During the Nazi era, demolition of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke began in March 1939 to make room for the "Welthauptstadt Germania" plans developed by Albert Speer; nevertheless, works ceased shortly after the outbreak of World War II in September. Most of the buildings on Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße were largely damaged and several lost completely in the British and American air raids on the city between 1943 and 1945. During the final Battle of Berlin in April 1945, German Wehrmacht troops blew up the remnants of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke in an attempt to hold back the Red Army advance.