Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, VE Day, or simply V Day was the public
holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War
II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces.
It thus marked the end of World War II in Europe.
On 30 April, Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin.
Germany's surrender, therefore, was authorized by his successor, Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz.
The administration headed by Dönitz was known as the Flensburg government.
The act of military surrender was signed on 7 May in Reims, France and on 8 May in Berlin,
Germany.
Celebrations Upon the defeat of Germany, celebrations erupted
throughout the world.
From Moscow to Los Angeles, people cheered.
In the United Kingdom, more than one million people celebrated in the streets to mark the
end of the European part of the war.
In London, crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and up The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared
on the balcony of the Palace before the cheering crowds.
Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret were allowed to wander incognito
among the crowds and take part in the celebrations.
In the United States, the victory happened on President Harry Truman's 61st birthday.
He dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who
had died of a cerebral hemorrhage less than a month earlier, on 12 April.
Flags remained at half-mast for the remainder of the 30-day mourning period.
Truman said of dedicating the victory to Roosevelt's memory and keeping the flags at half-mast
that his only wish was "that Franklin D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day."
Later that day, Truman said that the victory made it his most enjoyable birthday.
Massive celebrations also took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and especially in New
York City's Times Square.
Soviet Victory Day
As the Soviet representative in Reims had no authority to sign the German instrument
of surrender, the Soviet leadership proposed to consider Reims surrender as a "preliminary"
act.
The surrender ceremony was repeated in Berlin on May 8, where the instrument of surrender
was signed by supreme German military commander Wilhelm Keitel, by Georgy Zhukov and Allied
representatives.
Since the Soviet Union was to the east of Germany, it was 9 May Moscow Time when the
German military surrender became effective, which is why Russia and most of the former
Soviet republics commemorate Victory Day on 9 May instead of 8 May.
Commemorative public holidays (May 8 unless otherwise stated)
United Kingdom - 1995 May Day Bank Holiday was moved from the first Monday in May, May
1, to Monday 8 May, for that year only, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ending
of the Second World War.
East Germany as Tag der Befreiung, a public holiday from 1950 to 1966 and in 1985.
Between 1975 and 1990, as Tag des Sieges).
France as Victoire 1945 Slovakia as Deň víťazstva nad fašizmom
Czech Republic as Den vítězství or Den osvobození
Poland as "Dzień Zwycięstwa" Norway as "Frigjøringsdagen"
Denmark as "Befrielsen" Netherlands as "Bevrijdingsdag"
Ukraine "День Пам'яті" Belarus "Дзень Перамогі"
Russia "День победы" Kazakhstan
as "Жеңіс күні" or "День победы" British Channel Islands Liberation Days: Jersey
and Guernsey, Sark Italy "Festa della Liberazione".
Milan was freed from the Nazi troops on 25 April 1945.
See also Time of remembrance and reconciliation
Victory over Japan Day References
External links Economist article
WWII: VE Day, May 8, 1945 - slideshow by Life magazine
Rare audio speeches of the famous historical persons of the USSR and etc.
50th Anniversary Celebration of VE Day in Moscow on YouTube by Leon Charney on The Leon
Charney Report