The Soviet offensive and declaring Poznań a fortress

Between 12th and 14th January 1945 Soviets, using The First Ukrainian Front leaded by Marshal Ivan S. Koniew and the First Belorussian Front leaded by marshal Georgij Żukow, started an offensive from along the Vistula bridgeheads:

-    Sandomierz-Baranów bridgehead,
-    Puławy bridgehead,
-    Magnuszew-Warka bridgehead.

An overhelming strike from the air forces and armed forces of the Red Army cost most of the German Army Group Centre (leaded by General Georg Hans Reinhardt) a very quick breakthrough and retreat into a western direction. The 1st Guards Tank Army leaded by Mikhail Katukov and the 8th Guards Army leaded by Vasily Chuikov (both of them as a part of the First Belorussian Front), which on 22nd January reached the area of Poznań’s capitol, were directing themselves to a route to Poznań and Łódź, attacking during this task forces of the 9th Army.

But ealier – on 22nd January at 5.25 a.m. – German headquaters, realizing the dramatic situation to the east of Poznań which kept getting worse with each hour, raised an alarm in Poznań Fortress (Festung Posen). That decision resulted not only in an immediate evacuation of the whole town but also in subordinating all people, along with the civilians, staying on the area of the Fortress to it’s Commander-in-chief; mayor general Ernst Mattern.

On the same day – around 6 p.m. – the governor of Warta Land (so called the Gauleiter office), Artur Greiser, departed from Poznań, leaving the chaotic task of executing an evacuation of the political and administrative apparatus to his deputy.

In the meantime, German troops assigned to defend the city, which number ultimately has reached 15 000 soldiers, began an extension and filling the defending positions. The area of Festung Posen was divided into three main sections of defence (according to an earlier plan):

-    the “East” section leaded by colonel Oberst Ernst Gonell which covered the right-bank part of the city,
-    the “West” section leaded by mayor Heinz Martin Ewert which covered the left-bank part of the city,
-    the “Warta” section leaded by mayor Eberhard Hahn which covered a shoreline of the river (within the bounds of the Fortress).