Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the
Allies of World War II
The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy ...
of
Germany's unconditional surrender of
its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official
end of World War II in Europe in the
Eastern Front, with the last shots fired on the 11th. Russia and some former
Soviet countries
celebrate on 9 May. Several countries observe
public holidays on the day each year, also called Victory Over Fascism Day, Liberation Day or Victory Day. In the UK it is often abbreviated to VE Day, or V-E Day in the US, a term which existed as early as September 1944, in anticipation of victory.
The end of all combat actions was specified as 23:01
Central European Time
Central European Time (CET) is a standard time which is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
The time offset from UTC can be written as UTC+01:00.
It is used in most parts of Europe and in a few North African countries.
CET ...
, which was already 9 May in eastern Europe, and thus several former
Soviet bloc countries including Russia and
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
, as well as some former
Yugoslav countries like
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
, celebrate
Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
on 9 May.
History
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, the
Nazi leader, had
committed suicide on 30 April during the
Battle of Berlin, and Germany's surrender was authorised by his successor, ''
Reichspräsident''
Karl Dönitz. The administration headed by Dönitz was known as the
Flensburg Government. The act of military surrender was first signed at 02:41 on 7 May in
SHAEF
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF ...
HQ at
Reims, and a slightly modified document, considered the definitive
German Instrument of Surrender, was signed on 8 May 1945 in
Karlshorst,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
at 22:43 local time.
Upon the defeat of Germany, celebrations erupted throughout the
Western world, especially in the United Kingdom and in North America. More than one million people celebrated in the streets throughout the UK 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
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, accompanied by their daughters and
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the palace before the cheering crowds. Churchill went from the palace to
Whitehall, where he addressed another large crowd:
Churchill then asked
Ernest Bevin to come forward and share the applause. Bevin said, "No, Winston, this is your day", and proceeded to conduct the people in the singing of "
For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". Later, Princess
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
(the future Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess
Margaret were allowed to wander incognito among the crowds and take part in the celebrations. The 2015 film ''
A Royal Night Out
''A Royal Night Out'' is a 2015 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Trevor de Silva and Kevin Hood. The film stars Sarah Gadon as the teenaged Princess Elizabeth, who, with younger sister Princess Marga ...
'' was inspired by Elizabeth and Margaret mingling with the public that night.
In the United States, the event coincided with President
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
's 61st birthday.
He dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor,
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, who had died of a cerebral hemorrhage less than a month earlier, on 12 April.
Flags remained at
half-staff 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-staff 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.
Great celebrations took place in many American cities, especially in
New York's
Times Square.
Tempering the jubilation somewhat, both Churchill and Truman pointed out that the war against Japan had not yet been won. In his radio broadcast at 15:00 on 8 May, Churchill told the
British people
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs m ...
, "We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing (as Japan) remains unsubdued". In America, Truman broadcast at 09:00 and said it was "a victory only half won".
National celebrations
VE Day is celebrated across European nations as public holidays and national observances.
Austria
The Festival of Joy is an Austrian event held in honor of VE Day. The
Austrian Mauthausen Committee (MKÖ) has organised the Festival of Joy since 2013, in cooperation with the
Austrian Government and the
City of Vienna
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
. The festival is held annually on
Heldenplatz
Heldenplatz (german: Heroes' Square) is a public space in front of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Located in the Innere Stadt borough, the President of Austria resides in the adjoining Hofburg wing, while the Federal Chancellery is on adj ...
.
On the eve of the diamond jubilee in 2020,
Russian President
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
Vladimir Putin, at the request of Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz
Sebastian Kurz (; born 27 August 1986) is a former Austrian politician who twice served as chancellor of Austria, initially from December 2017 to May 2019 and then a second time from January 2020 to October 2021.
Kurz was born and raised in ...
, gave a live address broadcast on Austrian TV channel
ORF.
France
France celebrates VE Day on 8 May, being a national and public holiday.
Orléans simultaneously celebrates both VE Day and the anniversary of the
Siege of Orléans being lifted by French forces led by
Joan of Arc during the
Hundred Years War on this date.
Germany
Events in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
occur on 8 May to commemorate those who fought against Nazism in the
German Resistance and died in World War II. In 2020, a regional holiday in Berlin occurred on 8 May to mark the 75th anniversary of surrender.
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
celebrated 8 May as its ''Tag der Befreiung'' (Day of Liberation), first celebrated under
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ernst Paul Ulbricht (; 30 June 18931 August 1973) was a German communist politician. Ulbricht played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and later (after spending the years of Nazi rule in ...
's government in 1950 and repeated annually until the
fall of communism
The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...
. Between 1975 and 1990, it was ''Tag des Sieges'' (Victory Day).
Poland
8 May is known in Poland as "Narodowy Dzień Zwycięstwa" (National Victory Day).
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
officially recognised 9 May from 1945 until 2014, and on 24 April 2015, Poland officially recognised National Victory Day. On 8 May 1945, a meeting of the Council of Ministers was held, debating whether to establish the holiday on 8 May (proposed by
Marshal Michał Rola-Żymierski
Michał Rola-Żymierski (; 4 September 189015 October 1989) was a Polish high-ranking Polish United Workers' Party, Communist Party leader, communist military commander and NKVD secret agent. He was appointed as Marshal of Poland by Joseph Stalin ...
) or 10 May (proposed by the government). Finally, in Poland, the National Day of Victory and Freedom was established by a decree of 9 May. From 1946 to 1989, it was celebrated with Russian traditions being a
socialist state at the time. The main celebrations were carried out at Plac Zwycięstwa or
Plac Defilad in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
(most notably in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
). After 1990, no official ceremonies were organized, however many cities and military units together with local governments organized their own festivities. The
Russian minority in Poland continues to celebrate 9 May traditions to this date. At the end of March 2015, due to the upcoming 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, the President of the Institute of National Remembrance Łukasz Kamiński sent a letter to the
Speaker of the Sejm
The Marshal of the Sejm , also known as Sejm Marshal, Chairman of the Sejm or Speaker of the Sejm ( pl, Marszałek Sejmu, ) is the speaker (chair) of the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament. The office traces its origins to the 15th ...
requesting the change from 9 to 8 May. On 24 April, the
Sejm adopted the Act on National Victory Day celebrated on 8 May, at the same time abolishing the National Day of Victory and Freedom celebrated on 9 May.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom VE Day is not an annual public holiday. In 1995 and 2020 the bank holiday was moved from the preceding Monday to 8 May to commemorate the 50th and 75th anniversaries of VE Day, respectively.
Other commemorative events
*: In Belgium the commemoration of the termination of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
since 1974 is part of the
Armistice of 11 November 1918 (Dutch: Wapenstilstandsdag), an annual national holiday. Every year on this day there is in presence of the king a truce-ceremony at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the
Congress Column
The Congress Column (french: Colonne du Congrès, nl, Congreskolom) is a monumental column in Brussels, Belgium, commemorating the creation of the Belgian Constitution by the National Congress of 1830–31. Inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome ...
in
Brussels, at first to commemorate the victims of the
First world war
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and subsequently those of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and all other wars worldwide.
*: Since the
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
has officially recognized 8 May as Victory Day (''Den vítězství'') Liberation Day (''Den osvobození''). In recent years the liberation of
Plzeň by American forces has been commemorated on 5 May. From 1948 to 1993, the
Czechoslovak Republic
Czechoslovak Republic (Czech and Slovak: ''Československá republika, ČSR''), was the official name of Czechoslovakia between 1918 and 1939 and between 1945 and 1960. See:
*First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)
*Second Czechoslovak Republic ...
celebrated 9 May, which was then celebrated with a military parade of the
Czechoslovak People's Army
The Czechoslovak People's Army ( cs, Československá lidová armáda, sk, Československá ľudová armáda, ČSLA) was the armed forces of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic from 1954 until ...
(ČSLA) on
Letná
Letná is a hill overlooking Prague historic centre and Vltava River just besides Prague Castle. It neighbours Stromovka, the largest park in Prague. The hill belongs to Holešovice and Bubeneč quarters of Prague 7
Prague 7 is a municipal d ...
every five years.
*: 9 May is
Europe Day which celebrates "peace and unity in Europe", on the anniversary of the 1950
Schuman Declaration
The Schuman Declaration, or Schuman Plan, was a proposal to place French and West German production of coal and steel under a single authority that later became the European Coal and Steel Community, made by the French foreign minister, Rober ...
.
*
Baltic states:
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
,
Latvia and
Lithuania officially commemorate 8 May, but do not commemorate 9 May since it marked the
Soviet occupation
During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...
for these states. Despite this, the local
Russian communities still informally celebrate 9 May. Russian diplomats, other representatives from the
Commonwealth of Independent States and the local politicians of Russian origin usually take part.
List of associated holidays
Soviet Victory Day
The instrument of surrender signed 7 May 1945 stipulated that all hostilities must cease at 23:01 (
CET
CET or cet may refer to:
Places
* Cet, Albania
* Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus
* Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Comcast En ...
), 8 May 1945. Since that point in time would be on 9 May in local time in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, most Soviet states including Russia celebrated
Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
on 9 May.
Gallery
File:Victory Day Parade 2005-36.jpg, Fireworks in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
, Russia ( Victory Day 2005)
File:Cérémonie commémorative du 8-mai-1945 Strasbourg 8 mai 2013 26.jpg, Ceremony in Place de la République, Strasbourg, France (2013)
File:In 5mei2014 096.jpg, Concert in Amsterdam, Netherlands ( Bevrijdingsdag 2014)
File:Т-72Б Вооружённых Сил Казахстана.JPG, A T-72 tank
The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks ...
in the Victory Day parade, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
2015)
File:Парад в честь 70-летия Великой Победы - 19.jpg, The Victory Day Parade
ukr, Парад Перемоги be, Парад Перамогі
, nickname = Victory Parades
, observedby = Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, some former Soviet countries
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = annual
, scheduling = same d ...
, Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...
, Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
, Russia ( Victory Day 2015)
File:День Победы в Армении 04.jpg, Ceremony at the Mother Armenia
Mother Armenia ( hy, Մայր Հայաստան ) is a female personification of Armenia. Her most public visual rendering is a monumental statue in Victory Park overlooking the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia.
Mother Armenia statue in Yerevan
...
monument, Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
, Armenia (Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
2018)
File:75th Anniversary of VE Day decorations, Poplar Avenue, Wetherby (8th May 2020) 001.jpg, A street in Wetherby with decorative bunting, United Kingdom (2020)
File:The 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (49882960996).jpg, Ceremony at the World War II Memorial
The World War II Memorial is a national memorial in the United States dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The memorial consists ...
, Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, United States (2020)
See also
*
Timeline of World War II
*
Time of remembrance and reconciliation
*
Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
*
Victory Day Parades
ukr, Парад Перемоги be, Парад Перамогі
, nickname = Victory Parades
, observedby = Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, some former Soviet countries
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = annual
, scheduling = same d ...
*
Victory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
* ''
Stunde Null''
Bibliography
*
*
References
External links
Records from the UK Parliament CollectionsWWII: VE Day, May 8, 1945– slideshow by ''
Life magazine'' (archived)
Rare audio speeches of the famous historical personsof the USSR, etc.
* by
Leon Charney
Leon Charney (July 23, 1938 – March 21, 2016) was an American real estate tycoon, attorney, author, philanthropist, political pundit, media personality and Jewish cantor. He lived in Manhattan in New York City, dividing his time between his ...
on The Leon Charney Report.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victory In Europe Day
Aftermath of World War II
May observances
Victory days
1945 in Europe
Norwegian flag flying days