How Much Oil Did Nazi Germany Have Left on the Eve of the Battle of Berlin

The Inevitable Collapse of Nazi Germany Due to Oil Shortages

During World War II, the acute shortage of fuel led the German military to launch “Operation Barbarossa,” a desperate attack on the Soviet Union.

As the crisis deepened, the Germans, albeit reluctantly, were compelled to strike against the Soviet Union with the primary aim of seizing its largest oil fields in Baku.

How much oil reserves did Hitler’s Germany actually retain as the Battle of Berlin approached?

By May 1944, Germany’s oil reserves had reached their zenith. However, relentless Allied bombings and extensive campaigns on both fronts had by July severely damaged Germany’s oil infrastructure. By September, the Air Force’s essential supply plummeted from 160,000 tons needed monthly to just 10,000 tons.

During the Battle of Berlin from mid-April to May 1945, most German pilots had to abandon their aircraft to fight on the ground. The military engaged 3,300 aircraft and 1,500 tanks in the battle, the majority of which were either captured or destroyed by the Soviet forces.