Germany Surrenders

Setting the scene

Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7-8, 1945, ending World War II in Europe. After Hitler's suicide on April 30, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz became head of state and sought to surrender to the Western Allies while continuing to fight the Soviets. On May 7, General Alfred Jodl signed the surrender at SHAEF headquarters in Reims, France, at 2:41 a.m., effective May 8 at 11:01 p.m. Stalin demanded a second ceremony in Berlin, which occurred late on May 8 (May 9 Moscow time) with Field Marshal Keitel signing.

What happened

The surrender came after Germany's total collapse—Soviet troops had captured Berlin, and Allied forces occupied western Germany. The war in Europe had lasted 5 years, 8 months, and killed 40 million people, including 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. VE Day (Victory in Europe) was celebrated on May 8 in the West and May 9 in the USSR. The surrender divided Germany into occupation zones and began denazification, though the Cold War would soon divide the country for 45 years.

Why it still matters

Germany's surrender ended the Nazi regime and the most destructive war in European history. It left Germany occupied, devastated, and morally bankrupt, with cities in ruins and 12 million Germans expelled from Eastern Europe. The surrender began the process of reckoning with Nazi crimes, leading to the Nuremberg Trials. May 8 is commemorated as Liberation Day in many European countries. The surrender's unconditional nature, demanded at Casablanca in 1943, ensured Germany could not claim it had not been defeated, unlike the 'stab-in-the-back' myth after WWI.

Background

Europe lay in ruins under occupation.