In the final stages of World War II, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower made the controversial decision not to race the Soviets to Berlin, despite having the military capability to do so. The decision was motivated by several factors, including a desire to avoid a clash with the Soviet Union, which would have potentially escalated the war, as well as a belief that Berlin held little strategic value and was not worth the potential cost in American lives. Additionally, Eisenhower had been instructed by President Harry Truman to prioritize the defeat of Nazi Germany over the occupation of territory, which further influenced his decision.
