The non-fiction book "Berlin: the Downfall 1945" is a narrative story written by Antony Beevor, originally published in 2002. The book is set in the last five months of World War II in Europe, with a main focus on the battle for Berlin. It achieved both critical and commercial success largely due to Beevor's groundbreaking access to previously hidden communist-era Russian archives, which gave him a unique insight into the conflict, as he was able to gain a Russian perspective, which she had not been seen. in previous work on this period. The captivating nature of Beevor's book is the stories he found in his research and the little anecdotes inserted throughout, which give the work its most distinctively personal and human touch. It provides the reader with stories of civilians, the hardships they faced, and the terrible atrocities committed against them. It is through this that Beevor shows not only the political and military ramifications of war, but also how war affects the lives of ordinary people. In particular, it is her discovery of the mass rape of German women by the Red Army, which truly leaves a lasting impact, and is what sets this work apart from all others from this period. A good historian is one who does not deny the truth. This is part of what makes this a great historical work. Beevor was not afraid to write about such a sensitive topic despite the potential controversy that might result. He made sure to be objective about the issues discussed, which is vital for a great historical work, as Leopold Von Ranke stated, "he [the historian] will have no preconceived ideas like the philosopher." In recent years, popular history books focus most on the impact of war on ordinary people: social history. For a historian writing in this generation, the key is sales. Beevor knew he had to add something new to a topic that had been covered many times before this work. This one certainly did. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The work is considered a form of narrative military history but also serves as a social history. In Beevor's fiction, one of his main plots is the fall of the Nazi regime, hence the title. He opens the work in the preface with a quote from Albert Speer that "history always emphasizes terminal events...he hated the idea that the early successes of Hitler's regime would be overshadowed by its final collapse." Since this is the first point Beevor chooses to raise in his work, it leads us to assume that it will be one of his key arguments. This means that nothing reveals “… more about political leaders and their systems than about the manner of their downfall.” Beevor ultimately concludes his work with Speer's follow-up that: “The senseless slaughter that resulted from Hitler's scandalous vanity completely belies Speer's regret that history should emphasize 'terminal events.' The incompetence, frantic refusal to accept the reality and inhumanity of the Nazi regime were revealed all too clearly in its passing.” Based on Hayden White's four different approaches to historical fiction, Berlin would fall into the category of "mechanistic" historical fiction. This approach according to White is one that “presents events for reasons, causes and effects, both in themselves and, more broadly, on life in general – the idea of ​​'history lessons'”. Narratives and stories often have some sort of lesson behind them, Beevor's work, as historical narrative, is no different. In thepreface to the work, Beevor engages with the idea of ​​"history lessons" presented in the mechanistic approach. He writes: “this fateful moment for millions of people still has much to teach us. An important lesson is that one must be extremely cautious about any generalizations regarding the conduct of individuals." The extremes of human suffering and degradation can bring out the best and worst in human nature. Beevor commented in an article that he wrote that this period of World War II revealed “how thin the veneer of civilization can be when there is little fear of retaliation.” Great acts of kindness were shown on both sides, but the terrible atrocities committed during this period are widely remembered. Despite the exhausting details Beevor provides about military and political activities, his form and writing style are quite effective and entertaining. This can largely be attributed to the little anecdotes and added stories that not only influence its plot, but provide insight into how the war affected a specific individual's life. A memorable anecdote that influences its plot is a quote from a British soldier, who wrote in his diary: “I will absolutely forgive the Russians whatever they do to this country when they come. Absolutely anything. It is clearly a deliberate choice by Beevor to use this quote to show the mentality of the soldiers at this point in the war and to contextualize the terrible atrocities committed. Beevor's unprecedented access to communist-era Russian archives appears to have shaped the scope of his work. After three years of research and analysis, its stated purpose was to present newly discovered information and shed light on a shocking and hidden truth. According to British historian Richard J. Evans, “few authors have contributed more to this process of rethinking than the British military historian Antony Beevor.” This “rethink” he refers to is changing the way World War II is viewed. It was seen as the “good war”, but in recent years this has been called into question. The reason for this perception was due to the seemingly “clearer” moral divide between the two sides than was supposed to exist during the First World War. With the discovery of previously hidden information about the atrocities committed, it is no longer possible to know them as such. Evans argues that Beevor was one of the pioneers in changing perceptions of the Second World War and that his books such as Berlin and Stalingrad certainly demonstrated that atrocities were committed on both sides and that there is great hypocrisy in the writings of the victors . Beevor's aim is to produce work that changes people's perspective on this particular historical event and to inform them of the real truth he has discovered. Arguably, he could be considered a revisionist historian, particularly in this work and in Stalingrad. Through his meticulous research he has managed to uncover many shocking facts, but Beevor does not condemn either side, as he believes it is "intellectually dishonest". Beevor offers evidence and reasons why the atrocities occurred, but does not attempt to justify them. Beevor adds that the drunkenness of the disorderly Red Army was part of the reason for what happened, "But revenge can be only part of the explanation...once the soldiers had alcohol in them, the nationality of their prey It made little difference." As he himself stated, “the historian's duty is to understand and convey that understanding, rather than to make moral judgments.” He managed to achieve this within anarrative that deals with very heavy and disturbing content. The purpose of a historian has changed throughout history, and in this generation, part of the purpose of a historian is to sell. If a modern historian chooses to rework a previously written argument, he must add something new and fresh that previous historians have not done. It is for this reason that Beevor's book has been so successful. The topic of his work is one that has already been covered previously, but he has managed to write a book that sheds a totally new light on this period. Nicolas Kinloch noted that Beevor's use of Russian sources countered "the undue reliance on German sources that has marred previous accounts of the fall of Berlin." Part of his strength is his access to Russian sources, which he gained through communist-era Russian archives. In past generations, the history of women in society was rarely written as the values ​​of the time dictated that it be a part of history. this could be overlooked. This is no longer the case and it is a matter, as feminist writer Linda Gordan says, of "repainting previous images", so that today's public understands the true history of our society. Beevor's work certainly follows this idea of ​​"repainting" history. The text reveals the terrible atrocities committed during this period against innocent women of all ages. This is potentially another reason for its success due to the rise of feminism in the latter part of the 20th century and into the 21st century. Revisionist histories and first-hand accounts of what really happened in the war have shaped the perspective of people's views on the war. . People are now more interested in stories that focus primarily on ordinary people and how individuals are affected by war. Beevor himself stated that “war has always been written in impersonal and collective terms; 'the country', the division', 'the army...' and what has always made us forget in the past is the breadth of the effect and also the duration in which this effect lasts. Certainly there is no family in the Soviet Union, in Poland or in Germany, where they did not lose at least one close relative [in the war]." American military historian David M. Glantz wrote: "Beevor's work excels as social history rather than operational". In the time of popular history, social history seems to be what sells and Beevor's work is as much social history as it is military and operational. Today many people buy historical books to engage with history by reading accounts of narratives and stories Although there are significant, often laborious military details, for example the specific movements of the 8th Guards Army, Beevor's work has enough human and individual touch to make people want to read What truly separates Antony Beevor from other historians is not necessarily his historical skills, but his ability as a meticulous researcher. Beevor spent three years compiling the material for this book and then a year writing it, spending much of that time analyzing and then extrapolating as much information as possible. possible from Russian archives of the communist era. He managed to obtain testimonies from the Red Army soldiers themselves and claims that “time after time [Red Army soldiers]… openly admit not only that Russian troops raped German women, but also raped their own.” He also found the writings of Soviet war correspondent and historian, Vassily Grossman, and Beevor writes that "Grossman did not hide unpleasant truths from himself... even if he could never publish them." The fact that he wrote against the Red Army makes him a valuable source. Grossman's controversial worksthey were published after his death and the KGB ensured that they were not made available to the public. Beevor notes, however, that the evidence for this mass rape “…is certainly not limited only to Vassily Grossman's unpublished notebooks.” Grossman is obviously an important and valuable source for Beevor, but by stating that he is not the only Russian to comment on the rape, he adds credibility to the claim of mass rape by the Red Army. He quotes playwright Zakhar Agranenko who wrote in his diary while serving as an officer in the marine infantry in East Prussia, that "... they rape them on a collective basis." Beevor interviewed the Red Army veterans themselves and recalls that they were open about what they did. One account from a tank company leader stated, “'everyone lifted their skirts for us and lay down on the bed...' Two million of our children were born' in Germany.” These men apparently showed no remorse for their actions. It seems likely that the Russiansjustified actions with the argument of "revenge" for German actions against Russian civilians. Regardless of the potential controversy and outburst Beevor probably knew he would face in Russia (the archives were closed soon after his work was published), it did not cause him to sideline or ignore the truth, for it cannot be ignored. In the chapter "Sword of Fire and Noble Fury", Beevor writes "Beria and Stalin... knew perfectly well what was happening..." and that Stalin stated that men should maintain a "country wife". After the terrible losses at Stalingrad and the horrific acts committed against their own people at the hands of the Germans, perhaps this is an example of rape being used as a weapon of war, which is certainly not uncommon throughout history. Rape has been used in various wars in an attempt to demoralize, humiliate and totally annihilate an enemy. Jonathan Gottschall, who wrote an article titled 'Explaining Wartime Rape,' argues that, "Wherever men have gone to war, many of them have reasoned like old Nestor in the Iliad... with the Greek troops tired of the war..." so let no one hurry home until he lies down beside a Trojan's wife.'" This seems eerily familiar to the words supposedly spoken by Ilya Ehrenberg that Beevor discovers in his work, encouraging the Red Army soldiers to take German women as their 'rightful booty'. Beevor throughout the book does not in any way try to justify the actions of the Red Army. He also found that not only German women were raped, but Russian women as well. This makes it difficult to support it as a weapon of war. This probably took Beevor by surprise since the rape of Soviet women and girls "...completely undermines any attempt to justify the Red Army's behavior on the basis of revenge..." He merely gives reasons why they were committed the atrocities, which is his role as an agent. historian – to be as objective as possible and attempt to explain, through the information contained in his sources, why certain things happened. Nicky Bird states that Beevor "adds little that is new to the politics and strategy..." of this period of the Second World War. This may be a valid criticism, but while much has been written previously, Beevor offers new perspectives through his access to previously secret Russian archives. Politics and strategy aside, the real substance of Beevor's work comes from his extensive discussion and detail of the mass rapes committed by the Red Army in these final months of the war and the stories of individual people (soldiers and civilians), how the war affected their lives..