Victory in Europe Day

(Redirected from V-E Day)

For the end of the war in Japan and the Pacific Theater, see Victory over Japan Day.

Winston Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war with Germany had been won.

The instrument of surrender signed at Reims May 7, 1945.

VE Day Celebrations on Cromwell St. Merthyr Tydfil

Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day or VE Day) was proclaimed for May 8, 1945, the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. On April 30th, Hitler committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin, and so the surrender of Germany was authorized by his replacement, President of Germany Karl Dönitz. The administration headed up by Admiral Dönitz was known as the Flensburg government. The act of military surrender was signed on May 7 in Reims, France, and May 8 in Berlin, Germany.

[edit] May 8 as public holiday

United Kingdom - 1995 May Day Bank holiday was moved from May 1 to May 8 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War.
The former East Germany as Tag der Befreiung (Day of Liberation)
France
Slovakia as Deň víťazstva nad fašizmom (Victory over Fascism Day)^[1]
Czech Republic as Den vítězství or Den osvobození (Day of Liberation)