On January 27, 1945, the Russians were only 50 miles from Berlin, and powerful American and British forces were about to smash across the Rhine. Hitler, however, was convinced he could still win the war. "This time," he said, referring bitterly to Germany's "premature" surrender in 1918, "we must not give up at five minutes before midnight!" But 100 days later, the Third Reich lay in ruins and former Allies had become antagonists. Perhaps no other three months in history have had greater significance. These crucial days saw not only the defeat of the Nazi and Fascist dictatorships but the beginning of a chain of dramatic events -- both great and small -- whose far-reaching consequences created the Cold War. - Jacket flap.