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Questions about Prague offensive

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When did the Prague offensive take place?

The Prague offensive was fought from the 6th to the 11th of May 1945, making it the last major military operation of World War II in Europe. It continued after Germany's unconditional capitulation on the 8th and the 9th of May.

Why did Stalin order the Prague offensive instead of letting U.S. forces take the city?

Stalin wanted Soviet forces present in force in western Czechoslovakia at the moment of Germany's final surrender there. Both Churchill and Stalin recognized that control of Prague would heavily influence the political makeup of postwar Czechoslovakia. Marshal Konev refused General Omar Bradley's offer to advance U.S. forces on Prague, citing a previously agreed boundary between Soviet and Anglo-American liberation zones.

How many German prisoners were taken in the Prague offensive?

Soviet forces took almost 860,000 prisoners from Army Group Centre and Army Group Ostmark. Additional Axis soldiers, at least in the tens of thousands, surrendered to U.S. forces in western Czechoslovakia and Austria, though many of these were later handed over to the Soviet Union.

What was the Russian Liberation Army's role in the Prague uprising?

The 1st Division of the Russian Liberation Army, under General Bunyachenko, turned against its German overseers and moved into Prague, occupying the airport and the radio station by the 7th of May 1945. The Czech National Council denounced the force, and the Soviet government declared all ROA soldiers traitors subject to detention in prison camps.

What happened to Field Marshal Schörner after the Prague offensive?

Schörner abandoned Army Group Centre as Soviet forces overran its headquarters on the 8th of May 1945. He fled to Podbořany and flew to Bavaria in civilian clothes the following day. Nine days later, German troops in Austria detained him and handed him over to American forces.

What were the Allied casualties in the Prague offensive?

Allied forces suffered 11,997 irrecoverable personnel losses and 40,501 wounded and sick between the 6th and the 11th of May 1945, for a total of 52,498. The 1st Ukrainian Front, the largest of the three fronts involved, accounted for 23,383 of those losses from a starting strength of 806,400 men.