Berlin from the north. This would have bypassed the strong German defences at Seelow Heights, and avoided many casualties and the delay in the Berlin advance. Zhukov supposedly took the shortest path, the critics contend, so that his troops would be the first ones to enter the city. However, Zhukov chose the main thrust to be through the Seelow Heights not because he thought that was the quickest way to get to Berlin, but because that was the quickest way to link up with Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front and cut off the German 9th Army from the city. Also, bypassing the Seelow Heights and attacking Berlin from the north would have exposed the northern flank of the 1st Belorussian Front to a potential attack from German forces to the north, which could have pinned Zhukov's forces against the Seelow Heights. Furthermore, in actuality only two of the five armies of the 1st Belorussian Front attacked the Seelow Heights themselves and the heights were eventually bypassed from the north as soon as there was a narrow breakthrough. Estimates of Soviet casualties during the assault on the Seelow Heights vary from under 10,000 to over 30,000 killed. See also Eastern Front Battle of Halbe Battle of Berlin References Informational notes Citations Bibliography Originally published in "World War II" at Suite101.com on 1 May 1999. Revised edition published in "Articles on War" at OnWar.com on 1 July 2003. Conflicts in 1945 1945 in Germany Battles involving Poland Battles involving the Soviet Union 20th century in Brandenburg Battles in Brandenburg Battles of World War II involving Germany Battles and operations of the Soviet–German War Battle of Berlin Battle of the Seelow Heights April 1945 events