Victory in Europe (V-E) Day
Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, observed on May 8, marks the day in 1945 when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces, signifying the end of World War II in Europe. The surrender was officially accepted in Reims, France, at 2:41 A.M., but it took effect at midnight, leading to widespread celebrations across the Western world. U.S. President Harry S. Truman announced the victory over Germany in a radio address, expressing gratitude for the liberation of millions from oppression and calling for a national day of prayer to honor those who lost their lives during the conflict. While there was significant relief and joy, the celebration was tempered by the sobering awareness that the war in the Pacific was still ongoing and the recent death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In various cities, spontaneous celebrations occurred, yet many people continued their daily routines, reflecting a mix of jubilation and solemnity. Today, although V-E Day is not extensively celebrated, it remains a significant historical milestone for many, evoking vivid memories of the time among those who experienced it.
Subject Terms
Victory in Europe (V-E) Day
World War II ended in Europe, although it continued in Asia, on May 7, 1945,
when Germany surrendered unconditionally to the western Allies and the Soviet Union at Reims, France. It was 2:41 A.M. (8:41 P.M. of the previous day on the east coast of the United States) when the act of military surrender was signed in a large schoolhouse, the advance headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. However, the surrender did not become effective until approximately midnight of May 8, the date officially celebrated in the United States as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day. From Washington, DC, President Harry S. Truman announced on radio the end of World War II in Europe and issued a proclamation:
The Allied Armies, through sacrifice and devotion and with God's help, have won from Germany a final and unconditional surrender. The Western World has been freed of the evil forces which for five years and longer have imprisoned the bodies and broken the lives of millions upon millions of free-born men. They have violated their churches, destroyed their homes, corrupted their children and murdered their loved ones. Our armies of liberation have restored freedom to these suffering peoples, whose spirit and will the oppressors could never enslave. Much remains to be done. The victory in the West must now be won in the East. The whole world must be cleansed of the evil from which half the world has been freed. United, the peace-loving nations have demonstrated in the West that their arms are stronger by far than the might of dictators or the tyranny of military cliques that once called us soft and weak. The power of our peoples to defend themselves against all enemies will be proved in the Pacific as it has been proved in Europe. For the triumph of spirit and of arms we have won, and for its promise to peoples everywhere who join us in love of freedom, it is fitting that we, as a nation, give thanks to Almighty God, who has strengthened us and given us this victory. Now, therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, do hereby appoint Sunday, May 13, 1945, to be a day of prayer. I call upon the people of the United States, whatever their faith, to unite in offering joyful thanks to God for the victory we have won and to pray that He will support us to the end of our present struggle and guide us into the way of peace. I also call upon my countrymen to dedicate this day of prayer to the memory of those who have given their lives to make possible our victory.
There was rejoicing throughout the United States on V-E Day, but awareness of the war in the Pacific still to be won tempered the general relief, as did the national grief over the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Public demonstrations were moderate compared to the triumphant victory mood that was to sweep the nation on V-J Day (Victory over Japan) several months later in August.
In New York and other large cities, crowds resembling those of New Year's Eve gathered to express their jubilation by tooting horns and staging impromptu celebrations. On the other hand, business as usual was the rule in most offices, factories, and defense plants, where employees reported for their shifts and went quietly about their work. Perhaps the most significant indication of a prevailing spirit of intense but sober interest in the event was the fact, revealed by a radio poll, that 64 percent of all adult listeners, then the largest radio audience in history, tuned in President Truman's address officially confirming the surrender.
Today, although V-E Day is not widely celebrated, it remains a day of historic interest with vivid personal memories for many Americans.
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"Victory in Europe Day." City of Hollywood, www.weho.org/community/russian-speaking-community/victory-in-europe-day. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Victory in Europe Day Pioneered Sixteenth Air Force's Missions." Joint Base San Antonio, 8 May 2023, https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/3388620/victory-in-europe-day-pioneered-sixteenth-air-forces-missions/. Accessed 1 May 2024.