victory day

VICTORY DAY

VICTORY DAY

9 May 1945

History

In Reims on 7 May 1945

9 MAY 1945

In the outskirts of Berlin late on 8 May 1945 = 9 May in Moscow

-3 signatories

Alfred Jodl → Germany

Walter Bedell Smith → Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force

Ivan Susloparov → Soviet High Command

-1 official witness

French Major-General François Sevez

• 1st surrender :
  

• 2nd surrender :
  

-3 signatories

Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel → OKW

Marshal Georgy Zhukov → Supreme High Command of the Red Army

Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder → Allied Expeditionary Force

-2 official witnesses

General Carl Spaatz and General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny

Signing in Berlin of the act of surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied troops and consequently the end for the Soviets of the Great Patriotic War.

Consequences :

--> complete disarmament of all German military forces
--> forces under German control to cease active operations at 23:01 hours on 8 May 1945

Conflict fought from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945 primarily between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

USSR requested that a second, revised, instrument of surrender be signed in Berlin.

The holiday became a non-labor day only in 1965 but nowadays it is a day in various countries where we commemorate victories in important battles or wars in the countries' history

A holiday of remembrance

A military parade is organized that day in Moscow (one of the world's most watched events of the year), on Red Square, and the population wears the ribbon of Saint George (Russian honorary order that rewards servicemen) to celebrate the event. Some multilanguage broadcasting television networks translate the "Victory speech" of the Russian president. The Minute of Silence at 6:55 pm MST, is also a tradition dating back to 1965 indeed because of massive losses among both military and civilians during Great Patriotic War, Victory Day is still remains as one of the most important and emotional dates in Russia.

Armenia, Azerbajian, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,...

Belarus, Ukraine,...

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Republic of Bulgaria,...

Israel

German democratic Republic

The war became a topic of great importance in cinema, literature, history lessons at school, the mass media, and the arts. The ritual of the celebration gradually obtained a distinctive character with a number of similar elements : ceremonial meetings, speeches, lectures, receptions and fireworks.

Some holidays traditions :

-Victory Day Parades

-Mass processions

-Gatherings at monuments

-Religious commemorations

Most other countries in Europe observe Victory in Europe Day (often abbreviated to VE Day, or V-E Day), 8 May, as a national remembrance or victory day.