Surrender. How Nazi Germany Surrendered

,
the USSR the USSR,
Great Britain Great Britain,
USA USA,
France France

Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces (English) German Instrument of Surrender, fr. Actes de capitulation de l'Allemagne Nazie, German Bedingungslose Kapitulation der Wehrmacht) - a legal document that established a truce on the fronts of the Second World War directed against Germany, obliging the German military to stop resistance, surrender personnel and transfer the materiel of the armed forces to the enemy, which actually meant Germany's withdrawal from the war.

The act was signed by representatives of the High Command of the Wehrmacht, the High Command of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union on May 7 at 02:41 am in Reims (France). The capitulation of Nazi Germany took effect on May 8 at 23:01 CET.

The dates of the official announcement by the heads of state of the signing of surrender - May 8 in the countries of Europe and May 9 in the USSR - began to be celebrated in the respective countries as Victory Day.

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Yuri Levitan "Deed of Surrender of Germany"

Surrender Act, 1945

05/07/1945 Levitan speaks. Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces

The signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Germany / German Instrument of Surrender

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Document text preparation

The idea of Germany's unconditional surrender was first announced by President Roosevelt on January 13, 1943 at a conference in Casablanca and has since become the official position of the United Nations. The draft text of the instrument of surrender since January 1944 was developed by the European Consultative Commission; the text (called the "Terms of Surrender of Germany") was agreed at the end of July and approved by the heads of the allied governments. This extensive document was sent, in particular, to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (S.H.A.E.F), where, however, it was perceived not as a mandatory instruction, but as a recommendation. Therefore, when on May 4-5, 1945, the question of Germany's surrender practically arose, the allied headquarters did not use the existing document (perhaps fearing that disputes over the political articles contained in it would complicate negotiations with the Germans), but developed their own short, purely military document, which was eventually signed. The text was developed by a group of American officers from the entourage of the Allied Commander-in-Chief Dwight Eisenhower; the primary writer of the text was Colonel Filimor of the 3rd (Operational) Division of SHAEF. In order not to contradict the draft of the European Commission, at the suggestion of the British diplomat Ambassador Wynand, Article 4 was introduced into the text of the document, suggesting the possibility of replacing this act with “another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations” (some Russian sources, however, they attribute the idea of this article to the Soviet representative under the command of the Allies, Susloparov).

Partial surrenders

On the same day, a meeting was held at the new head of the German government, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. Assessing the military situation as hopeless, the meeting participants decided to concentrate their main efforts on saving as many Germans as possible from the Red Army, avoiding military operations in the West and continuing operations against the Anglo-Americans only to the extent that they would interfere with the attempts of the German troops to evade from the Red Army. Since, in view of the agreements between the USSR and the Western Allies, it is difficult to achieve surrender only in the West, a policy of private surrenders at the level of army groups and below should be pursued.

On May 4, Admiral of the Fleet Hans-Georg Friedeburg, newly appointed commander-in-chief of the German Navy, signed the act of surrender of all German armed forces in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany to Field Marshal B. Montgomery's 21st Army Group.

On May 5, General of the Infantry F. Schultz, who commanded Army Group G, operating in Bavaria and Western Austria, surrendered to the American General D. Devers. However, in the south, the Reich still had a large grouping of army groups "Center" and "Austria" (formerly "South") under the command of Field Marshal Albert Kesselring.

First act

Having signed the act of surrender of German troops in the north on May 4 in Lüneburg, Admiral Friedeburg went to Eisenhower's headquarters, located in Reims, in order, on behalf of Dönitz, to put before him the question of the surrender of German troops in Western front. Since, due to bad weather, he was forced to travel from Brussels to Reims by car, the German delegation arrived in Reims only by 17:00 on May 5. Meanwhile, Eisenhower told his chief of staff, Walter Bedell Smith, that there would be no bargaining with the Germans and he did not intend to see the Germans until they signed the terms of surrender. The negotiations were entrusted to Generals W. B. Smith and Carl Strong (the latter was involved in the negotiations for the surrender of Italy in 1943).

The negotiations took place in the premises of the operational department of the allied headquarters (this headquarters was located in the building, which was called the "red school building", in fact - in the building of the technical college). In order to demonstrate to Friedeburg the futility of the German position, Smith ordered the walls to be hung with maps indicating the situation on the fronts, as well as maps indicating strikes allegedly being prepared by the Allies. These maps made a great impression on Friedeburg. Friedeburg offered Smith the surrender of the remaining German forces on the Western Front; Smith replied that Eisenhower refused to continue negotiations unless the offer of surrender also applied to the Eastern Front: only a general surrender was possible, and the troops in the West and East should remain in their places. Friedeburg replied to this that he did not have the authority to sign a general surrender. Having studied the text of the act of surrender presented to him, Friedeburg telegraphed Dönitz, asking permission to sign a general surrender or send Keitel and the commanders of the air and naval forces for this.

Dönitz found the terms of surrender unacceptable and sent Jodl to Reims, who was known as a categorical opponent of surrender in the East. Jodl had to explain to Eisenhower why a general surrender was impossible. He arrived in Reims on the evening of 6 May. After an hour of discussion with him, Smith and Strong came to the conclusion that the Germans were simply playing for time in order to have time to transport as many troops and refugees to the West as possible, which they reported to Eisenhower. The latter told Smith to tell the Germans that “If they do not stop looking for excuses and stalling for time, I will immediately close the entire Allied front and stop the flow of refugees by force through the location of our troops. I will not tolerate any further delay.". Having received this answer, Jodl realized that his situation was hopeless, and requested from Dönitz the authority for a general surrender. Dönitz called Eisenhower's behavior "a real blackmail", however, also realizing the hopelessness of the situation, shortly after midnight on May 7 instructed Keitel to answer: "Grand Admiral Dönitz grants full authority to sign in accordance with the terms offered". The signing ceremony was scheduled for 2:30 am. The act of surrender was to come into force at 23:01 on May 8, that is, almost two days after signing - Dönitz hoped to use this time to move as many troops and refugees to the West as possible.

May 6 at SHAEF Representatives of the allied commands were summoned: members of the Soviet mission, General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, as well as the Deputy Chief of the Supreme National Defense Staff of France, General Sevez (Chief of Staff, General Juyn, was in San Francisco at the founding conference of the UN). Eisenhower did his best to calm the suspicions of the Soviet representatives, who believed that the Anglo-American allies were ready to conspire with the Germans behind their backs. As for the role of Sevez, who signed the act as a witness, it turned out to be insignificant: the general, being a pure military man, did not try to defend the prestigious interests of France and, in particular, did not protest against the absence of the French flag in the room where the capitulation was signed. Eisenhower himself refused to participate in the signing ceremony for protocol reasons, since the German side was represented by the chief of staff, and not by the commander in chief - the ceremony was thus held at the level of chiefs of staff.

The act was signed on May 7 at 02:41 (Central European time) by the chief of the operational headquarters of the Supreme Command of the German Army, Colonel General Alfred Jodl. The surrender was accepted: from the Anglo-American side, Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Bedell Smith, from the USSR - the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command under the command of the Allies, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov. The act was also signed by Brigadier General François Sevez, Deputy Chief of the French National Defense Staff, as a witness.The English text of this act is authentic.

Although a group of 17 journalists attended the signing ceremony, the US and Britain agreed to delay the public announcement of the surrender in order to Soviet Union could prepare a second surrender ceremony in Berlin. An oath was taken from the reporters that they would report the surrender only 36 hours later - at exactly 3 pm on May 8, 1945.

Without waiting for the announcement of the ceremony, Dönitz gave (at 1:35 a.m.) the following order to Field Marshal Kesselring and General Winter, which was also transmitted for information to the commander of the Army Group Center F. Scherner, the commander of the troops in Austria L. von Rendulich and the commander of the troops of Yugo - East A. Leroux: “The task is to withdraw to the west as many troops operating on the Eastern Front as possible, while breaking through, if necessary, with a fight through the location of Soviet troops. Stop immediately any fighting against the Anglo-American troops and order the troops to surrender to them. The general surrender will be signed today at Eisenhower's headquarters. Eisenhower promised Colonel General Jodl that hostilities would cease on May 9, 1945 at 0000 hours German summer time ... " .

On May 7 at 14:41 German radio (from Flensburg) officially announced the signing of the surrender. The foreign minister of the Dönitz government, Count Schwerin von Krosig, delivered the following speech:

Germans and Germans!
The Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht, on the orders of Grand Admiral Dönitz, announced the unconditional surrender of the German troops. As the leading minister of the imperial government, formed by the grand admiral to complete all military tasks, I appeal to the German people at this tragic moment in our history ...
No one should be mistaken about the severity of the conditions that our opponents will impose on us. It is necessary, without any loud phrases, to clearly and soberly look them in the face. No one can doubt that the coming times will be harsh for each of us and will require sacrifices from us in all areas of life. We are obliged to bring them and be loyal to all the obligations that we undertake. But we do not dare to despair and indulge in dull resignation to fate. We must find a way to get out of this darkness on the road of our future. Let the three guiding stars, which have always been the guarantee of a truly German essence, be unity, law and freedom ...
We must base our people's life on law. Justice must become the supreme law and the main guiding thread for our people. We must recognize law both out of inner conviction and as the basis of our relations with other peoples. Respect for the agreements that have been concluded must be as sacred to us as the feeling of belonging to the European family of peoples, as a member of which we want to bring all our human, moral and material powers to flourishing in order to heal terrible wounds caused by the war.
Then we can hope that the atmosphere of hatred that now surrounds Germany throughout the world will give way to that reconciliation of peoples, without which the improvement of the world is unthinkable, and that freedom will again give us its signal, without which no people can live decently and with dignity.
We want to see the future of our people in the realization of the deepest and best forces of every living person to whom the world has given enduring creations and values. With pride in the heroic struggle of our people, we will combine the desire, as a link in Western Christian culture, to contribute to honest peaceful labor in the spirit of the best traditions of our people. May God not leave us in our trouble, may he sanctify our difficult work!

An hour later, the German surrender was reported by the Associated Press, whose reporter, Edward Kennedy, after the German report, considered himself free from the promise to keep the event secret. However, Kennedy was fired from the agency, and the silence about surrender continued in the West for another day - only on the afternoon of May 8 was it officially announced. In the Soviet Union, information about the surrender on May 7 was also initially banned, but then, after the signing of the final act in Karlshorst, the Reims preliminary surrender protocol was mentioned by J. V. Stalin in his address to the Soviet people, broadcast by radio at 21 o’clock May 9.

According to most sources, on May 8 at 22:43 CET (at 00:43, May 9, Moscow time) in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the final act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed. The text of the act does not indicate the exact date of its signing - May 8, 1945 is indicated. Some sources indicate the date of signing the act after midnight CET, that is, May 9 - at about 00:15 or 00:43 (Keitel signed at 00:16).

Thus, at the time of signing the final act, it was 23.15 in Western European time, 00.15 in Central European time, and 02.15 in Moscow.

The text of the act basically repeats verbatim the text of May 7, including even Article 4, which has now lost its real meaning. The Karlshorst Act also confirmed the time of the ceasefire - May 8 at 23:01 CET (May 9 at 01:01 Moscow time). The changes in the text of the act were as follows:

in the English text, the expression Soviet High Command (Soviet High Command) was replaced by a more accurate translation of the Soviet term: Supreme High Command of the Red Army (Supreme High Command of the Red Army);
the part of Article 2, which deals with the obligation of the Germans to hand over military equipment intact and safe, has been expanded and detailed;
the indication of the act on May 7 was withdrawn: "Only this text on English language is authoritative" and inserted article 6, which read: “This act was drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only Russian and English texts are authentic".

From the German side, the act was signed by: Field Marshal, Chief of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht Wilhelm Keitel, representative of the Luftwaffe - Colonel General Stumpf and the Kriegsmarine - Admiral von Friedeburg. Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force Marshal Tedder (Eng. Arthur William Tedder) (Great Britain). As witnesses, General

In 1945, on May 8, in Karshorst (a suburb of Berlin) at 22.43 Central European time, the final Act of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and its armed forces was signed. It is no coincidence that this act is called final, since it was not the first.

Since the moment Soviet troops closed the ring around Berlin, the German military leadership faced the historical question of preserving Germany as such. For obvious reasons, the German generals wanted to capitulate to the Anglo-American troops, continuing the war with the USSR.

To sign the surrender to the Allies, the German command sent a special group and on the night of May 7 in the city of Reims (France) a preliminary act of Germany's surrender was signed. This document stipulated the possibility of continuing the war against Soviet army.

However, the absolute condition of the Soviet Union remained the demand for the unconditional surrender of Germany as a fundamental condition for the complete cessation of hostilities. The Soviet leadership considered the signing of the act in Reims only an intermediate document, and was also convinced that the act of surrender of Germany should be signed in the capital of the aggressor country.

At the insistence of the Soviet leadership, the generals and Stalin personally, the representatives of the allies gathered again in Berlin and on May 8, 1945 signed another act of surrender of Germany together with the main winner - the USSR. That is why the German Unconditional Surrender Act is called final.

The solemn signing ceremony of the act was organized in the building of the Berlin Military Engineering School and was chaired by Marshal Zhukov. Under the final Act of unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces are the signatures of Field Marshal W. Keitel, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy Admiral von Friedeburg, Colonel General of Aviation G. Stumpf. On the part of the Allies, the Act was signed by G.K. Zhukov and British Marshal A. Tedder.

After the signing of the Act, the German government was dissolved, and the defeated German troops were completely laid down. Between May 9 and 17, Soviet troops captured about 1.5 million people. German soldiers and officers, as well as 101 generals. The Great Patriotic War ended with the complete victory of the Soviet army and its people.

In the USSR, the signing of the final Act of Germany's unconditional surrender was announced when it was already May 9, 1945 in Moscow. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in commemoration of the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders, May 9 was declared Victory Day.

On May 8, 1945, at 22:43 CET (at 00:43, May 9, Moscow time), in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the Act of Germany's unconditional surrender was signed.

May 7, 1945. Personal and strictly secret message from Mr. Churchill to Marshal Stalin:
"I have just received your message and also read a letter from General Antonov to General Eisenhower proposing that the announcement of Germany's surrender be delayed until May 9, 1945. It will be impossible for me to postpone my application for 24 hours, as you did Moreover, the parliament will demand information about yesterday's signing in Reims and about the official ratification scheduled for today in Berlin ... "

On the morning of May 8, correspondents from all the major newspapers and magazines in the world and photojournalists began to arrive in Berlin to capture the historical moment of the legal registration of the complete defeat of Nazi Germany.

In the middle of the day, representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces arrived at the Tempelhof airfield. The Allied Expeditionary Forces High Command was represented by Eisenhower's Deputy Air Chief Marshal Arthur William Tedder; air force General Carl Spaats, French Armed Forces - Commander-in-Chief of the Army General Jean-Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny. From the airfield, the Allies arrived in Karlhorst, where it was decided to accept unconditional surrender from the German command.

Under the protection of British officers, the former Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht Supreme High Command, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces, General Admiral of the Fleet G. von Friedeburg, and Colonel General of Aviation Hans Stumpf arrived at the same airfield from the city of Flensburg, guarded by British officers.

Here, in Karlshorst, in the eastern part of Berlin, in the two-story building of the former canteen of the German military engineering school, a hall was prepared where the signing ceremony was to take place. Soon all representatives of the command of the allied forces arrived at the deputy Supreme Commander Armed Forces of the USSR to Marshal of the Soviet Union G. Zhukov to agree on procedural issues. Keitel and his companions at that time were in another building.

At precisely 24:00, Zhukov, Tedder, Spaatz and de Lattre de Tassigny entered the hall decorated with the national flags of the Soviet Union, the United States, Great Britain and France. The hall was attended by Soviet generals, whose troops participated in the legendary storming of Berlin, as well as Soviet and foreign journalists.

Generals Bogdanov and Berzarin

The signing ceremony was opened by Marshal Zhukov. He greeted the representatives of the allied armies in Berlin occupied by the Red Army at the historic moment of the surrender of the common enemy - Nazi Germany. “We, representatives of the Supreme Command of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces ... are authorized by the governments of the anti-Hitler coalition to accept the unconditional surrender of Germany from the German military command,” he solemnly said.

At the suggestion of the Soviet representative, Keitel handed over to the heads of the Allied delegations a document by which Doenitz authorized the German delegation to sign the act of surrender. The German delegation was then asked whether it had the Act of Unconditional Surrender in hand and whether it had studied it. The question was repeated in English by Marshal Tedder. After Keitel's affirmative answer from the German side, the act was signed by Field Marshal General, Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command Wilhelm Keitel, Luftwaffe representative Colonel General Stumpf and Kriegsmarine Admiral von Friedeburg.

Signed by Wilhelm Keitel:

Stumpf's signature:

Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Marshal Tedder (Great Britain).

General K. Spaats (USA) and General J. de Latre de Tassigny (France) put their signatures as witnesses.

At 0043 hours (Moscow time) on May 9 (at 2243 hours Central European time on May 8), 1945, the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was completed. The German delegation was asked to leave the hall. Keitel, Friedeburg, Stumpf bowed and left the hall.

Having accepted the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany. The decree on ending the state of war was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on January 25, 1955.

The act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was signed on May 7 at 02:41 in Reims by the Chief of the Operational Headquarters of the German High Command, Colonel General Alfred Jodl. The document obliged the German military to stop resistance, surrender personnel and transfer the materiel of the armed forces to the enemy, which in fact meant Germany's exit from the war. The Soviet leadership was not satisfied with such a signing, therefore, at the request of the government of the USSR and Comrade Stalin personally, on May 8 ( May 9, USSR time) the German Surrender Act was signed for the second time, but already in Berlin, and the day of the official announcement of its signing ( May 8 in Europe and America, May 9 in the USSR) began to be celebrated as Victory Day.

The act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces, signed on May 7, 1945

Representatives of the German command approach the table to sign the surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945

The general surrender of Germany was preceded by a series of partial surrenders of the largest formations remaining in the Third Reich:

On April 29, 1945, the act of surrender of Army Group C (in Italy) was signed in Caserta by its commander, Colonel General G. Fitingof-Scheel.

On May 2, 1945, the Berlin garrison under the command of Helmut Weidling capitulated to the Red Army.

On May 4, Admiral of the Fleet Hans-Georg Friedeburg, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, signed the act of surrender of all German armed forces in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany to Field Marshal B. Montgomery's 21st Army Group.

On May 5, Infantry General F. Schultz, who commanded Army Group G, operating in Bavaria and Western Austria, surrendered to the American General D. Devers.

Colonel-General Alfred Jodl (center) signs the German surrender at the Allied Headquarters in Reims at 02.41 local time on 7 May 1945. Sitting next to Jodl are Grand Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg (right) and Jodl's adjutant Major Wilhelm Oxenius.

The leadership of the USSR was dissatisfied with the signing of the surrender of Germany in Reims, which was not agreed with the USSR and relegated the country that made the greatest contribution to the Victory to the background. At Stalin's suggestion, the Allies agreed to regard the Reims procedure as a preliminary capitulation. Although a group of 17 journalists attended the surrender signing ceremony, the US and Britain agreed to delay the public announcement of the surrender so that the Soviet Union could prepare a second surrender ceremony in Berlin, which took place on 8 May.

The signing of the surrender in Reims

The Soviet representative, General Susloparov, signed the act in Reims at his own peril and risk, since by the time scheduled for signing, instructions from the Kremlin had not yet arrived. He decided to put his signature with the proviso (Article 4) that this act should not exclude the possibility of signing another act at the request of one of the allied countries. Shortly after signing the act, Susloparov received a telegram from Stalin with a categorical prohibition to sign the surrender.

After signing the surrender in the front row: Susloparov, Smith, Eisenhower, Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur Tedder

For his part, Stalin declared: The Treaty signed at Reims cannot be revoked, but it cannot be recognized either. Surrender must be carried out as the most important historical act and accepted not on the territory of the winners, but where the fascist aggression came from - in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the supreme command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition».

The Soviet delegation before the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of all German armed forces. Berlin. 05/08/1945 Standing on the right - Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, standing in the center with a raised hand - General of the Army V.D. Sokolovsky.

The building of the German military engineering school in the suburbs of Berlin - Karlshorst, in which the signing ceremony of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany was held.

Air Chief Marshal of Great Britain Sir Tedder A. and Marshal of the Soviet Union GK Zhukov are looking through documents on the terms of Germany's surrender.

Zhukov read out the act of surrender in Karlshorst. Next to Zhukov is Arthur Tedder.

On May 8, at 22:43 CET (at 00:43, May 9, Moscow time), in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the final Act of Germany's unconditional surrender was signed.

Keitel signing the surrender at Karlshorst

The changes in the text of the act were as follows:

In the English text, the expression Soviet High Command (Soviet High Command) has been replaced by a more accurate translation of the Soviet term: Supreme High Command of the Red Army (Supreme High Command of the Red Army)

The part of Article 2, which deals with the obligation of the Germans to hand over military equipment intact and safe, has been expanded and detailed.

The indication of the May 7 act was removed: “Only this text in English is authoritative” and article 6 was inserted, which read: “This act was drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only the Russian and English texts are authentic."

Representatives after the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8, 1945

By agreement between the governments of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, an agreement was reached to consider the procedure in Reims preliminary. This is how it was interpreted in the USSR, where the significance of the act of May 7 was downplayed in every possible way, and the act itself was hushed up, while in the West it is regarded as the actual signing of the capitulation, and the act in Karlshorst as its ratification.

Dinner in honor of the Victory after the signing of the terms of the unconditional surrender of Germany. From left to right: Chief Air Marshal of Great Britain Sir Tedder A., Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. Commander of the US Strategic Air Force General Spaats K. Berlin.

The surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia. German officers accept from the Soviet officer the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrender. 05/09/1945

Having accepted the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany, that is, formally remained in a state of war. The decree on ending the state of war was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR only on January 25, 1955.

On May 8, 1945, on the outskirts of Berlin, Karshorst, the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany and its Armed Forces was signed.

The act of Germany's unconditional surrender was signed twice. On behalf of Dönitz, Hitler's successor after his presumed death, Jodl suggested that the Allies accept Germany's surrender and arrange for the signing of the corresponding act on 10 May. Eisenhower refused to even discuss the postponement and gave Yodl half an hour to decide on the immediate signing of the act, threatening that otherwise the Allies would continue to deliver massive strikes on German troops. The German representatives had no choice, and after agreement with Dönitz, Jodl agreed to sign the act.

On the part of the command of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, the act was to be witnessed by General Beddel Smith. Eisenhower proposed from the Soviet side to witness the act to Major General I.A. Susloparov, a former representative of the Headquarters of the Allied Command. Susloparov, as soon as he learned about the preparation of the act for signing, reported this to Moscow and handed over the text of the prepared document, requesting instructions on the procedure.

By the time the signing of the act of surrender began (it was tentatively scheduled for 2 hours and 30 minutes), no response was received from Moscow. The situation developed in such a way that the act could not have been signed by the Soviet representative at all, so Susloparov achieved the inclusion of a note in it about the possibility, at the request of one of the allied states, of a new signing of the act, if there were objective reasons for this. Only after that did he agree to put his signature under the act, although he understood that he was extremely risky.

Germany's surrender was signed on May 7 at 2:40 CET. The act provided that unconditional surrender comes into force from 23:00 on May 8. After that, a belated ban on Susloparov from participating in the signing of the act came from Moscow. The Soviet side insisted on signing the act in Berlin with a significant increase in the level of persons who would sign the act and testify to it with their signatures. Stalin instructed Marshal Zhukov to organize a new signing of the act.

Fortunately, the note, which was included at the request of Susloparov in the signed document, allowed this to be done. Sometimes the second signing of the act is called the ratification of what was signed the day before. There are legal grounds for this, since on May 7 G.K. Zhukov received an official order from Moscow: "The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command authorizes you to ratify the protocol on the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces."

To resolve the issue of a new signing of the act, but for more high level, Stalin joined in, turning to Churchill and Truman: “The treaty signed in Reims cannot be canceled, but it cannot be recognized. Surrender must be carried out as the most important historical act and accepted not on the territory of the victors, but where the fascist aggression came from, in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the supreme command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

As a result, the United States and England agreed to carry out a new signing of the act, and the document signed in Reims to be considered the "Preliminary Protocol on the Surrender of Germany." At the same time, Churchill and Truman refused to postpone the announcement of the signing of the act for a day, as Stalin asked, arguing that heavy fighting was still going on on the Soviet-German front, and we had to wait until the surrender came into force, that is, until 23:00 on May 8 . In England and the United States, the signing of the act and the surrender of Germany to the Western Allies was officially announced on May 8, Churchill and Truman did it personally, addressing the people by radio. In the USSR, the text of their appeals was published in newspapers, but for obvious reasons only on May 10th.

It is curious that Churchill, knowing that the end of the war would be announced in the USSR after the signing of a new act, said in his radio address: “Today we will probably think mainly about ourselves. Tomorrow we will give special praise to our Russian comrades, whose valor on the battlefield was one of the great contributions to the common victory.

Opening the ceremony, Marshal Zhukov addressed the audience, declaring: “We, representatives of the Supreme Command of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces ... are authorized by the governments of the anti-Hitler coalition to accept the unconditional surrender of Germany from the German military command.” After that, representatives of the German command entered the hall, presenting a document of authority signed by Dönitz.

The signing of the act ended at 22:43 CET. It was already May 9 in Moscow (0 hours 43 minutes). On the German side, the act was signed by the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command of the Armed Forces of Germany, Field Marshal Wilhelm Bodevin Johann Gustav Keitel, the Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe, Colonel General of Aviation Hans Jurgen Stumpf, and General Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, who became the Reich President of Germany after the appointment of Dönitz. Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force Marshal Tedder (Eng. Arthur William Tedder) (Great Britain).

General Carl Spaatz (USA) and General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (France) put their signatures as witnesses. By agreement between the governments of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, an agreement was reached to consider the procedure in Reims preliminary. However, in Western historiography, the signing of the surrender of the German armed forces, as a rule, is associated with the procedure in Reims, and the signing of the act of surrender in Berlin is referred to as its "ratification"

Soon, the solemn voice of Yuri Levitan sounded from radios throughout the country: “On May 8, 1945, in Berlin, representatives of the German High Command signed an act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces. The Great Patriotic War waged by the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders has ended victoriously.

Germany is completely destroyed. Comrades of the Red Army, Red Navy, sergeants, foremen, officers of the army and navy, generals, admirals and marshals, I congratulate you on the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War. Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the battles for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!”

By order of I. Stalin, a grandiose salute from a thousand guns was given that day in Moscow. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in commemoration of the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders and the historic victories of the Red Army, May 9 was declared Victory Day.