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War Series: VE-Day
History of VE-Day
End of WWII in Europe 80 Years Ago
Eighty years ago today, World War II ended in Europe with the Allies accepting the unconditional surrender from Germany on VE-Day.
Or did it?
May 7, 1945, VE-Day
Adolf Hitler had committed suicide in his Berlin bunker a week earlier on April 30, 1945, as I describe in my article on the liberation of Dachau.
At 2:41 AM on May 7, Allied General Dwight Eisenhower received the unconditional surrender of German General Alfred Jodl at Reims, France, in a red brick building at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). It stipulated that hostilities were to cease at 11:01 PM the next day, on May 8, 1945.
Reims is an old city with a history stretching back over two millennia and was an important eastern France city during the Roman Empire. Its Cathedral is renowned as the traditional site of the coronation of French kings going back to 496. Today, it is the gateway to the Champagne region. Along with nearby Épernay, it features many of the largest champagne houses. Years ago, I took a high-speed train ride from Paris 80 miles away to tour the Roman-built champaign caves of Reims.
