The Battle of Bautzen was one of the last German counterattacks of World War II, occurring from 21 to 30 April 1945. 50,000 German troops from Army Group Center, assisted by 300 tanks, launched an offensive to recapture Bautzen from the Soviet Red Army and the Polish 2nd Army, led by the Polish general Karol Swierczewski. The Germans attempted to breach the communist lines with their offensive, and the Poles and Soviets suffered heavy losses, as the incompetent Swierczewski was drunk while leading his men. The Soviet Red Army arrived to reinforce the Polish forces, and the communists prevented the Wehrmacht from breaking through the rear of the Allied forces. The battle was one of the bloodiest battles in Poland's history, and some historians would even venture to claim that the battle was a German victory, which would make it one of Nazi Germany's last victories in the war. The Germans held Bautzen until 8 May 1945, when they were forced to surrender to the Allied Powers at the war's end.
Advertisement