The Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Battle-Classic-History-Berlin/dp/0684803291
Read this as it describes the battle for Berlin.
The Russians were not nice to the Germans.
“Read this as it describes the battle for Berlin.
The Russians were not nice to the Germans.”
A large percentage of the defenders of Berlin at the end were the “Dead-Enders”, or non-Germans in the German Army, particularly the S.S.
The most bitter hangers-on at the end were the French S.S. Charlemagne survivors, 500 of whom VOLUNTEERED to fight their way into Berlin for the last stand, and the Polish SS. They knew they had no where else to go, and decided to go down fighting.