We firmly associate May 9 with Victory Day. This date is associated with the signing of the act of surrender of Nazi Germany. This is also written about in school textbooks. But other countries anti-Hitler coalition Victory Day has always been celebrated on May 8th. Where does this discrepancy come from and how did the Nazi leadership actually surrender?
In mid-April 1945, Soviet troops deployed a large offensive operation in the direction of Berlin and took the city in a matter of days. At that time, complete chaos reigned in the German army; in anticipation of the impending defeat, many Nazis committed suicide. Goebbels' propagandists clearly overdid it by telling myths about the “terrible Red Army soldiers.” Hitler, who was in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery, “capitulated”
April 30, committing suicide. And the very next day a red flag fluttered over the Reichstag.
However, the suicide of the Fuhrer and the fall of Berlin did not yet mean the surrender of Germany, which still had more than a million soldiers in the ranks. The new government of the country, led by Grand Admiral Karl Dennitz, was inclined to continue hostilities on the Eastern Front. In the western direction, the Germans pursued a policy of so-called private surrenders. Beginning on May 4, the German armies, one after another, laid down their arms before the Americans in Holland, Bavaria, Denmark, and Austria.
On May 7, 1945, at 2.41 in Reims, the United States and England arbitrarily accepted the surrender of Germany. From the USSR, Major General Ivan Susloparov was at the Allied headquarters as a permanent representative. He was clearly not prepared for such an unexpected turn of events. Fearing that the act in Reims could infringe on the interests of the USSR, the general, before the signing ceremony, sent the text of the act of surrender to Moscow, requesting additional instructions. However, the answer never arrived by the appointed time. The head of the Soviet military mission found himself in a very delicate position. It is difficult to even imagine how this decision was given to him, but he agreed to sign the document virtually at his own peril and risk, including a clause in it about the possible repetition of the ceremony at the request of any of the allied states.
Susloparov’s foresight came in handy. Stalin was extremely annoyed by the signing of the surrender in Reims and categorically refused to recognize this document as final. It turned out really unfair and dishonest. The fighting on the Soviet-German front was still ongoing, but in the West the war was considered over. The Allies delayed the opening of the second front for almost three years under various pretexts, but they were a whole day ahead of the USSR in declaring Victory, thereby hoping to push back its contribution to the defeat of fascism.
This is what Marshal Zhukov recalled about this: “On May 7, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief called me in Berlin and said: “Today in Reims the Germans signed an act unconditional surrender. The Soviet people bore the brunt of the war on their shoulders, not the allies. Therefore, the surrender must be signed before the Supreme Command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, and not just before the command of the allied forces.” Stalin demanded a new signing of the act of surrender in Berlin taken by the Red Army. The ceremony was scheduled for May 9 at 24.00 Moscow time.
From their table to the table of the presidium, where the Act of Unconditional Surrender was signed, the members of the German delegation had to walk exactly eight steps. This had a special meaning. This is how far the German delegation walked to Marshal Foch's trailer in 1918, when the Act of Surrender of Germany in the First World War was signed
In the middle of the day on May 8, representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces arrived at Tempelhof airfield in Berlin: Eisenhower's deputy, British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder, commander air force US General Carl Spaatz and French General Jean-Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny. From the airfield, the Allies headed to the Berlin suburb of Karlhorst. They were also taken there under the protection of the former chief of staff of the Wehrmacht Supreme Command, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Admiral General of the Fleet von Friedeburg and Colonel General of the Air Force Hans Stumpf.
Marshal Zhukov accepted the surrender from the Soviet side. They decided to hold the ceremony in the canteen of the military engineering school. Our fellow countryman from Borisov, Mikhail Filonov (unfortunately, he is no longer alive. - Author's note) was an eyewitness to this historical event. And this is what he told me:
— The school housed the headquarters
5th Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. I served as a sapper at headquarters. And on the night of May 9, I was appointed duty officer in the hall. Most of the officers came to the conference directly from the front line. So they entered the hall - without ceremonial uniforms, awards, with order bars hastily fastened on. In a small smoking room nearby I saw Keitel nervously choking on cigarette smoke. The winners defiantly went out to smoke in the adjacent room.
After listening to the translator, Keitel suddenly stood up, approached with undisguised anger and sat down at the table. At that moment his monocle fell out. He corrected it and with a trembling hand began to quickly sign the Act. At these moments, something incredible was happening around. Photographers and cameramen, pushing each other, rushed to take historical footage. Someone even jumped on the table at which the generals were sitting. The hall was filled with smoke from the flashes of many cameras. The officers on duty had a hard time restoring order. After Keitel, the document was signed in turn by Zhukov and representatives of the USA, Great Britain and France. Then the German delegation was asked to leave the hall. It was 0 hours 43 minutes Moscow time.
Tatyana Koroleva, who worked as a waitress that day, recalls: “There was literally an explosion of emotions. Everyone started hugging, kissing, shouting and crying. They took autographs: some on money, some on photo cards or a notebook.” When everyone had calmed down, tables were brought in and food and drinks began to be set out. Snacks were brought specially from Moscow. Yes, what kind! Sturgeon, salmon, caviar... All this was washed down with vodka and cognac. The toasts sounded non-stop. They drank to the marshals, then to the infantry, pilots, tank crews, sailors, orderlies, army cooks. Suddenly someone remembered about the German delegation. Like, they probably need to be fed too. Everyone looked at Zhukov. After a moment’s pause, he ordered: “Bring them the vodka. Let them drink to our Victory!” Thus the end was put in the history of the most terrible war.
From the text of the Act of Military Surrender of the German Armed Forces:1. We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces currently under German command, to the Supreme Command of the Red Army and at the same time Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
2. The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces... to cease hostilities at 23.01 hours Central European Time on May 8, 1945, to remain in their places where they are at that time and to completely disarm, having transferred all their weapons and military equipment to local Allied commanders or officers allocated by representatives of the Allied High Command, not to destroy or cause any damage to ships, ships and aircraft, their engines, hulls and equipment, as well as vehicles, weapons, apparatus and all military equipment in general -technical means of warfare.
3. In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this instrument of surrender, the High Command of the Red Army as well as the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces will take such punitive measures or other actions they deem necessary.
On May 8, 1945, in the Berlin suburb of Karshorst, the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany and its armed forces was signed.
The act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed twice. On behalf of Dönitz, Hitler's successor after his supposed death, Jodl invited the Allies to accept Germany's surrender and organize the signing of the corresponding act on May 10. Eisenhower refused to even discuss the delay and gave Jodl half an hour to decide on the immediate signing of the act, threatening that otherwise the Allies would continue to launch massive attacks 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 Forces in Europe, the act was to be witnessed by General Beddel Smith. Eisenhower offered to witness the act from the Soviet side to Major General I.A. Susloparov, a former representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters at 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 (preliminarily scheduled for 2 hours 30 minutes), there was no response from Moscow. The situation was such that the act might not have had the signature of the Soviet representative at all, so Susloparov ensured that a note was included 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 this did he agree to put his signature on the act, although he understood that he was extremely at risk.
The act of surrender of Germany was signed on May 7 at 2 hours 40 minutes Central European time. The act stipulated that unconditional surrender would take effect from 11 p.m. on May 8. After this, 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 bear witness to it with their signatures. Stalin instructed Marshal Zhukov to organize a new signing of the act.
Fortunately, a note that was included at the request of Susloparov in the signed document allowed this to be done. Sometimes the second signing of an 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 official instructions 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 a more high level, Stalin joined in, turning to Churchill and Truman: “The agreement signed in Reims cannot be canceled, 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 victors, but where the fascist aggression came from, in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the high command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.”
As a result, the United States and England agreed to re-sign 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 requested, citing that there were still heavy battles on the Soviet-German front, and it was necessary 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 this personally, addressing the people on the radio. In the USSR, the text of their appeals was published in newspapers, but for obvious reasons only on May 10.
It is curious that Churchill, knowing that the end of the war would be declared 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 overall victory."
Opening the ceremony, Marshal Zhukov addressed the audience, declaring: “We, representatives of the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Armed Forces and the High 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 this, 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 Central European time. In Moscow it was already May 9 (0 hours 43 minutes). On the German side, the act was signed by the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command of the German Armed Forces, Field Marshal General Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel, the Chief of the Luftwaffe General Staff, Air Force Colonel General Hans Jürgen Stumpf, and General Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, who became the Commander-in-Chief of the German Fleet after the appointment of Dönitz as Reich President of Germany. The unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, Marshal Tedder (English: 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, 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 instrument of surrender in Berlin is called its “ratification”
Soon, the solemn voice of Yuri Levitan sounded from radios across 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 been victoriously completed.
Germany is completely destroyed. Comrades Red Army, Red Navy, sergeants, foremen, army and navy officers, generals, admirals and marshals, I congratulate you on the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War. Eternal glory to the heroes who died in battles for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!”
By order of I. Stalin, a grandiose salute of a thousand guns was given on this day in Moscow. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in commemoration of the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War Soviet people against the Nazi invaders and the historical victories of the Red Army, May 9 was declared Victory Day.
The document obliged German military personnel to cease resistance, surrender personnel and transfer the material part of the armed forces to the enemy, which actually meant Germany’s exit from the war. The Soviet leadership did not arrange such a signing, therefore, at the request of the USSR government and personally Comrade Stalin on May 8 ( May 9, USSR time) the Act of Surrender of Germany was signed for the second time, but 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.
Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces. (wikipedia.org)
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.
Representatives of the German command approach the table to sign the surrender. (pinterest.ru)
The general capitulation of Germany was preceded by a series of partial capitulations of the largest formations remaining with 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, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Fleet Admiral Hans-Georg Friedeburg, signed the act of surrender of all German armed forces in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany to the 21st Army Group of Field Marshal B. Montgomery.
On May 5, Infantry General F. Schultz, who commanded Army Group G, operating in Bavaria and Western Austria, capitulated to the American General D. Devers.
The leadership of the USSR was dissatisfied with the signing of the German surrender in Reims, which was not agreed upon 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 consider the procedure in Reims a preliminary surrender. 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.
Signing of the surrender in Reims. (pinterest.ru)
The Soviet representative, General Susloparov, signed the act in Reims at his own peril and risk, since instructions from the Kremlin had not yet arrived at the time appointed for signing. He decided to put his signature with a reservation (Article 4) that this act should not exclude the possibility of signing another act at the request of one of the allied countries. Soon after signing the act, Susloparov received a telegram from Stalin with a categorical ban on signing the surrender.
After signing the act of surrender. (wikipedia.org)
For his part, Stalin said: “ The treaty signed in Reims cannot be canceled, 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 victors, but where the fascist aggression came from - in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the high command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition».
The Soviet delegation before signing the act. (pinterest.ru)
The building in the suburbs of Berlin where the signing ceremony was held. (pinterest.ru)
Zhukov reads out the act of surrender. (pinterest.ru)
On May 8 at 22:43 Central European time (at 00:43, May 9 Moscow) in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the final Act of the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed.
Keitel signs the surrender. (pinterest.ru)
The changes in the text of the act were as follows:
In the English text, the expression Soviet High Command (Soviet Supreme Command) was replaced by the more exact translation 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, has been expanded and detailed.
The indication of the act of May 7 was withdrawn: “Only this text on English language is authoritative" and Article 6 was inserted, which read: "This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German languages. Only Russian and English lyrics are authentic."
After signing the act of unconditional surrender. (wikipedia.org)
By agreement between the governments of the USSR, USA and Great Britain, an agreement was reached to consider the procedure in Reims preliminary. This is exactly how it was interpreted in the USSR, where the significance of the act of May 7 was belittled in every possible way, and the act itself was hushed up, while in the West it is regarded as the actual signing of capitulation, and the act in Karlshorst as its ratification.
Lunch in honor of the Victory after signing the terms of unconditional surrender.
Having accepted the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany, that is, formally remained in a state of war. The decree to end the state of war was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR only on January 25, 1955.
The German command signed the act of surrender late at night on May 7 in Reims. Moreover, the Act was supposed to come into force at 23:01 on May 8. But Soviet General Ivan Susloparov, who signed it, acted at his own peril and risk. Immediately after this, Susloparov received a telegram from Moscow with a categorical ban on signing the Act. But the deed had already been done, and the Soviet government immediately contacted the allies, protesting against the signing of the document not by the top leadership of the German armed forces, but by minor figures. The Allies found the USSR's arguments convincing and agreed to a repeat ceremony the next day, but with a more representative composition and with minor changes to the text.
On May 8 at 22:43 Central European time in the suburbs of Berlin, the commanders of the German military branches signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany - in the presence of representatives of the command of the anti-Hitler coalition troops. The start date of the Act did not change, so the surrender announced the day before on German radio began virtually immediately after the signing of the document. Due to the time difference (in Moscow at the time of signing it was already 00:43 on May 9), the end date of the war in former USSR, Europe and the USA are considered differently. Here it is May 9, in the West it is May 8.
Immediately after receiving the news of the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender, on the same night, the Soviet government issued a decree to celebrate Victory Day on May 9 as the first day of peace after the Great Patriotic War.
Only a year later a similar holiday appeared in other states. Naturally, with the date of celebration on May 8th. In England, France and the USA it is called Victory Day in Europe. And May 9 Western Europe celebrates Europe Day. But it is dedicated to a completely different event: it was on this day in 1950 that French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, from which the European Union later grew...
The situation that developed in March-April 1945, when the Red Army stood only 60 kilometers from Berlin, greatly worried England. Such successful Soviet offensives jeopardized British plans for a post-war world order, in which London assigned itself a dominant position in Europe. Despite the fact that the vast majority of German troops fought on the Eastern Front, offering not the strongest resistance to the Anglo-Franco-American troops, the Allies did not advance as quickly as they wanted on the shores of Albion. And, although the borders of the occupation of Germany were approved back in Yalta, the British were eager to be the first to enter Berlin, which would diminish the role of the USSR in the victory and, on the contrary, elevate their role.
Recently declassified English archives have revealed the most unsightly page of the activities of the British of those days. In April 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the development of an operation plan that would “impose the will of the United States and the British Empire on the Russians.” The operation was called "Operation Unthinkable". It must be said that the name most accurately characterizes the idea of the British.
British planners, no less, planned for July 1, 1945, an Anglo-American-German military strike against Soviet troops. 47 British and American divisions supported by carefully preserved and armed British 10-12 German divisions without declaring war they were supposed to strike at the positions of the Red Army.
“They are rejoicing... They think the war is over. But the real war is just beginning,” Kennan, adviser to the American Embassy in Moscow, wrote in his diary on May 9.
The war was really planned to be serious. With a strike in northern Germany, it was planned to overthrow the Soviet troops, who had relaxed after the Victory, and drive them to Poland by September. After this, Poles, Hungarians, as well as other states, were supposed to join the hostilities, until recently former allies Germany. Using the overwhelming advantage in aviation, massive air raids were to turn the most important Soviet centers into ruins, like Dresden: Leningrad, Moscow, Murmansk. The multiple advantage of the British at sea guaranteed the safety of supply lines, and the deterioration of Soviet equipment (as it seemed to the planners) guaranteed a quick victory in the war, which was planned to end on the Arkhangelsk-Stalingrad line.
The date of the attack was not chosen by chance. Even in Yalta, Stalin announced that the USSR would enter the war with Japan on August 8, 1945, and already in June the transfer of our troops from Germany to Far East. But the “Unthinkable” went unforeseen: at the end of June, Marshal Zhukov unexpectedly regrouped the Soviet troops located in Germany, which confused all the cards for the British. The power of Soviet technology that stormed Berlin and the “accidental” salvo from Katyusha rockets at Allied positions on the eve of the end of the war raised doubts about the success of the operation in the hearts of many Allied generals.
The American military, who feared excessive losses in the war with Japan without Soviet support, was categorically against the attack on the USSR, supported by the new American President Harry Truman. As a result, the plan for the treacherous attack was sent to a secret storage facility, from where only a few years ago it was transferred to the public access of the British State Archives.
A selection of photographs dedicated to this significant event.
1. 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.
2. Representatives of Germany at the table during the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender. In the photo, sitting from left to right: Colonel General Stumpf from the Air Force, Field Marshal Keitel from ground forces and Admiral General von Friedeburg from navy. 05/08/1945
3. American General Dwight Eisenhower and British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder at a press conference after signing the German surrender in Reims (France) on May 7, 1945.
4. Representatives of the Allied command after the signing of the German surrender in Reims (France) on May 7, 1945.
In the photo from left to right: Chief of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), Chief of Staff of the Allied forces in Europe, British Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Morgan Morgan, 1894-1967), American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith, American radio commentator Harry Butcher, American General Dwight Eisenhower, British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder and Chief of the British Navy Staff Admiral Sir Harold Burrough.
5. Colonel General Alfred Jodl (center) signs the German surrender at the Allied headquarters in Reims at 02.41 local time on May 7, 1945. Seated 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 German surrender in Reims, which was not agreed upon with the USSR and relegated the country that made the greatest contribution to the Victory to the background. At the suggestion of the Soviet government and personally I.V. Stalin and his allies agreed to consider the procedure in Reims a preliminary surrender. The Allies also agreed that the matter should not be postponed, and scheduled the signing of the Act of Surrender of Germany in its entirety in Berlin for May 8, 1945.
6. Signing of the German surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo, back from right to left: A. Jodl's adjutant Major Wilhelm Oxenius, Colonel General Alfred Jodl and Grand Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg; facing from left to right: Chief of Staff of Allied Forces in Europe British Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Morgan, French General Francois Sevet, Chief of Staff of the British Navy Admiral Sir Harold Burro, radio commentator Harry Butcher American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith, Adjutant I.A. Susloparov, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev, Head of the USSR Military Mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), American General Carl Spaatz, cameraman Henry Bull, Colonel Ivan Zenkovich.
7. Colonel General Alfred Jodl (center) signs the German surrender at the headquarters of the Allied forces in Reims at 02.41 local time on May 7, 1945.
8. Representatives of the German command approach the table to sign the surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo from left to right: A. Jodl's adjutant Major Wilhelm Oxenius, Colonel General Alfred Jodl and Grand Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg.
9. The head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), shakes hands with the commander of the Allied forces in Europe, American General Dwight Eisenhower, at the signing of the act of German surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945. To the left of I.A. Susloparov is his adjutant, senior lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev.
10. The Allied Chief of Staff in Europe, American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith, signs the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo on the left is the chief of staff of the British fleet, Admiral Sir Harold Burro, on the right is the head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974).
11. The head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), signs the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo on the far right is American General Carl Spaatz. To the left of I.A. Susloparov is his adjutant, senior lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev.
12. Wehrmacht artillery general Helmut Weidling emerges from a bunker during the surrender of the Berlin garrison. 05/02/1945
13. Representative of the Supreme High Command of the Red Army, commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, who signed the Act of Surrender on the part of the USSR. In the background is a Soviet cameraman filming the signing ceremony. Berlin. 09/08/1945
17. Representatives after signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8, 1945. The act on the part of Germany was signed by Field Marshal Keitel (in front on the right, with a marshal's baton) from the ground forces, Admiral General von Friedeburg (on the right behind Keitel) from the navy and Colonel General Stumpf (to the left of Keitel) from the military -but-air force.
18. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany on the German side, is presented with the text of the Act. To the left, second from the viewer, G.K. is sitting at the table. Zhukov, who signed the Act on behalf of the USSR. Berlin. 05/08/1945
19. Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, Infantry General Krebs (left), who arrived at the location on May 1 Soviet troops in order to involve the High Command in the negotiation process. On the same day, the general shot himself. Berlin. 05/01/1945
20. The Soviet delegation before signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender of all German Armed Forces. Berlin. 05/08/1945 Standing on the right is the representative of the Supreme High Command of the Red Army, commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, standing in the center with his hand raised - Deputy Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Army General V.D. Sokolovsky.
21. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany on the German side, is presented with the text of the Act. On the left at the table sits G.K. Zhukov, who signed the Act on behalf of the USSR. Berlin. 05/08/1945
22. Representatives of the German command, led by Field Marshal Keitel, are sent to sign the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. May 8, Berlin, Karlhorst.
23. Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, Infantry Lieutenant General Hans Krebs, at the headquarters of the Soviet troops in Berlin. On May 1, Krebs arrived at the location of Soviet troops with the aim of involving the High Command in the negotiation process. On the same day, the general shot himself.
24. German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung spit, East Prussia. German and Soviet officers discuss the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrendering German troops. 05/09/1945
25. German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung spit, East Prussia. German and Soviet officers discuss the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrendering German troops. 05/09/1945
26. German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung spit, East Prussia. German officers accept from the Soviet officer the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrender. 05/09/1945
27. German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung spit, East Prussia. German officers accept the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrender from the Soviet officer. 05/09/1945
28. German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung spit, East Prussia. German and Soviet officers discuss the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrendering German troops. 05/09/1945
29. German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung Spit, East Prussia.
30. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signs the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. Berlin, May 8, 1945, 22:43 Central European time (May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time).
31. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel goes to the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. Berlin. 05/08/1945
32. Arrival in Berlin for the signing ceremony of the Act of Surrender of Germany by the Air Chief MarshalGreat Britain Tedder A.V. Among those greeting: Army General V.D. Sokolovsky. and Commandant of BerlinColonel General Berzarin N.E. 05/08/1945
33. Arrival in Berlin of Field Marshal W. Keitel, Fleet Admiral H. Friedeburg and Air Force Colonel General G. Stumpf to sign the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. Among the accompanying persons is Army General V.D. Sokolovsky. and Colonel General Berzarin N.E. 05/08/1945
34. First Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Vyshinsky A.Ya. AndMarshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. heading to the signing ceremonyAct of unconditional surrender of Germany. Karlshorst. 05/08/1945
35. Chief Air Marshal of Great Britain Sir Tedder A. and Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. looking through documents on the conditions of Germany's surrender.
36. Signing by Field Marshal V. Keitel of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of all German Armed Forces. Berlin. Karlshorst. 05/08/1945
37. Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.signs the Act of unconditional surrender of all German armed forces.
38. Lunch in honor of the Victory after signing the terms of Germany’s unconditional surrender. From left to right: British Air Chief Marshal Sir Tedder A., Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov, Commander of the US Strategic Air Forces General Spaats K. Berlin. 08-09.05.1945
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The photo selection is based on the following materials:
Russian state archive film and photo documents.
All photos are clickable.
Photo albums "The Great Patriotic War"