talk."
"General Weidelin, I would like to ask you, what is your identity?"
"I am the commander of the 56th Armored Corps and was appointed commander of the Berlin City Defense by the Führer six days ago." Weidling replied.
Chuikov thought that although the other party had the position of city defense commander, he had only been in office for too short a time and might not have much prestige among the Berlin garrison. If he wanted the German garrison in Berlin to surrender, he would have to find someone with high prestige.
But now that Goebbels has committed suicide and Hoffman is also dead, among the people he knows, General Krebs is probably the only one left. Although the chief of staff of the German army has been replaced,
In any case, he had served as the chief of general staff for a period of time, and the orders he issued were definitely more effective than Weidling's orders.
Thinking of this, he looked up at Weidling and asked: "General Weidling, where are General Krebs?"
Hearing Chuikov's question, the muscles on Weidling's face twitched violently several times, and then he replied with a gloomy look: "General Krebs shot himself after returning from here yesterday."
"What, General Krebs also committed suicide?" Chuikov couldn't help being shocked when he heard the news, and then asked: "Why?"
"Because for us, it is a shame to negotiate surrender with the enemy." Weidling said expressionlessly: "General Krebs may have negotiated with you yesterday, which brought shame to his military career. In order to wash away this
Humiliated, he chose to commit suicide."
"So that's it." After figuring out the reason for Krebs' suicide, Chuikov sighed softly, and then said, "What a pity."
At this time Sokolovsky came in from outside. He first said hello to Chuikov, then looked at Weidling and asked: "Chuikov, who is he?"
Chuikov quickly introduced: "This is General Weidling, commander of the German 56th Armored Corps. Now he also serves as the commander of Berlin City Defense."
After figuring out Weidling's identity, Sokolovsky looked at Weidling and asked: "Mr. General, how long have you been in the army?"
"It started in 1911, when I was just an ordinary private."
After hearing this, Sokolovsky nodded and said: "You have been a soldier for 34 years and finally grew from a private to a general. It is really amazing."
"Yes." Chuikov echoed from the side: "In today's war era, some people even sacrificed their lives just one day after joining the army. Not to mention becoming a general, even a company commander and a platoon leader have no chance of him."
"General Weidling, you have been in the army for 34 years. I think you must have a lot of connections." Sokolovsky said to Weidling: "You should give an order to the troops in Berlin and ask them to all lay down their weapons and march towards the army."
We surrender."
"I'm sorry, General." Sokolovsky's suggestion made Weidelin very embarrassed: "I can't issue a surrender order to all the troops because there is no communication tool. They will continue after I announce the surrender order.
Resistance. Also, so far, not many people know that the Führer is dead, because Dr. Goebbels strictly sealed the news of his death."
Sokolovsky said: "We have stopped all military operations, and even the aviation has stopped bombing. The 56th Armored Corps under your command has begun to surrender, and the negotiation team sent by Fritsch also announced
Surrender. It was precisely because they expressed their attitude of surrender that we gave the troops a ceasefire order."
After Weideling waited for Sokolovsky to finish speaking, he expressed his position: "I am willing to do my best to make the troops still resisting in the city stop fighting, lay down their weapons and surrender to you."
But then, he pointed to a place and said to Sokolovsky and Chuikov: "The remnants of the SS are stationed here, and I have no right to command them. If they learn that I ordered the surrender, they may
Will break out towards the west."
"Why?" Chuikov couldn't help but ask after hearing this: "Why did the SS break out to the west?"
"The reason is very simple, General Chuikov." Weideling explained to Chuikov: "As long as your troops capture the SS, they will be shot without mercy. If they want to survive, they can only escape westward to Allied control.
Area."
"We will deal with this group of SS soldiers." Sokolovsky said: "Your task now is to draft a surrender order."
"Okay, General." Weidelin nodded, and then said, "I will draft a surrender order immediately."
Seeing Weidelin holding a pen and paper in a dilemma, Chuikov couldn't help but ask: "General Weidelin, do you need me to find someone to help you?"
Hearing what Chuikov said, Weidelin nodded vigorously and said, "It would be great if there was someone who could help."
Soon, Colonel Dufvinger, chief of staff of the 56th Armored Corps, walked in from outside. He came to Weidling and asked: "Your Excellency, Army Commander, what are your instructions?"
"The Russians want me to draft a surrender order." Weidling said: "I have never written anything like this, so I hope you can help me."
"Your Excellency, Army Commander." Dufwenge learned that Weidelin had called him in and was actually preparing to draft a surrender order with him. He couldn't help but panic. He didn't want to bear the eternal infamy. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Me neither.
If you know how to write this kind of thing, you'd better find someone else."
"Okay, stop dawdling." Seeing his chief of staff resisting, Weideling was a little unhappy: "Someone has to write the surrender order for the troops. General Krebs was reluctant to issue the surrender order.
So I chose to commit suicide. Do you also want to watch me commit suicide?"
Weidling's harsh words made Colonel Dufvinger change his mind: "Okay, Army Commander, then I will draft this surrender order with you."
Ten minutes later, Weidelin stopped writing and handed what he had written to the translator standing aside, signaling him to hand it over to Sokolovsky and Chuikov.
Sokolovsky did not accept the order handed over by the translator, but asked him to read it out in public. The translator did not dare to disobey Sokolovsky's order, so he began to read aloud:
"On April 30, the Führer committed suicide. He abandoned those of us who had sworn allegiance to him. According to the Führer's order, we should continue to fight for Berlin, but our ammunition has been exhausted, and the overall situation has made it so
It has become meaningless for us to continue to resist. I order: Stop resisting immediately! Signed: Artillery General Weidling, former Berlin City Defense Commander!"
After listening to this, Sokolovsky smiled and said: "Why do you say 'former city defense commander'? You know, you are still the city defense commander of Berlin."
Regarding what name this surrender document should be given, Weidelin felt very embarrassed: "General, do you think it is an 'appeal' or an 'order'?"
Before Sokolovsky finished speaking, Chuikov said first: "Write an 'order'!"
"Your Excellency, two generals," Weidelin said, "I have a large headquarters staff. I have two chiefs of staff and two retired generals, but they still remain loyal to me and are willing to take orders from me. I plan to let them
Assist me in arranging surrender."
"General Weidling," Sokolovsky said, "We plan to send someone to carry your surrender order and read it in a broadcast truck throughout the city. Do you have any objections?"
"No." Weideling said in a low voice, "I don't have any objections."
"In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings." Sokolovsky continued: "Do you think it's okay to have a German officer in each radio car?"
"Okay." Weidelin said weakly, "My subordinates will make arrangements."
Seeing that Weidelin was in poor spirits, Chuikov quickly asked someone to take him to the next door to rest. After he left, Chuikov said to others present: "Have you noticed that Weidelin's mental state is a little bad?"
"I saw it." Sokolovsky nodded and said, "I personally drafted an order ordering the Berlin defenders to surrender. This was an indelible stain on his military career. He had no choice.
It is already very difficult to commit suicide like Krebs did."
Soon, a staff officer came in and reported, "The propaganda vehicle is ready and ready to go at any time."
"Let's go," Chuikov said: "Let those Germans who are still resisting hear the propaganda as soon as possible to save their precious lives."
When the radio truck started broadcasting the surrender document drafted by Weidling on the streets of Berlin, Chuikov's adjutant came in and reported: "Comrade Commander, the German Propaganda Minister Fritsch is here."
"Invite him in quickly!"
Soon, a short man wearing a gray woolen coat and round-rimmed glasses walked in from outside. After he sat down on the sofa opposite Chuikov, he began to introduce himself: "General Chuikov, I am the new commander.
Fritsch, Minister of Propaganda, I believe you have heard of my name."
"Yes, Mr. Fritsch, I have heard of your name." When Chuikov said this, he muttered to himself: Your subordinates have been mentioning your name constantly since they entered my command post. I think
I don’t know and I can’t do it.
"Mr. Fritsch," Sokolovsky said next to him: "We have sent propaganda vehicles to the streets to broadcast the surrender order of the city defense commander General Weidling, asking the German officers and soldiers who are still resisting in the city to put down their weapons.
Surrender to us. What do you think of this matter?"
"I think this is what it should be." Fritsch said: "We have already been defeated. If we continue to fight, we will only sacrifice more innocent lives. My mission here is to help you end this damned war."
war."
What Fritsch said made Sokolovsky like him: "Mr. Fritsch, we are very concerned about the safety of this city. Those who are worried that they may be in danger can seek protection from us."
.”
After Fritsch waited for Sokolovsky to finish speaking, he immediately added: "Your protection alone is not enough. We should reorganize the escaped police officers and let them perform their duties."
"Mr. Fritsch, you didn't understand what I meant." Sokolovsky said: "To us, the police in Berlin are just like ordinary soldiers, they are prisoners of war. I am talking about administrative officials, we
They will be protected from anyone. Do you understand what I mean?"
Unexpectedly, Fritsch shook his head after hearing this and said in confusion: "General, I don't understand. Now that the war is over, who will come to harm these German officials?"
Sokolovsky sneered and said: "Because the Gestapo has done many evil things in the past and has done too many bad things, we cannot rule out the possibility that individual soldiers of our army, or even persecuted Berlin residents, will carry out brutal revenge on these people."
These words shocked Fritsch into a cold sweat. He realized that what Sokolovsky said was entirely possible. He said in a panic: "Your Excellency, since the war is over, I must ask you to
Stop this barbaric incident from happening."
Sokolovsky just smiled faintly after hearing this, and then said: "Don't worry, Mr. Fritsch. We have encountered the situation just mentioned before. Therefore, we have appointed General Berzalin as Berlin's commander."
Security commander, and established security offices in each district. In the future, they will take all possible measures against various acts of sabotage in Berlin. What do you think, do you have any other requirements?"
"Of course, General." Fritsch continued: "I once wrote you a letter, hoping to stop the bloodshed after the surrender in Berlin."
"Don't worry, Mr. Fritsch, we will do our best."
"Your Majesty General, I would like to convey the news of Berlin's surrender to the new head of state, Admiral Dönitz."
"Mr. Fritsch," Chuikov interjected from the side: "Before you came to us, we received a statement from Dönitz to the country, saying that he had taken over Germany and that he would fight our country to the end.
If Britain and the United States intervene, he will fight them to the end."
"Crazy, he is simply crazy." When Fritsch heard the news, he felt bad. He shouted hysterically: "Does he want our country to be completely destroyed?" After shouting this
He seemed to realize his gaffe and quickly explained to Sokolovsky and Chuikov: "Two generals, I was very angry after hearing the news. If there is any gaffe, please forgive me. Regardless.
No matter what statement Dönitz makes, my Propaganda Department will surrender unconditionally to the Soviet army."
This chapter has been completed!