att acks ▁along ▁the ▁entire ▁German ▁line . ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁been ▁pushed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁onto ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁V ist ula ▁river , ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁Pr uss ia . ▁With ▁Soviet ▁Marsh al ▁Georg y ▁Zh uk ov ▁attack ing ▁from ▁Pr uss ia , ▁and ▁Marsh al ▁Ivan ▁K one v ▁s lic ing ▁Germany ▁in ▁half ▁from ▁the ▁south , ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁Naz i ▁Germany ▁was ▁se aled . ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁the ▁last ▁German ▁troops ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁over jo yed ▁Soviet ▁troops ▁in ▁Berlin . ▁ ▁W art ime ▁develop ments ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁large ▁sections ▁of ▁eastern ▁Germany ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁occupation ▁and ▁on ▁ 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁capital ▁city ▁Berlin ▁was ▁taken , ▁while ▁over ▁fifteen ▁million ▁Germ ans ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁eastern ▁Germany ▁and ▁pushed ▁into ▁central ▁Germany ▁( l ater ▁called ▁the ▁German ▁Democratic ▁Republic ) ▁and ▁western ▁Germany ▁( l ater ▁called ▁the ▁Federal ▁Republic ▁of ▁Germany ). ▁Rus si ans , ▁Uk ra ini ans , ▁Pol es , ▁Czech , ▁etc ., ▁were ▁then ▁moved ▁onto ▁German ▁land . ▁ ▁An ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁patri otic ▁emer gency ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁and ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁Church