Battle for Bautzen 80 years ago: The last victory of the Wehrmacht in the Second World War is a senseless sacrifice

Spring 1945: The German Reich is about to collapse. While the battle for Berlin is raging, the Red Army suffers an unexpected defeat. At Bautzen, the Wehrmacht celebrates one last cruel triumph. More than 17,000 people have to die for it.

In the second half of April 1945, Polish-Soviet troops push through eastern Saxony. But the last German tank offensive stops the advance. Bautzen becomes a focal point of brutal struggles with thousands of dead.