The Soviet Army's Vistula-Oder Offensive crushed German defenses, liberating Warsaw from brutal Nazi occupation. On January 17, 1945, Soviet forces, led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, burst through German lines, forcing the Wehrmacht to abandon the Polish capital. After nearly five years of brutal occupation, Warsaw was finally free from the Nazi grip. The city's liberation marked a significant turning point in the war, paving the way for the Soviet Union's eventual push into Germany.