On 31 January 1945, in the dying months of WWII, the first Red Army troops reached the River Oder, barely 40 miles from Berlin. Everyone at Soviet headquarters expected Marshal Zhukov's troops to bring the war quickly to an end. Despite bitter fighting by both sides a bloody stalemate persisted for two months until the Soviet bridgeheads north and south of Kustrin were united and the Nazi fortress finally fell. This book relates the events and battles which culminated in April 1945 with the last major land battle in Europe. 29 maps. 8pp black & white photos. 328 pages. Hardback