Eighty years ago German loses its satellites and another capital is liberated from them.

 

The Finns had slowed the Red Army's advance into the country significantly, inflicting heavy casualties. The Soviets wanted to focus their sttrength on the drive to Berlin and were open to Finnish peace overtures. They inisted, though, that Finland publicly break with Germany before entering a deal. The Finnish prime minister made a radio broadcast putting the blame on the Germans for the breach as they had failed to send Finland military assitance as promised; he also claimed that many in Germany knew the war was lost. The Soviets agreed to a ceasfire which left the problem of dealing with 100,000 German troops still in the country.

With the Red Army at its borders the Germans withdrew entirely from  Bulgaria. The pro-Axis government was replaced by one which declared war on Germany. The Soviet Union was not impressed by its new notional allied and declared war on Bulgaria as a prelude to invasion. The Bulgarian army offered no reistance.

The Guards Armoured Divison commanded by Brian Horrocks liberated Brussels from the Germans after advancing  110km in a single day. They had encountered minimal resistance from the Germans and the population of the city were surprised at how soon they had been freed. After US forces had taken Rome and Free French forces had taklen Paris, Brussels was the first capital city in Europe to fall to British led troops. The government-in-exile which consisted of ministers from the 1940 moved seamlessly into power. It publicly recognised Leopold III - then a prisoner in Germany - as sovereign even though they had declared  his surrender of the country to the Germans in 1940 as unconstitutional. In fact Leopold was to remain in exile for six years.