Today (08/05/2025) marks 80 years since Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), a moment that signalled the end of the Second World War in Europe and the downfall of Nazi Germany.
On Monday 7 May 1945, General Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command, signed the “German Instrument of Surrender” at the Allied headquarters in Reims, France. The document declared the unconditional surrender of all German forces on land, sea, and air. It specified that hostilities would cease at 23:01 Central European Time on 8 May 1945. However, Joseph Stalin opposed the signing, arguing that it should have taken place in Berlin, the capital of the Third Reich, and that Jodl was not Germany’s most senior military official. Following these complications, a second signing ceremony took place late on 8 May in Berlin, where German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel formally surrendered again. This inevitable surrender came after the Allies closed in on Berlin and Adolf Hitler committed suicide on 30 April.
As news of the surrender spread, celebrations broke out across Allied nations. Up and down Britain, millions celebrated the end of years of war with street parties, dancing, and singing. In London, mass crowds danced in Trafalgar Square and crowds gathered up the Mall to Buckingham Palace where King George VI greeted them from the balcony. Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the nation, saying, “This is your victory!”. Many newspapers, such as The Sphere, reported on the events. In the 19 May issue, The Sphere included photographs of the scenes in London, Churchill’s speech, and the royal family. The Sphere reported how “for 48 hours the capital was given over to happiness”. It went on to describe how it was:
impossible to describe in words the unprecedented scenes in the capital during the two days of National Rejoicing. And even the pictures hardly do justice to the enthusiasm of the populace at the termination of the war in Europe.
The Sphere showed the flood-lit city of London:
It also featured the scenes at Buckingham Palace:
Over 70 million people died during the Second World War. The devastation left behind still echoes. Today, as we mark 80 years since VE Day, it is important to remember those that lost their lives and the efforts of a whole generation of people that fought, both on the frontline and the home front.
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