In April 1945, Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov had under his command the greatest concentration of ground forces ever assembled. South of Zhukov’s 1st Belorussian Front lay Marshal Ivan Konev’s 1st Ukrainian Front. Zhukov and Konev had long butted heads; each was desperate to be the one that history would record had taken Berlin.

In January 1945 Stalin appointed Zhukov commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, which was to drive on Berlin. Zhukov’s forces took a major part in the final assault on Berlin in April–May 1945.

In 1945 Konev commanded the 1st Ukrainian Front in the drive on Berlin. He and Zhukov competed for the honor of capturing the city during the final Soviet offensive against Nazi Germany.

Imperial War Museums highlights Stalin’s overall leadership in the Berlin campaign: “**Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin mistrusted the Western Allies and wanted to capture Berlin first.** … The assault on Berlin began on 16 April 1945, when **Marshal Georgy Zhukov’s 1st Belorussian Front** and Marshal Ivan Konev’s **1st Ukrainian Front** launched their attacks on the German defences.” The article states that Stalin not only drove the political decision to take Berlin but also oversaw the allocation and timing of the fronts engaged in the operation.

Britannica describes Zhukov as a leading Soviet commander in World War II and notes that he commanded the 1st Belorussian Front in the assault on Berlin in 1945.

Britannica identifies Konev as a Soviet marshal and notes his command of the 1st Ukrainian Front during the 1945 campaign toward Berlin.

Britannica describes Stalin as the Soviet leader who served as supreme commander during the Second World War, giving him overall control of Soviet strategic direction in 1945.

The Battle of Berlin (April 16–May 2, 1945) was the **final battle of the European theater of World War II**. The Soviet assault on the German capital was conducted primarily by **Marshal Georgy Zhukov’s 1st Belorussian Front attacking from the east and Marshal Ivan Konev’s 1st Ukrainian Front attacking from the south**. Overall strategic direction of the Soviet war effort was exercised by the Soviet High Command (Stavka), headed by **Joseph Stalin** as supreme commander.

The Battle of Berlin was the final major offensive of World War II in Europe, commencing on April 16, 1945, with a massive Soviet bombardment led by **Marshal Georgy Zhukov**. The assault involved around 2.5 million Soviet troops… Principal commanders: German, Colonel General Gotthard Heinrici; **Soviet, Marshal Georgy Zhukov (1896–1974), Marshal Ivan Konev (1897–1973)**. The final Soviet offensive of World War II began at 4 a.m. on April 16, 1945, when 20,000 guns of Marshal Georgy Zhukov’s First Belorussian Front bombarded German positions… When **Marshal Ivan Konev’s First Ukranian Front joined the attack a few hours later**, Colonel General Gotthard Heinrici’s Army Group Vistula was confronted by 2.5 million men, 6,250 armored vehicles, and 7,500 aircraft.

World War II Database notes that after the fall of Vienna, Joseph Stalin directed the offensive toward Berlin: “After the Soviet forces captured Vienna, Austria on 14 Apr 1945, **Joseph Stalin ordered** 20 armies, 8,500 aircraft, and 6,300 tanks to march toward Berlin, Germany.” It also describes Stalin’s use of his top generals: “In a fashion typical of the Soviet dictator, he **pitted his best generals Georgy Zhukov and Ivan Konev in a race for glory against Berlin.**” This shows Stalin exercising overall command while Zhukov and Konev led the principal Soviet fronts.

The **Battle of Berlin** (16 April – 2 May 1945) was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. The attack was conducted by the Soviet Union by two army groups: **the 1st Belorussian Front, under Marshal Georgy Zhukov, and the 1st Ukrainian Front, under Marshal Ivan Konev**, which attacked the city from the east and south respectively. Overall strategic direction of the Soviet armed forces was exercised by the **Stavka, headed by Joseph Stalin as Supreme Commander-in-Chief**.

The article explains that Zhukov was one of the key Soviet commanders in the final assault on Berlin and places him within Stalin's wartime command structure.

Liberation Route Europe describes the Soviet offensive into Berlin in April 1945, noting that the assault was carried out by the Soviet fronts commanded by **Marshal Georgy Zhukov** and **Marshal Ivan Konev**, which attacked the city from the east and south. The article explains that these operations formed part of the final Allied push in Europe and were conducted in accordance with the plan approved by the Soviet leadership under **Joseph Stalin**, leading to Berlin’s surrender on 2 May 1945.

In the final Soviet assault on Berlin, Georgy Zhukov commanded the 1st Belorussian Front and Ivan Konev commanded the 1st Ukrainian Front, while Joseph Stalin as Generalissimo and Chairman of the State Defense Committee exercised overall strategic control over Soviet war planning.

Stalin's intent was to speed the capture of Berlin by exploiting the rivalry between Konev and Zhukov. Stalin drew a boundary line between Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front and Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front, indicating that either front could attack Hitler's capital.

On orders from Soviet Premier Josef Stalin, the offensive that led to the capture of Berlin in April 1945 became a race between two Soviet commanders, Marshal Georgy Zhukov and Marshal Ivan Konev. The task of taking Berlin was given to Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front and Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front.

In January 1945 Konev's army launched a major offensive in western Poland, then in April 1945 advanced toward Berlin alongside Zhukov's army. The page also says Zhukov was given the honor of capturing the Reichstag and Konev was sent toward Prague.

During World War II, Zhukov served as deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces under Joseph Stalin. In 1945, he commanded the 1st Belorussian Front as it advanced into Germany and oversaw the Soviet victory at the Battle of Berlin.

Marshal Georgy Zhukov was appointed commander of the 1st Belorussian Front in November 1944. In the early hours of 16 April the Berlin Offensive Operation started with the objectives of capturing Berlin, and it began with an assault by 1st Belorussian Front and Marshal Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front to the south.

In early 1945, with Germany's defeat inevitable, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin set his two marshals in a race to capture Berlin. The race was mostly between Zhukov and Konev, and both marshals were supported by other fronts.

Zhukov, in charge of the First Belorussian Front, was slated with the honor of conquering Berlin. Simultaneously, Marshal Ivan Konev was making good progress with his First Ukrainian Front to the south. After learning of Zhukov’s difficulties, Konev asked and received permission from Stalin to turn his forces towards Berlin.