VE day was on May 8, 1945. This marked the date when the WW2 allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of Hitler’s Third Reich. This ended the war in Europe. On April 30 Hitler committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin so the surrender of Germany was authorized by his successor. Hitler’s successor was President of Germany Karl Donitz. The surrender was signed on May 7 in Reims, France, and on May 8 in Berlin, Germany.
Celebrations erupted throughout the Western world. From Moscow to New York, people celebrated. In Great Britain, there were millions of people cheering in the streets. In London, crowds were everywhere. People were massed in Trafalgar Square and up the mall to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Winston Churchill.
The victory happened on Harry Truman’s 61st birthday in the US. Truman dedicated the victory to FDR, who had died a month before. Flags remained at half- staff for the remainder of the 30- day mourning period. Truman said that keeping the flags at half- staff that his only wish was “that FDR had lived to witness this day.”
German soldiers were very concerned. They were worried that the Soviet forces were going to take soldiers as prisoners. About 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended. The Germans were stopped by the Russians and taken captive. Russia captured over 2 million soldiers in the period just before and after the German surrender.
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Good but be sure to include personal thoughts!