Operation Spring Awakening

Operation Spring Awakening was the last major German offensive of <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>. The operation was referred to in <a href="/facts/Nazi_Germany/8kRbqRpo">Germany</a> as the Plattensee Offensive and in the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a> as the Balaton Defensive Operation. It took place in <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Hungary_(1920%E2%80%931946)/YCr6T5Y7">Western Hungary</a> on the <a href="/facts/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II)/W05zyTMj">Eastern Front</a> and lasted from 6 March until 15 March 1945. The objective was to secure the last significant oil reserves still available to the European <a href="/facts/Axis_powers/Q3z1D8R9">Axis powers</a> and prevent the <a href="/facts/Red_Army/n15nLQTu">Red Army</a> from advancing towards <a href="/facts/Vienna/NSpIURsA">Vienna</a>. The Germans failed in their objectives.
The operation, initially planned for 5 March, began after German units were moved in great secrecy to the <a href="/facts/Lake_Balaton/zu5HWMS2">Lake Balaton</a> (Plattensee) area. Many German units were involved, including the <a href="/facts/6th_Panzer_Army/CXHvbKB5">6th Panzer Army</a> and its subordinate <a href="/facts/Waffen-SS/KBYTW6jY">Waffen-SS</a> divisions after being withdrawn from the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_the_Bulge/GaWpNaw5">failed Ardennes offensive</a> on the <a href="/facts/Western_Front_(World_War_II)/ax9PCQyF">Western Front</a>. The Germans attacked in three prongs: Frühlingserwachen in the Balaton-<a href="/facts/Lake_Velence/gSMX4JrJ">Lake Velence</a>-<a href="/facts/Danube/8lMeM9xg">Danube</a> area, Eisbrecher south of Lake Balaton, and Waldteufel south of the <a href="/facts/Drava/pWEttNcq">Drava</a>-Danube triangle. The advance stalled on 15 March, and on 16 March the Red Army and allied units began their delayed <a href="/facts/Vienna_offensive/Nt9c9lhI">Vienna offensive</a>.

Operation Spring Awakening open-in-new

Operation Spring Awakening