By U.S. National Archives
National Archives-Eisenhower Presidential Library, Abilene, Kansas
"The mission of this Allied Force was fulfilled at 3:00 a.m., local time, May 7, 1945. Eisenhower." This simple statement from Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, notified American Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall of victory in Europe. The German army had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
Spring 1945
By May 7, 1945, Adolf Hitler was dead, the Allies were advancing through Germany, Berlin had fallen to the Red Army, and much of the nation lay in ruins. Several other surrender agreements had already been made, and fighting on the western front had largely ended by this time.
American Soldiers Take Cover in Sieburg, Germany (1945-04-10) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
American First Army infantrymen take cover as sniper fire breaks out in Sieburg, Germany.
April 10, 1945.
American Soldiers Hunt Snipers in Coburg, Germany (1945-04-11) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
American tanks and infantrymen hunt snipers in Coburg, Germany. April 11, 1945.
Destroyed German Railroad Yards (1945-04-01) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
Ruins of the railroad yards at Limburg, Germany, after Allied bombing. April 1, 1945.
American Troops Advance in Wernberg, Germany (1945-04-22) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
Tanks and infantry of the U.S. 3rd Army move through Wernberg, Germany. April 22, 1945.
First Train to Cross the Rhine on US 9th Army Bridge (1945-04-10) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
The first train to cross the Rhine River from west to east on a bridge built by the U.S. 9th Army in just 10 days. April 10, 1945.
German Prisoners of War in Wurzburg, Germany (1945-04-04) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
German prisoners of war walk toward the prisoner of war cages at Wurzberg, Germany. 1945.
Germany surrenders
Allied commanders negotiated the terms of the German surrender with Colonel General Alfred Jodl and his party beginning on May 6. At 2:41 a.m., local time, on Monday, May 7, 1945, they signed the Act of Surrender requiring German forces to lay down their arms. The signing took place in the temporary war room of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), located in a converted school in Rheims (now Reims), France.
Tap to explore
The Act of Military Surrender was signed here. The building now houses the Museum of the Surrender.
Alfred Jodl Signs Act of Surrender in Reims, France (1945-05-07) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
The three German officers present were, from left, Major Wilhelm Oxenius, Colonel General Alfred Jodl, and Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg.
Alfred Jodl Signs Act of Surrender (1945-05-07) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
Jodl signs the Act of Military Surrender on behalf of the German High Command.
Act of Military Surrender Signed at Reims (1945-05-07) by U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
The Act of Military Surrender required German forces to cease operations at 23:01 hours Central European time on May 8.
Act of Military Surrender Signed at Reims, Page 2 (1945-05-07) by U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
The signatures on the Act of Military Surrender represent the German High Command, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, the Soviet High Command, and France.
General Walter Bedell Smith, Eisenhower's chief of staff, signed on behalf of the Supreme Commander.
General Ivan A. Susloparov signed on behalf of the Soviet High Command.
Colonel General Alfred Jodl signed on behalf of the German High Command.
Major General François Sevez signed on as a witness for the French Army.
Mission fulfilled
General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Air Marshal Arthur Tedder announced the unconditional surrender of Germany. Handpicked members of the press present at Reims were told not to release the story for 36 hours, but word began to spread on May 7. The first story in the American press appeared the morning of May 8.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Displays Pens Used in Surrender Signing (1945-05-07) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
Surrounded by Allied officers, General Eisenhower displays the pens used to sign the Act of Military Surrender.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Announces Victory in Europe (1945-05-07) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Air Marshal Arthur Tedder announce the unconditional surrender of Germany.
General Eisenhower's Message to General George C. Marshall (1945-05-07) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, U.S. National ArchivesU.S. National Archives
In this handwritten message, General Eisenhower conveyed the news of the German surrender and the completion of the Allied mission to U.S. Chief of Staff George C. Marshall.
President Harry S. Truman announcing victory in Europe (1945-05-08) by Harry S. Truman Library and of the National Archives and Records AdministrationU.S. National Archives
President Harry S. Truman announces Victory in Europe on May 8, 1945. Truman had become president on April 12, 1945, less than a month before V-E Day, upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A second surrender in Berlin
The Soviet command refused to accept the Act of Military Surrender, and demanded a second ceremony on German soil with a more comprehensive text. On the night of May 8, 1945, a second surrender ceremony was held in Karlshorst, Berlin. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel was one of three German signatories to the German Instrument of Surrender.
May 8 - V-E Day
Cities around the world celebrated Victory in Europe, or V-E Day. Though the German surrender had been anticipated, its arrival was cause for joy.
Ve Day In Nyc (1945-05-08) by Herbert GehrLIFE Photo Collection
New Yorkers fill the streets on V-E Day.
V-E Day in Kansas City, Missouri (1945-05-08) by Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and MuseumU.S. National Archives
Crowds gather in downtown Kansas City, Missouri on V-E Day.
This exhibition was created by the staff of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas.
eisenhowerlibrary.gov
