Into the Reich: The Red Army’s Advance to the Oder in 1945 (General Military)

A definitive military history of the Soviet Vistula–Oder offensive in 1945 — exploring strategic, operational, and tactical aspects of the Red Army’s advance toward Berlin.

Written by Prit Buttar, an acknowledged expert on the Eastern Front of World War II — combining strategic narrative and first-hand accounts.

Includes detailed contextual analysis of both Red Army and Wehrmacht operations in the final months of the Third Reich.

Enriched by extraordinary first-hand accounts, Into the Reich offers a fascinating history of the dying days of the Third Reich as Stalin sought to consolidate his own empire.

In January 1945, the Red Army launched a powerful offensive across the Vistula River to drive the Wehrmacht out of Poland and secure a start line for the advance to Berlin.

As Stalin pushed westward to reclaim land and secure industrial and mineral wealth, the Red Army broke through German lines, liberated Auschwitz, and drove deep into German territory, forcing desperate German counterattacks and revealing the strategic and political goals of both sides as the Third Reich collapsed.

Packed with firsthand perspectives, maps, and rich narrative detail, this book is a definitive account of one of World War II’s most significant late-war campaigns.

“A gripping continuation of Buttar’s study of the Eastern Front, detailing the Soviet Vistula–Oder offensive in 1945.” — Classic Military Vehicle, Top Books of 2025