Victory in Europe - May 08, 1945 - HISTORY.com Victory in Europe Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark—the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany. The main concern of many German soldiers was to elude the grasp of Soviet forces, to keep from being taken prisoner. About 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended, but were stopped by the Russians and taken captive. The Russians took approximately 2 million prisoners in the period just before and after the German surrender.

Meanwhile, more than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain. Pockets of German-Soviet confrontation would continue into the next day. On May 9, the Soviets would lose 600 more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans finally surrendered. Consequently, V-E Day was not celebrated until the ninth in Moscow, with a radio broadcast salute from Stalin himself: “The age-long struggle of the Slav nations… has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is over.” Related Videos VE Day, Victory in Europe May 8th 1945 By Ben Johnson | Comments May 8th 1945, was the date the Allies celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Reich, formally recognising the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Allies had begun to overrun Germany from the west during April as Russian forces advanced from the east. On 25th April 1945 , Allied and Soviet forces met at the Elbe River, the German Army was all but destroyed. Five days later, Hitler killed his dog, his new wife Eva and then committed suicide in his Berlin bunker.

His successor, Admiral Karl Doenitz, sent General Alfred Jodl to General Dwight Eisenhower's Supreme Allied Headquarters in Rheims to seek terms for an end to the war. At 2:41 a.m. on 7th May, General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of German forces, which was to take effect from 8th May at 11:01 p.m. After six years and millions of lives lost, the Nazi scourge was crushed and the war in Europe was finally over. V-E Day Celebrations on the Strand ( photograph courtesy of the Imperial War Museum Duxford) It was on this date that great celebrations took place across Europe and North America: in London over a million people celebrated the end of the European war. Crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and up the Mall to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the Palace to cheering crowds. Amongst those crowds Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II ) and her sister, Princess Margaret blended anonymously, apparently enjoying the celebrations for themselves first hand.

Listen now to Winston Churchill as he addresses the crowds on VE Day: In the United States, President Harry Truman, who celebrated his 61st birthday that same day, dedicated the victory to his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died less than a month earlier, on 12th April. The Allies had originally agreed to mark 9th May 1945 as V-E day, but eager western journalists broke the news of Germany's surrender prematurely, thus signalling the earlier celebration. The Soviet’s kept to the agreed date, and Russia still commemorates the end of the Second World War, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, as Victory Day on 9th May. The Allied victory over Japan was known as V-J Day , did not take place until some months later on 15th August 1945. Liberation Day Cavelcade, Guernsey © States of Guernsey Tourist Board Parties have been organised throughout Europe and North America in May 2005 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of VE Day.

Of special significance perhaps, are those events planned to commemorate the liberation of the Channel Islands , which were the only part of Britain to fall under the domination of the Third Reich. Tweet If you enjoyed this article, you might also like... The British Tommy, Tommy Atkins - Tommy Atkins, Thomas Atkins and Tommy are all terms that refer to the British common soldier, particularly in... The Victoria Cross - The origins of the Victoria Cross can be traced back to 1854, when Britain found itself fighting a major war against... World War 2 Chronology - An introduction to World War 2, from the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940, through to VE and VJ days in 1945. The Dicken Medal - The Dickin Medal has been called the Animal VC and is awarded by the charity PDSA in recognition of extreme bravery by animals. Theo, a springer spaniel arms and explosives dog, has been... Popular This Month Europe commemorates VE Day Europe commemorates VE Day Daily News Article — Posted on May 10, 2013 Jump to...

Just Questions Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, left, and French President Francois Hollande, right, review the troops during a ceremony marking the 68th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, in Paris, Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Photo: Bertrand Langlois (from China Daily) – People from across Europe commemorated on Wednesday in various ways the 68th Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) that marks the end of the Second World War (WWII) in Europe. VE Day on May 8 is marked by over 20 countries around the world as a formal celebration of the Allies’ victory following the Nazi surrender in 1945. VE Day is a public holiday in Europe. Russia celebrates the victory on May 9. In France, President Francois Hollande chaired Wednesday’s ceremonies in Paris, joined by visiting Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski. They inspected French troops and rekindled the flame together at the tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arc de Triomphe.

After laying a wreath at the foot of General de Gaulle’s statue, President Hollande, under the escort of the Republican Guard, came to greet audiences along The Champs-Elysees before meeting his ministers who welcomed him at the Place de l’Etoile (Star Square). French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, along with some government members and representatives from other countries attended the ceremony. … On Wednesday Poland, [which suffered heavy losses] during WWII, also celebrated the 68th Victory in Europe Day in front of the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Warsaw. Polish governmental officials, representatives of war veterans from the war, and foreign ambassadors from the Allied countries in Warsaw attended the ceremony and presented flowers to the Tomb of Unknown Soldier. According to the research by the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), between 5.6 and 5.8 million Poles died in Poland during the war. “The war was over 68 years ago, it is history now, and history should be respected,” said 90-year-old M. Paul, watching the ceremony, standing near the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in the city center of Warsaw.

… In Germany, many people visited on Wednesday the Sachsenhausen memorial and museum, which was built at the site of the former Nazi concentration camp about 35 km north of Berlin in 1936. The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp now serves as a place to learn about the history within the authentic surroundings, including the remnants of buildings and other relics of the camp. Commenting on the German history in WWII, museum visitor Jaap Van Dijk said that “you cannot really hide it … the best you can do is to inform people about it, which I think they (German people) have done very well.” Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission from China Daily News. Note: China Daily, Xinhua News is the official press agency of the Communist government of the People’s Republic of China. Questions 1. a) Who were the main Allied powers during WWII? b) What countries made up the Axis? 2. What is VE Day? 3. How did France, which had been occupied by Nazi Germany during WWII, commemorate the 68th VE Day this week? 4. How did many people mark the day in Germany? 5.

Watching the ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in the city center of Warsaw, 90-year-old M. Paul said: “The war was over 68 years ago, it is history now, and history should be respected.” What do you think Mr. Paul meant by that statement? 6. Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day. Armistice Day was celebrated every year on November 11th to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning — the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. The date was declared a national holiday in many allied nations, to commemorate those members of the armed forces who were killed during the war. After World War II in the U.S., Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day. Unlike other countries, where that calendar date is set aside specifically for honoring those who died in action, Veterans Day honors all American veterans, whether living, dead in action, or deceased from other causes.

The official national remembrance of war dead in the U.S. instead falls on the late-May holiday of Memorial Day, which has been commemorated since the end of the Civil War. Think about everything you have learned about WWII, the horrific Holocaust, and the number of American soldiers who lost their lives or were severely injured, and the sacrifices people made at home. a) Do you think the U.S., like France and Poland and Russia, where the fighting actually place, should hold widespread commemorations to mark this historic end to WWII (or are Veterans Day and Memorial Day the only commemorations we need)? Explain your answer. b) Ask a grandparent the same question. Free Answers — Sign-up here to receive a daily email with answers. Background VE day (Victory in Europe day) is held on May 8th. It commemorates the end of the Second World War in Europe, when the forces of Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied forces. The Japanese continued to fight the Americans until August 15th 1945. This date is known as VJ day (Victory in Japan day). In depth The Second World War lasted 6 years from 1939 to 1945.

Sixty million people in Europe, Africa and Asia were killed. On 7th May 1945, the German High Command signed an unconditional surrender document. To give time for the news to spread to the fighting soldiers, it was agreed that the ceasefire should be at 00.01 on the 9th May. However, enthusiastic journalists broke the news early and spontaneous celebrations began almost immediately. Church bells rang out across the land and churches were packed as people went to give thanks [to God] that, after 6 long years of suffering, victory had finally arrived. … VE Day in Britain In Britain people gathered on the streets, many dressed in red, white and blue, to sing and dance, hugging each other, relieved that the war was finally over. Britain and Western Europe decided to celebrate VE day on the 8th May with street parties and fancy dress parades for the children. In Russia VE day is celebrated on May the 9th, the official date the war ended. Food was rationed, so people had to pool together their coupons to have enough to provide party food. Many of the street party decorations were handmade. Decorations could not be easily bought in war-weary England.

Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe stuck to the original agreement and still celebrate on the 9th May. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth waved to cheering crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Their daughter, Princess Elizabeth (who became the present Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret mingled anonymously with the huge crowds in the Mall and Trafalgar Square. Official announcement by Winston Churchill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill officially announced the surrender of Nazi Germany which was broadcast around the world to British soldiers. He gave thanks to God and then went to join the Royal family on the balcony of Buckingham palace and told the crowds. “This is your victory… Advance Britannia”. The celebrations continued all night with fireworks and bonfires where images of Hitler were burnt and many pubs ran out of alcohol. (from BBC News) Resources WWII Victory Day in France Home Calendar Holidays France WWII Victory Day WWII Victory Day in France WWII Victory Day (la fête de la victoire, le jour de la libération) is a holiday to celebrate the end of World War II and the French people's freedom. It is the anniversary of when Charles de Gaulle announced the end of World War II in France on May 8, 1945.

Flags of the European nations are displayed at some ceremonies on WWII Victory Day. Flags of the European nations are displayed at some ceremonies on WWII Victory Day. ©iStockphoto.com/Dutchy What Do People Do? Schools, colleges and universities spend the period before May 8 focusing on the history of the Nazi oppression and World War II. Lessons related to this topic ensure that all generations know what happened during the war and why it is important to preserve everyone's rights in modern society. Many people attend parades and church services on May 8 each year to celebrate the end of World War II and the freedom of France from Nazi oppression. They also sing patriotic songs and display the French national flag on their homes and public buildings. The mood on WWII Victory Day is generally joyous but people may also make time to remember family members or others who died during World War II. In the past, World War II veterans played an important role in the celebrations but many of them are now older and some are unable to perform a public role. Public Life WWII Victory Day is a public holiday in France so post offices, banks, and many businesses are closed. Restaurants and cafes outside tourist areas may also be closed.

However, bakeries and some stores in Paris, as well as at airports and railway stations and along major highways, are open. Public transport service schedules vary depending on where one lives and intends to travel. Roads may be closed for parades. This is particularly likely in the center of towns, cities, and near war memorials. Background Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces, announced the official end of World War II to the French people on May 8, 1945. Church bells rang to communicate and celebrate this message. It marked the end of a six-year war and the Nazi oppression in France, which resulted in millions of deaths. May 8 and 9, 1945, were joyous days but it took some time for WWII Victory Day to become established as a day of celebration and a public holiday. Between 1945 and 1953, the end of World War II was marked during the feast of St. Joan of Arc on May 16 and the Armistice Day observances on November 11. The following events occurred: On May 7, 1946, law number 46-934 was adopted.

This law specified that the WWII victory would be celebrated on the second Sunday of May. On March 20, 1953, law number 53-225 was adopted and May 8 officially became a holiday to mark the end of World War II. However, May Day is always in May. Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday are often in May. This meant that there were a lot of public holidays in May. On April 11, 1959, law number 59-533 returned WWII Victory Day to the second Sunday of May. Many veterans protested against this decision and continued to commemorate WWII Victory Day on May 8. On April 1, 1965, the government announced that May 8, 1965, would be a special holiday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the end of World War II. This public holiday was only observed in 1965. On January 17, 1968, the government announced that World War II victory celebrations would move to May 8, but would be in the late afternoon to minimize disruption to the working day.

In 1975 the French President decided that there would be no official or national commemoration of the end of World War II. Many veterans protested against this decision and continued to commemorate WWII Victory Day locally on May 8. On October 2, 1981, law number 81-893 amended the French Labor Code and WWII Victory Day became a public holiday. After much public debate, it also became an official national holiday in 1982. This day is marked on the island of Martinique, in the Caribbean, as the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Pelée on May 8, 1902. More than 30,000 people died from the eruption. Symbols The French national flag, or tricolor, is an important symbol of WWII Victory Day. It is one-and-a-half times as wide as it is tall and consists of three vertical bands colored blue, white and red. The bands are all the same width. The same colors are displayed in bunting and banners of many shapes on WWII Victory Day. Flags of all European nations and the European flag are also displayed at some ceremonies. These emphasize the lasting peace and unity in Europe since the end of World War II.

WWII Victory Day Observances The National WWII Museum | New Orleans: Learn: For Students: WWII at a Glance: Remembering V-E Day Image Gallery Remembering V-E DAY: May 8, 1945 The D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, represented the tip of the Allied spear into Germany’s Western Front. Over the next eleven months, millions of tons of supplies, vehicles, and Allied soldiers poured onto the continent to join the fight against the Nazis. The last year of the war in Europe saw some of the hardest fighting in the European Theater of Operations. Operation Market-Garden, the Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine River into Germany, and the final battles for Berlin and other German cities took enormous tolls in life and property. The last German V-1 bomb hit a farm in Herfordshire, England, on March 27th, 1945. On April 30th, with the Soviet Army overrunning Berlin, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. One week later Germany surrendered.

The surrender was announced May 7th, 1945, officially ending the European phase of World War II. Allied leaders decided that May 8th would be celebrated as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day). Throughout the day of August 14th, anticipation mounted as people listened to the radio or called their local newspaper for the latest word. The New York Times announced that its revolving news sign in Times Square would remain on continuously during the wait. Many people lingered below the sign, knowing the biggest celebration of all would occur there. The waiting gave cities throughout the country time to announce their plans. Every town and city expected crowds larger than those for V-E Day. The news of Germany’s defeat set off mass celebrations around the world. Many people gathered to dance in the streets. Overjoyed Russians jammed Red Square in Moscow to celebrate. The London crowds mobbed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as he was traveling to Parliament to deliver his victory address. In France, Corporal William S. Dryer, U.S. Air Force, wrote to his fiancé, “The people went mad. Mad with laughter and mad with happiness, mad with anything and everything.

All up and down the streets the cheering populace let it be known that Hitler was KAPUT…” There was celebrating throughout the United States with the gathering of thousands in New York City’s Times Square after hearing the news. In Louisiana, Anne Relph recalled being on a train with her Grandmother “and hearing bells ring as we went through little towns…. I didn’t know what was going on until the train stopped, and someone told us that the war in Europe had ended. There was rejoicing, sort of dancing in the street and church bells ringing in every little town we went through. In New Orleans, people were literally dancing in the streets. They were singing, dancing, jumping in and out of fountains…It was like Mardi Gras, and just this incredible sense of relief that part of our war, anyway, was finished…” Though the war in the Pacific was still being fought and the Japanese surrender would not come for almost another four months, there was no dampening of the spirits of the American people. They celebrated in the streets with the knowledge that with the victory in Europe this long war might actually be coming to an end.

Victory in Europe Day May 8th 1945 - Victory Girls Blog Victory Girls Blog Victory in Europe Day May 8th 1945 by Kelley Kruse on May 8, 2014 Today Europe observes the 69th anniversary of the end of World War II. Victory in Europe (V-E) Day was celebrated on May 8th 1945. A document of unconditional surrender was signed by German General Jodl , Cheif of the Operations Staff in the German High Command at General Eisenhower’s Headquarters in Reims, France on May 7. Joseph Stalin insisted that the surrender be signed again at another ceremony in Soviet-occupied Berlin, because, well… Stalin, Russia, Soviets, he said so. The second signing happened on May 9th. General Alfred Jodl, center, signs the document of unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945. Victory in Europe was announced the next day. By the evening of the 7th, no official announcement of the surrender had been made. The German soldiers had been notified. But Stalin had his own views on how the end of the war should be announced.

(Maybe on the back of a bear – I wonder where Putin gets these ideas.) Churchill didn’t want to give Stalin the satisfaction. “In accordance with arrangements between the three great powers, tomorrow, Tuesday, will be treated as Victory in Europe Day and will be regarded as a holiday.” The celebration began. The next day, May 8th, neighbors and neighborhoods rallied together to pool their food for feasts and picnics and parties, after almost six years of rationing. The war was over and it was a time to celebrate, the nightmare of those 6 hellish years of misery was over. There was relief that the shadow of war had finally been lifted. For many, though, there was mourning over the lives that had been lost. For some I suspect it was a day of quiet contemplation. The lights came back on . The last official event of VE Day was a broadcast to the nation by George VI at 21.00. Buckingham Palace was lit up by floodlights for the first time since 1939 and two searchlights made a giant ‘V’ above St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a highly symbolic gesture for a city that had spent years in blackout.

People built street fires out of whatever flammable materials they could find. Witnesses reported that London had the same red glow to it as during the Blitz – but this time it was in celebration. The Allies stood up to Hitler and his mighty war machine, the Third Reich. Could we do that now? Could we make the sacrifices that our grandparents and great-grandparents once did, in order to defeat a terrible force intent on reshaping the world in its own image? Europe is no longer at peace. With the encroachment of radical Islam into the communities and laws of the countries who once formed the Allied nations, western Europe no longer looks like or acts like it once did. Russia’s bold, aggressive actions – taking Crimea in just a day or two, and then the lies about the vote regarding secession, along with the continued show of force at the Ukrainian border – are starting to look like the creation of a new Soviet Empire. Our president would rather ignore the weakening of western Europe, and handle the Ukraine crisis with sleeping bags, flashlights, and MREs . Our State Department would rather send out hashtags than confront the hard work of real diplomacy, which usually means following Teddy Roosevelt’s advice . I just perused Patton’s diary again.

The State Department should have taken his advice, too. Patton said to (U.S. Secretary of War) Patterson: “Let’s keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to the Red Army. This is the only language they understand and respect.” Xavier May 8, 2014 at 1:11 pm That’s a very good point. We have tried to civilize war to the point that we’ve hobbled our military. I know this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but I believe that when you wage war, it should be unrestricted. Every citizen of the country you’re fighting should be treated as an enemy combatant – even civilians support their soldiers and build the weapons that arm their military. Kill them all. Make them realize we will wipe their culture from the face of the earth. Next time others will think twice before they cufk with you. Harsh, yes – but look where appeasement as gotten us.

BBC - History - World Wars: Victory in Europe Day Victory in Europe Day By Dr Gary Sheffield Last updated 2011-03-10 The end of the war in Europe was met with a mixture of euphoria, sombre reflection and, in some cases, indifference. Gary Sheffield examines how the defeat of Hitler's Germany was greeted in Britain and around the world. On this page Print this page Unconditional surrender Tuesday 8 May 1945 was 'Victory in Europe' (VE) Day, and it marked the formal end of Hitler's war. With it came the end of six years of misery, suffering, courage and endurance across the world. Individuals reacted in very different ways to the end of the nightmare: some celebrated by partying; others spent the day in quiet reflection; and there were those too busy carrying out tasks to do either. Ultimately nothing would be quite the same again. ... it was clear - since at least the beginning of 1945 - that the end of World War Two was in sight ... The end of the World War One on 11 November 1918 had come as a shock to many soldiers and civilians because the collapse of the German army had been so sudden.

By contrast, it was clear - since at least the beginning of 1945 - that the end of the World War Two was in sight following a series of capitulations. The German forces in Italy surrendered on 2 May. On the following day a high-ranking German delegation, including a senior admiral and a senior general, appeared at the headquarters of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, located near Lubeck. Typically, Montgomery barked, 'Who are these men? What do they want?' They had come to surrender the German forces in Northern Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. The final document of unconditional surrender was signed at General Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims on 7 May. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and King George VI wanted Monday 7 May to be VE Day, but in the event, bowing to American wishes, victory was celebrated on 8 May. The USSR waited an extra day before beginning their formal celebrations. Top 'I've survived' US 'Stars and Stripes' newspaper announces: 'Germany Quits', May 7 1945 © The fighting, killing and dying went on up to the very last minute, and even continued into the immediate period of supposed peace.

A German U-Boat sank two merchant ships on 7 May off the Scottish coast, and some Germans continued to fight against the Red Army for several days after VE Day. A common reaction to the news of peace among soldiers in Europe was 'I've survived'. Stuart Hills, a British officer with an armoured regiment, finished the war deep in Germany. On hearing the news he felt immediate exhilaration and marked the occasion with some 'liberated' champagne. But then 'reaction set in' as he thought of his friends who had been killed, and he no longer felt like celebrating. A Scottish battalion let off some flares when the news came through. Later on rum was issued and one platoon held a sing-song. Otherwise, VE Day passed without much incident. For this unit, still in close proximity to German forces that refused to believe the war was over, it was business as usual. ... swastikas were ceremonially burned. The 8th Hussars (part of 7th Armoured Division), also known as the 'Desert Rats', celebrated VE Day in northern Germany with a church parade followed by rum punch drunk beside bonfires on which swastikas were ceremonially burned.

Elsewhere there were more riotous celebrations, with men going 'absent without leave' (AWOL) and even some alcohol-fuelled fatalities, but these tended to occur further back from the front line. In general terms, the British army remained well disciplined. The fighting might have been over, but surrounded by a near-starving civilian population eking a living in the ruins of Germany's towns and cities, everyone could see that there was still much to do. Moreover, the thought of the Far East was in the back of many minds. Top 'Burma Looms Ahead' VE Day celebrations felt premature to some troops in the Pacific © For the Western Allies, of course, the conflict in Europe was only one half of the world war. At that stage, the atomic bomb was a secret known to a very few, and the end of the war with Japan seemed a very long way off. Many soldiers, sailors and airmen in the European theatre anticipated being sent to fight the Japanese in the Far East. The men of the British Liberation Army serving in Germany interpreted the initials 'BLA' as meaning 'Burma Looms Ahead'.

Not surprisingly, for some troops in action in Burma, or sailors of the British Pacific Fleet fighting alongside the US Navy, the news of victory in Europe seemed somehow unreal. As if to rub home the fact that there was still a war to be fought, the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious was hit by a Japanese kamikaze suicide plane on the day after VE Day. ... for some troops ... the news of victory in Europe seemed somehow unreal. For Far Eastern troops out of the line, there was an opportunity to celebrate in various ways. Some got hold of alcohol, while the Women's Auxiliary Service (Burma), attached to 26th Indian Division, supplied mugs of tea to a race-meeting held on a beach. A surprising number of soldiers who served in Burma do not even mention VE Day in their memoirs and diaries. One group in the Far East who did hear about the news from Europe were prisoners of war from Britain and other parts of the Empire, still held in terrible conditions in Changi Jail, Singapore, who picked up Churchill's victory broadcast on clandestine radios.

Top VE Day and the Commonwealth In Australia, the war with Japan was quite literally nearer to home, and Sydney Morning Herald posed the question, 'Since when has it been customary to celebrate victory halfway through a contest?' Subsequent VE Days were often quiet affairs in Australian towns and cities. In New Zealand, victory was celebrated on 9 May in an orderly fashion - the government having made detailed plans months in advance - and the population quietly obeyed instructions. Since when has it been customary to celebrate victory halfway through a contest? This was in stark contrast to VE Day in the Canadian city of Halifax, where bars were unwisely closed, leading to the widespread looting of alcohol by servicemen, inevitably followed by riotous behaviour and the destruction of property. Of course, other Canadians celebrated more decorously. The author's father-in-law, undergoing flying training in Canada, spent VE Day in Moncton, New Brunswick, joining local civilians in driving their trucks around the town in celebration. Many sailors of the Royal Navy discovered the news of VE Day through their ships' 'sparks' (radio operator) as they picked up BBC broadcasts. Many ships' captains celebrated the occasion by 'splicing the mainbrace' - a euphemism for issuing a rum ration.

For some, this was a pleasant interlude in what was otherwise a normal working day. A force of British and Canadian ships spent VE Day sailing to Jersey and Guernsey, occupied since 1940. Although in his victory broadcast Churchill had announced that, 'our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today', it was unclear whether the defenders intended to fight or surrender. In the event the liberation was achieved peacefully, with the Bailiff of Jersey leading the crowds in St Helier in a rendition of the National Anthem, which the Germans had banned for the duration of the war. Top War-weary Britain Churchill: 'This is your victory.' © In much of Britain, VE Day was marked by street parties. The people of Britain badly needed to let their hair down. The country was war-weary by May 1945. There had been years of austerity and rationing: five inches of water to a bath, few eggs, no bananas and the motto 'make do and mend'. Half a million homes had been destroyed, and many millions of lives disrupted. Although the casualty lists from the battlefields were lower than in World War One, they were still terrible.

When in 1944 the primitive V1 'doodlebug' missiles and V2 ballistic missiles began to rain down on south-east England, the morale of civilians who had already endured the Blitz of 1940-1 took a knock. ... the evil-doers lay prostrate before us ... Advance Britannia. People were already on the streets celebrating on 7 May, and huge crowds gathered in London on the following day. At 3.00pm Churchill made a radio broadcast. In Trafalgar Square, an eye-witness noted, '...there was an extraordinary hush over the assembled multitude', as Churchill's voice was relayed over loudspeakers: '... the evil-doers lay prostrate before us ... Advance Britannia.' The King and Queen appeared eight times on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, while the two princesses - Margaret and Elizabeth (the present Queen) - mingled with the crowds.

Churchill gave an impromptu speech on the balcony of the Ministry of Health, telling the crowds, 'This is your victory.' Top Moving on All over the country people held fancy dress parades for children, got drunk, made a din, sang and danced in the streets, and went to church to give thanks to God for victory. For all too many people, mourning a loved one killed in service or in a German air raid, the moment of victory was bittersweet. For others, after the parties were over, there was a sense of anti-climax. The war had been won, but the peace did not promise to be easy. The tension that had been there for six long years was suddenly relaxed. Some found that they had lost a sense of purpose in their lives, a feeling exacerbated by the austerity to come. The war had been won, but the peace did not promise to be easy. If VE Day drew a line under the past, the defeat of Churchill in the July 1945 General Election signalled a new beginning. On 15 August, victory in Japan read the last rites of the Second World War. Compared to VE Day, it was a subdued affair. Britain had already begun to move on.

Victory in Europe (VE) Day celebrations - Press releases - GOV.UK Victory in Europe (VE) Day celebrations From: This news article was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government A 3-day weekend of events will mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. A truck of revellers passing through the Strand, London [Picture: Imperial War Museum HU 41808] William Hague, Leader of the House of Commons, has today announced 3 days of commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day 70) this summer. The plans include events across the UK to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. Events will range from a parade, a service of thanksgiving and a star-studded concert in central London, to street parties around the UK. Mr Hague, Leader of the House of Commons, said: I am delighted to announce 3 days of celebrations, which will pay fitting tribute to those who did so much to defend this country and ensure victory in Europe.

It is right that we take time to reflect on the sacrifices made, not just by those in the Armed Forces, but by civilians such as Land Girls and those in Reserved Occupations and make sure that the whole country has the chance to take part in commemorating this momentous anniversary and remembering those who gave so much for our freedom. The celebrations in London will be echoed by other events across the country to mark VE Day 70 with local authorities and communities encouraged to participate. They will celebrate with members of their communities who contributed to the war effort throughout the Second World War. The Royal British Legion , as the national custodian of Remembrance, will act as the government’s key partner in leading the nation in marking the commemoration, including hosting a major reception for 2,000 veterans in St James’s Park. Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB CVO, National President of the Royal British Legion said: We are honoured to play our part in helping the nation mark 70 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Legion has a responsibility to help the memories of those of who have fought and died in our nation’s Armed Forces live on for future generations.

The commemoration of this conflict, still in living memory, gives us the opportunity to salute the Second World War generation. We hope that all communities will use the VE Day 70 commemorations to thank them and celebrate the role they played in our nation’s history. Eric Goldrein, 94, from Hale Village, Liverpool, served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War and was in Italy when the news came through that the war in Europe was over. We celebrated in a field, the Signallers set up speakers playing music and the locals came out and joined in too, happy that the war was finally over. I heard about the street parties back home and I’m looking forward to being part of these 70th Anniversary celebrations. Winston Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war with Germany had been won, 8 May 1945 (VE Day). [Picture: Imperial War Museum H 41849] Friday 8 May VE Day itself (Friday 8 May) will be a day of remembrance.

A service of remembrance will be held at The Cenotaph, including a national 2 minute silence at 3pm, marking the moment Winston Churchill broadcast his historic speech formally announcing the end of the war. The Department for Education will be encouraging schools across the country to observe the 2 minute silence and to celebrate and commemorate in their own way – for example, by reading out Churchill’s historic speech, holding special VE Day-themed assemblies or organising tea parties. In the evening a chain of over 100 beacons will be lit across the UK. Local communities that have already made plans for the day include Great Yarmouth, Island of Unst, Craig-Y-Dorth, Monmouthshire; Stokesby, Norfolk; and Lowestoft, Suffolk. Saturday 9 May Saturday 9 May will be a day of celebration. At around 11am, cathedrals across the country, from Durham to Canterbury, will be invited to ring their bells in celebration. Festivities will peak with a star-studded 1940s themed concert held on Horse Guards Parade on Saturday night starting from 7.30pm, featuring a line-up of international recording artists, stars and celebrities.

The show will be one of the highlights of the year and will be broadcast that evening on BBC One. Sunday 10 May A service of thanksgiving will be held at Westminster Abbey, attended by veterans and their families, members of the Royal Family, representatives of allied nations and Commonwealth countries who fought alongside Britain in the conflict, along with other diplomatic representatives and senior members of government and the armed forces. Following the service, there will be a parade of current personnel and veterans, supported by bands, from the Abbey along Whitehall, past the balcony of HM Treasury where Winston Churchill made his historic appearance before crowds on VE Day. Veterans who have taken part in the service and parade will then be invited to a reception in St James’s Park hosted by The Royal British Legion. During the afternoon there will be a flypast of current and historic aircraft from the Royal Air Force – including the Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster of the famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight , which played such a famous role in the European War. The Spitfire, with its unmistakable design, won the admiration of many for its daring role in the Battle of Britain, engaging in dogfights in the sky against enemy aircraft in the defence of the nation.

The Avro Lancaster is perhaps the most famous of the aircraft used by Bomber Command during the Second World War, used in many raids on enemy territory, including the famous Dambuster Raids on the Ruhr Valley. Central London will also be transported back to the 1940s by a display of period vehicles from the 1940s in St James’s Park. Further details on the commemorations, including event listings, are available at . Information on how veterans will be able to join in the London celebrations, including how to get involved in the lighting of the VE Day Beacons on 8 May and participating in the parade on 10 May, will be announced shortly. In the coming weeks, the government will also announce plans to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, which will include a day of major events on 15 August 2015. Notes to editors The line-up for the Horse Guards concert and details of how to get tickets will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Royal British Legion was recently awarded £6 million of LIBOR funding by HM Treasury to support the work of commemorations over the next 5 years: they will use part of these funds for VE Day 70. VE Day images are available to license directly from the IWM Archive. To license images for press use, please browse the collection, take note of the reference number on the image and contact the IWM image sales team directly: Telephone: 020 7416 5215/5309 Email: imagesales@iwm.org.uk . For the latest news, follow MoD on Twitter at @DefenceHQ or search #VEDay70 Share this page V-J Day - World War II - HISTORY.com Google From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan’s devastating surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii , on December 7, 1941, capped a decade of deteriorating relations between Japan and the United States and led to an immediate U.S. declaration of war the following day.

Japan’s ally Germany, led by Adolf Hitler , then declared war on the United States, turning the war raging in Europe into a truly global conflict. Over the next three years, superior technology and productivity allowed the Allies to wage an increasingly one-sided war against Japan in the Pacific, inflicting enormous casualties while suffering relatively few. By 1945, in an attempt to break Japanese resistance before a land invasion became necessary, the Allies were consistently bombarding Japan from air and sea, dropping some 100,000 tons of explosives on more than 60 Japanese cities and towns between March and July 1945 alone. Did You Know? Rhode Island is the only state with a holiday dedicated to V-J Day (its official name is Victory Day); it is celebrated on the second Monday in August. V-J Day parades are held in several other locations across the United States, including Seymour, Indiana; Moosup, Connecticut; and Arma, Kansas.

The Potsdam Declaration, issued by Allied leaders on July 26, 1945, called on Japan to surrender; if it did, it was promised a peaceful government according to “the freely expressed will of the Japanese people.” If it did not, it would face “prompt and utter destruction.” The embattled Japanese government in Tokyo refused to surrender, and on August 6 the American B-29 plane Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, killing more than 70,000 people and destroying a 5-square-mile expanse of the city. Three days later, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing another 40,000. The following day, the Japanese government issued a statement accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. In a radio address in the early afternoon of August 15 (August 14 in the United States), Emperor Hirohito urged his people to accept the surrender, blaming the use of the “new and most cruel bomb” on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the country’s defeat.

“Should we continue to fight,” Hirohito declared, “it would not only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation but would also lead to the total extinction of human civilization.” Reaction to Japanese Surrender In Washington on August 14, President Harry S. Truman announced news of Japan’s surrender in a press conference at the White House : “This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would.” Jubilant Americans declared August 14 “Victory over Japan Day,” or “V-J Day.” (May 8, 1945–when the Allies accepted Nazi Germany’s official surrender–had previously been dubbed “Victory in Europe Day,” or “V-E Day.”) Images from V-J Day celebrations around the United States and the world reflected the overwhelming sense of relief and exhilaration felt by citizens of Allied nations at the end of the long and bloody conflict. In one particularly iconic photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt for Life magazine, a uniformed sailor passionately kisses a nurse in the midst of a crowd of people celebrating in New York City’s Times Square.

On September 2, Allied supreme commander General Douglas MacArthur , along with the Japanese foreign minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, and the chief of staff of the Japanese army, Yoshijiro Umezu, signed the official Japanese surrender aboard the U.S. Navy battleship Missouri , effectively ending World War II . V-J Day over the Years Many V-J Day celebrations fell out of favor over the years due to concerns about their being offensive to Japan, now one of America’s closest allies, and to Japanese Americans, as well as ambivalent feelings toward the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1995, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the administration of President Bill Clinton referred not to V-J Day but to the “End of the Pacific War” in its official remembrance ceremonies. The controversial decision sparked complaints that Clinton was being overly deferential to Japan and that the euphemism displayed insensitivity to U.S. veterans who as prisoners of war suffered greatly at the hands of Japanese forces.

Tags Celebrating VE Day: Remarkable Facts and Quotes from WWII Celebrating VE Day: Remarkable Facts and Quotes from WWII May 8 - Celebrating VE (Victory in Europe) Day SHARE: Facebook Twitter May 8 – Celebrating VE (Victory in Europe) Day May 8, 1945 – Victory in Europe or VE Day was officially declared, a symbol of the end to Hitler’s war. VE Day that year fell on a Tuesday. It was a celebrated day. VE Day meant that one of WWII’s parts had come to an end after six long years. May 8 then had been set aside in celebration of VE Day since then. The first VE Day, according to the report ran by Latin Times , was the day after Grand Admiral Donitz surrendered in General Eisenhower’s headquarters which was located in Reims, France – May 7, 1945. His abdication took place in front of several officers of the Allies – Russia, Britain, America and France. It also came within a week after Grand Admiral Donitz became the Third Reich’s president after the notorious German dictator Adolf Hitler killed himself on April 30, 1945.

In relation to the celebration of VE Day, here are four surprising WWII facts: 1. Japan and Russia never signed an official peace treaty with each other. Due to this, there was no written document to end WWII formally between the two. Besides, these two nations are still debating with each other to who really has the rightful rights and power over Kuril Islands . 2. Monopoly , a board game many of us love to play, had a significant role during WWII. It aided Allied POWs to escape from the German camps they were put in. German authorities allowed the Red Cross to send care packages to the prisoners at the height of war. One of the permitted item in these packages was a board game. So Monopoly was utilized — foreign money was hidden within the board, a small compass among the play pieces and the hotel pieces had the most important feature of all, the silk map of the prison. 3. WWII cost the Russians the most with an estimated 80% of the country’s male population born in 1923 dead because of the war. 4. Even prostitutes were utilized during the Second World War. The Secret Service had a brothel where prostitutes were taught to extract information from their foreign diplomat customers.

Here are four VE Day quotes, too! “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.” -Winston Churchill- “Humility must be the measure of a man whose success was bought with the blood of his subordinates, and paid for with the lives of his friends.” -General Dwight D. Eisenhower-

Question: VE (Victory in Europe) Day was celebrated in 1945 during which month of the year?
Answer: May