Armed with outdated but still effective weapons, the Russian Army was tasked with keeping the Germans back. The initial German advance had nearly seen the defeat of the Soviet Union. However, the Soviets were able to push back. Eventually Russia would be the first Allied Nation to reach the German capitol of Berlin. Many of the Russian commanders treated their soldiers as cannon-fodder and used them on suicidal charges. However, the most important and influential Soviet General, Gregory Zhukov, disagreed and protected his men's lives by using tactics that would maximize their effectiveness as well as chances of survival. At the end of the war, the Soviets controlled much of Eastern Europe as well as part of Germany.