Victory in Europe Day or “V-E Day” took place on May 8, 1945, the day on which the Allies accepted the formal unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had committed suicide on April 30, 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, giving command to his appoint successor Karl Dönitz, former Commander of the German Kriegsmarine. Dönitz signed the act of military surrender on May 7 in Reims, France and another similar document was signed in Berlin the following day. German troops across Europe ceased hostilities, surrendering to the Allied troops they had been fighting. While some conflicts continued into May 9 between Soviet and German forces, the fighting would end quickly, as it became clear the remaining Germans had no chance against the Soviets.
Celebrations took place across the world, mostly in Britain and the United States. More than one million people gathered in the streets of London to take part in celebrating the end of war in Europe. In the United States, the victory happened to take place on the same day as President Harry Truman’s 61st birthday. Truman dedicated the victory to Franklin Roosevelt, his predecessor, who died before he could see the war come to an end. The celebrations were a huge boost in morale for both countries, but in reality, the war was not over. After the fall of the Third Reich, many European countries faced immense hardships. In Germany alone, millions of people became displaced from their homes, after months of destruction and forced evacuations. Basic necessities such as food and housing were scarce, without adequate governmental bodies equipped to handle these crises. As a result, many Allied soldiers stayed behind in Europe for years after the conflict, providing support as these countries worked to rebuild and recover. In a greater sense, too, the war was not yet over, as fighting in the Pacific Theater raged on. Indeed, both President Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill reminded citizens in their radio broadcasts declaring the European victory that Japan still had not been defeated, and the work was not yet done.
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