HT This Day: May 04, 1945 -- Russians return to Berlin after 185 years

Within 12 hours Haddick wheeled his troops and was gone before the Prussians discovered the meagre size of his forces.

Three years before the Russians barged in a flying detachment of 4,000 Austrian cavalry under command of daring General Haddick razed a Berlin suburb and forced the capital under threat of similar treatment to pay ransom. Within 12 hours Haddick wheeled his troops and was gone before the Prussians discovered the meagre size of his forces.

HT This Day: May 04, 1945 -- Russians return to Berlin after 185 years

Gustavous Adolphus the Swedish soldier of the Cross was in Berlin in 1631.

Napolean swept in from the West in 1806 and exacted heavy levies to till his empire war chest.

The following are the landmarks in over seven centuries of Berlin’s history:

1230-No specific record of the founding of Berlin exists. The first recorded mention of a city by that name in its present location appears in 1230. At that time there were two towns, Kolin and Berlin. Neither was of treat importance except that they guarded a crossing of the river Spree, a small stream flowing through the North German plain.

1448-Kolin and Berlin were combined in a preliminary unification. As a member of the Hanseatic League the city steadily grew more important as a commercial centre

1539-The Hohenzollern family made the city the seat of their power, beginning an identification of family and city which was not to end until the abdication of Kaiser William II to 1918. As the capital city of the electorate of Brandenburg, Berlin became stabilized. Previously she had been embroiled in many internal struggles resultant from conflicts between dynasties and antagonisms which arose between princes, nobles and cities

1631-King Gustavus Adolpnus at Sweden marched into the city with banners flying in defence of Protestant aspirations in Northern Europe. With this action Berlin’s part in the 30 Years War became intense. Conscription of men and wealth was a severe drain on the resources of the still insignificant city

1675-Berlin again was threatened with Swedish invasion to the tangled Web of intrigue among small states arising out of the collapse of German efforts to make their rulers world emperors in the manner of the Roman Empire

1757-City was plundered by Austrians

1760- City was plundered by Russians

1806- Napolean marched into the city after the battle of Jena

1848-Riots continuing for a week marked Berlin’s participation in the great reform movement of that year

1861-The old walls were torn down considerable suburban territory was annexed and the real development of Berlin as a world municipality was begun. Emperor William I came to power in that year and he gave increasing freedom to the city

1874-Municipal control of the streets was obtained and a short time later city official gained control of the river Spree. The opening of the city and its communications was the initial step in the development of a governmental setup which made Berlin unsurpassed in municipal organization. It was called the “most modern and perfectly organized city.” The Spree is still an important part of the outstanding transportation network which makes Berlin the dominant city of Germany

1900-The census showed a population of 1,884,345 as compared with 825,389 in 1871. This represented the city’s growing participation in the expansion programmes of the Emperor William II

1911-Greater Berlin was formed including many suburban areas

1914-With the outbreak of World War I Berlin became the centre of the war programmes of the Central Powers

1919-The war ended and Berlin became the centre of rioting, disorganization and political bickering which marked the early post-War years. In that year the new government was moved to Weimar but Berlin was never replaced as the heart of Germany

1932- Adolf Hitler, a leader of a political party called the National Socialists (Nazis) was brought to trial in the city on charges of slander.

1933- Hitler gained control on the Government

1939-45- Berlin found herself in the midst of a new world War and bombings by British planes presaged the storm to come.