“The History and Significance of Victory Day: Commemorating the USSR’s Triumph over Nazi Germany”

Victory Day is a holiday commemorating the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 8, 1945 and is celebrated every year on May 9 to this day.
However, the World War II Allies celebrate on different dates. The reason for this is the time difference and the complicated procedure of Germany’s surrender. Therefore, in the European Union and the USA, Victory Day over Germany is celebrated on May 8, and in Russia on May 9.

On May 8, 1945, at 11:16 p.m. in the ruined city under the spotlights of the Allied media, the Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht, Field Marshal Keitel, entered the hall with a marshal’s baton and a monocle on his eye, and signed the German surrender in the building of the military engineering school in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst. On the side of the Allies, Marshal Zhukov, British Air Marshal Tedder, American General Spaatz and French General Latre de Tassini put their names.

Here, Field Marshal Keitel, who had demonstrated Prussian self-control up to that point, couldn’t stand it: “What, the French too?! That was the only thing missing!”, he was indignant. And not without reason, given the ignominious capitulation of France in 1940 and the collaboration of the Pétain regime with Hitler.

First point of their signatures

“ACT OF MILITARY CAPITOLATION”

“We the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, and also submit to the submission of all forces at present under German command Main Command of the Red Army and at the same time the Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces”.

The tragedy began on September 1, 1939 with the attack on Poland.

Until May 9, 1945, humanity recorded the bloodiest war in its history. For a period of nearly 6 years, millions of people died all over the world. 61 countries are involved in the all-out bloody showdown. This carnage is known as World War II. Less well known is that Germany was defeated once but capitulated twice.

On May 7, 1945, at 2:41 a.m., in the city of Reims, France, Germany signed its unconditional surrender pact. This ends the fighting. The document obliges the countries to leave their military formations in place. And not to take any action to destroy or damage property and infrastructure.

On the part of Hitler’s Germany, the pact was signed by Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl – the general who, since 1938, headed the Operational Headquarters of the Wehrmacht. For the anti-Hitler coalition, Lieutenant General Walter Beadle Smith – Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and the representative of the Supreme High Command of the USSR, Major General Ivan Susloparov, put their signatures under the document. As the representative of France and a witness to the signing, the pact was signed by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the National Defense, Brigadier General Francois Sevez.

The surrender of Nazi Germany took effect at 23:01 (CET) on May 8, 1945. The Pact was drawn up in English and only its version in that language is accepted as official.

17 journalists are present at the signing ceremony of the pact in Reims. They all agree under oath not to officially disclose the news of the signing of the document for a period of 36 hours. However, information is leaking. In the US and Europe, the official announcement of the signing of the pact is shortly before midnight on May 8. And in the USSR – in the late hours of May 9. Since then, May 9 has been celebrated as Victory Day in the USSR.

Stalin was outraged by the surrender signed at Reims,

in which the leading role is played by the Western allies. He refused to recognize this act and demanded a new signing of the capitulation in Berlin occupied by the Red Army. And asks the Allies not to officially announce the victory until the capitulation takes effect, i.e. until May 9. The last request was refused by both Churchill and Truman, who stated that Stalin’s request came to him too late and it was impossible to cancel the announcement of surrender.

Stalin declared: “The treaty signed at Reims must not be abrogated, but it must not be recognized. The capitulation must be reflected as the most important historical act and accepted not on the territory of the victors, but where the fascist aggression started – in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the supreme command of all the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition… In response, the Allies agreed to hold the second signing ceremony in Berlin. Eisenhower informed Yodel that the German branch commanders were to report for the final formal proceedings at a time and place to be designated by the Soviet and Allied commands.

The final and unconditional surrender of Germany was signed in the Berlin suburb of Karlhorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school. According to the official version accepted in the Soviet Union, the act was signed on May 8 at 22:43 CET, at 00:43 on May 9 Moscow time. The text of the act does not indicate the exact date of its signing – May 8, 1945 is indicated.

On the German side, Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel, the head of the Wehrmacht High Command, the representative of the Luftwaffe – Colonel General Stumpf and the Kriegsmarine – Admiral von Friedeburg signed this document. The unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the USSR) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force Marshal Tedder.

Eisenhower intended to attend the second signing of the act, but was stopped by the objections of Churchill and a group of officers in his entourage, dissatisfied with this procedure. As a result, Eisenhower sent his deputy, Arthur Tedder.

According to the agreement between the governments of the Soviet Union, the United States and Great Britain, an agreement was reached that the Reims procedure should be considered preliminary. This is exactly how it was interpreted in the Soviet Union, where the significance of the act of May 8 was downplayed, but in the West it was evaluated as an official signing of the capitulation, and the procedure in Karlhorst – for its ratification.

After accepting the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany,
i.e. formally remains in a state of war. The decree on the termination of the war was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on January 25, 1955.

The idea of ​​unconditional surrender was launched by President Roosevelt at the meeting in Casablanca in 1943.

By July 1944, a detailed document was developed, agreed with all the commands in the anti-Hitler coalition. When on May 4-5, 1945, the question of Germany’s capitulation became relevant, it was necessary to write a new, short and purely military text of the pact. The authors of the document are American officers from the staff of the commander-in-chief of the American-British allied forces Dwight Eisenhower.

In the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, May 9 is not an official holiday, but this day is solemnly celebrated,

by laying flowers and wreaths at the monuments of the fallen Bulgarian and Soviet soldiers, resistance fighters and partisans, other solemn events are also organized.
After November 10, 1989, the organization of official solemn events on the occasion of Victory Day was stopped in Bulgaria. On this day, the Europe Day, dedicated to peace and unity, begins to be celebrated.

In Bulgaria, as well as in the EU, Victory Day begins to be celebrated on May 8. However, every year Russophiles, Eurosceptics and leftists across the country continue to celebrate on May 9. They pay tribute to the fallen Bulgarian and Soviet soldiers, and lay wreaths and flowers on their monuments. Since 2005, those celebrating May 9 have been wearing Russian-style St. George’s ribbons.