losing battle. Part of the reason for their loss of morale was the growing incompetence of Hitler and his supporters, whose military orders were becoming increasingly ineffectual and even ridiculous. For example, Beevor notes, "Hitler, having ordered that Berlin should be prepared for defense, then refused to allocate any troops to the task" (Beevor 177). In another example, Hitler's own supporters began to turn against him. Beevor writes, "He [Hitler] asked Speer again whether he still believed that the war could be won. Speer said that he did not. Hitler claimed that it was 'impossible to deny the hope of final victory'" (Beevor 157). Hitler could not tolerate defeat, and he could not tolerate losing face in front of his followers. That is one reason he committed suicide on the last day of April 1945, before he could witness Berlin's fall. When Hitler committed suicide, it was clear the end was near, and that the allies had won the war.
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