This Day in History: 8 May 2020
8 May 1945
75 years ago, today, Great Britain and the United States celebrated Victory in Europe Day. Cities from both nations hanged flags and banners, as they rejoiced over the defeat of the Nazis during World War Two. German troops throughout Europe had finally laid down arms, like in Prague, where the Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists. This came after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, but the Germans lost considerably more. In Copenhagen, Oslo, Karlshorst, and northern Latvia, the German surrender was signified with a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed and finalised in Berlin and in eastern Germany.
The main German concern was to avoid the grasp of Soviet forces, as they feared they would be taken prisoner. Around 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when they ceased fighting in Czechoslovakia but were stopped by the Soviets and were taken captive. Approximately 2 million were taken as prisoners in the period just before and after the German surrender. At the same time, more than 13,000 British prisoners of war were released and sent back to Great Britain. However, confrontations between the Germans and Soviets still continued into the next day, when 600 Soviet soldiers were lost before the Germans finally surrendered. As a result, VE Day in Moscow was not celebrated until the 9th, when even Stalin himself celebrated the victory with a radio broadcast salute.
Want to find out more about VE Day? Click here for more information, or click here for more details on the 75th anniversary.
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