The Battle of Berlin marked the final collapse of Nazi Germany in April–May 1945. As Soviet forces encircled the capital, the German High Command relied on a planned counter-attack by Army Detachment Steiner to halt the advance. This operation never materialised due to insufficient troops and resources.

On 22 April 1945, during a military conference in the Führerbunker, Adolf Hitler was informed that Steiner’s attack could not be carried out. In response, he erupted in anger, denouncing the German Army leadership for incompetence and betrayal. He declared that the war was lost and that Germany had failed him.

Following this admission, Hitler resolved to remain in Berlin rather than flee. Command structures continued to deteriorate as Soviet forces advanced deeper into the city. The failure of the counter-attack and Hitler’s reaction symbolised the irreversible disintegration of German resistance during the final days of World War II in Europe.