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Primary Sources: Photographs from Chicago 

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Primary Sources: Photographs from Chicago 

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Chicagoans celebrate Victory in Europe Day

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Chicagoans took to the streets for a V-E Day celebration on May 8, 1945. Two young women dance with joy on State Street with the announcement by President Truman of the end of the conflict in Europe on May 8, 1945. This was typical of the scenes in Chicago's Loop on V-E Day.

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Primary Source Winston Churchill greeting people in England  

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Primary Source Winston Churchill greeting people in England  

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katie and Emily

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There were two surrender signings. The first was on May 7, 1945, when German Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl signed Germany's surrender on all fronts in Reims, France.

The second signing - insisted upon by Soviet Premier Josef Stalin - was by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel the next day in Berlin. Jodl and Keitel were later found guilty of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, and both were subsequently executed.

The conflict began in 1939 when Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Among the dead were about 6 million Jews who were murdered by Nazi Germany. Some 250,000 U.S. troops were also killed in the fighting in the European theater.

After the many deaths during the war in Europe, V-E Day was cause for worldwide celebration.

Tens of thousands of people filled the streets of New York, New Orleans, London, and cities in Canada, Australia and other Allied nations. There was also a massive celebration in Paris. U.S. forces participated in the celebrations in France, a nation that had borne much of the brunt of the fighting. The Soviets celebrated their own "Victory Day" on May 9.

President Harry S. Truman announced V-E Day to the American people, saying in a radio address: "Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache, which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors - neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty."

Although fighting ended in Europe, it continued in the Pacific, where U.S. and Allied forces fought the Japanese in Okinawa, the Philippines and other places. The areas of Western Europe liberated by Allied forces would become thriving democracies, while those liberated in the East would be occupied for decades by Soviet forces.

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Victory in Europe Day: Time of Celebration, Reflection

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There were two surrender signings. The first was on May 7, 1945, when German Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl signed Germany's surrender on all fronts in Reims, France. The second signing - insisted upon by Soviet Premier Josef Stalin - was by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel the next day in Berlin.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower, then commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe, issued this Victory Order of the Day to commend the victorious Allied troops.

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Molly and Charlotte found this!

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Comparing VE Day celebrations in 1945 and 2020, using primary sources

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Megan Bowler uses Gale Primary Sources to compare the first VE Day celebrations in 1945 with the 75th Anniversary commemorative events of 2020.

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75th Anniversary of V-E Day: End of WWII in Europe

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Fiona and Cece

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On May 8, 1945, Great Britain, the United States and other Allied countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in the U.S., U.K., and Western Europe, along with in the Soviet Union, Canada and Australia put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II.

The eighth of May marked the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark-the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany.

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Allied nations worldwide celebrate V-E Day | May 8, 1945 | HISTORY

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Great Britain, the United States and several other countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazis during World War II.

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Secondary Source: People commemorating VE day 80 years later

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Secondary Source: People commemorating VE day 80 years later

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Primary Source: Newspaper "World Surrenders to V-Day Joy"

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Primary Source: Newspaper "World Surrenders to V-Day Joy"

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found with michael

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Britain Celebrating Nazi Surrender | V.E. Day's 80th Anniversary Special

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Secondary Source article about the significance of VE Day WW2

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Secondary Source article about the significance of VE Day WW2

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Victory In Europe Day - VE Day WW2 | Royal British legion

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8 May 1945 – Victory in Europe Day. After nearly six years of war Germany officially surrendered on 7 May 1945 and the conflict was finally over. Learn more here.

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Liam Holland

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"The western world has been freed of the evil forces which for five years and longer have imprisoned the bodies and broken the lives of millions upon millions of freeborn men. They have violated their churches, destroyed their homes, corrupted their children and murdered their loved ones. Our armies of liberation have restored freedom to those suffering peoples, whose spirit and will the oppressor could never enslave."
- President Harry S. Truman, V-E Day Proclamation

U.S. Army Military Police soldiers read about the German surrender in Stars and Stripes.

On May 8th, 1945 - known as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day - celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of a nearly six year war that had cost the lives of millions; destroyed homes, families, and cities; and brought huge suffering to the populations of entire countries.

Millions of people rejoiced in the news that Germany had surrendered, relieved that the intense strain of the war was finally over. In towns and cities across the world, people marked the victory with street parties, dancing and singing.

Here's what you need to know about VE Day and how it was celebrated in the U.S.

There Were Two Surrender Signings

The first was on May 7, 1945, when German Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl signed Germany's surrender on all fronts in Reims, France.

Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30th, 1945 after Berlin was surrounded by Allied forces. His named successor was Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. During his brief spell as Germany's president, Dönitz negotiated an end to the war with the Allies, and tried to save as many Germans as possible from falling into Soviet hands.

A German delegation arrived at the headquarters of British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery at Lüneburg Heath, east of Hamburg, on May 4th. There, Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany and Denmark. On May 7th, at his headquarters in Reims, France, Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces. The document of surrender was signed on behalf of Germany by General Alfred Jodl and came into effect the following day.

General Alfred Jodl (seated center) signs the surrender terms in Reims, France, on May 7, 1945.

The second signing - insisted upon by Soviet Premier Josef Stalin - was by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel the next day in Berlin. Dönitz's plan was partially successful and millions of German soldiers surrendered to Allied forces, thereby escaping Soviet capture.

Jodl and Keitel were later found guilty of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, and both were subsequently executed.

Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signs the ratified surrender terms at Soviet headquarters in Berlin, Germany, on May 8, 1945.

How VE DayWas Celebrated In the U.S.

In the U.S., the victory was dampened by the recent death of President Roosevelt. His successor, Harry S. Truman, dedicated the day to Roosevelt and ordered that flags be kept at half-staff. Additionally, the war was not won yet in the Pacific, where U.S. and Allied forces fought the Japanese in Okinawa, the Philippines and other places. President Truman urged Americans to temper their elation until all hostilities ended. Despite this, many Americans rejoiced.

President Truman sits before a microphone, holding his speech, at the White House, Washington, DC, May 8, 1945, after he had finished reading his announcement to the nation that Allied Armies have won unconditional surrender from the German forces on all fronts. (AP Photo/stf)

New York was the site of the largest V-E Day celebration within the United States. Crowds gathered in Times Square, and thousands marched down Fifth Avenue with confetti raining down on them.

Even before the official declaration of victory, New York officials knew what was coming, and they were prepared. A few days before the anticipated announcement of V-E Day, the New York Times told its readers that 15,293 police officers would be on duty "to ensure that celebrants are held within the bonds of sane and reasonable hilarity."

New York's Times Square is packed with crowds celebrating the news of Germany's unconditional surrender in World War II. (AP Photo/Tom Fitzsimmons)

Some U.S. cities observed V-E Day in a subdued fashion, adhering to Truman's advice. From coast to coast, Americans flocked to houses of worship to pray. In Chicago, churches arranged special services, reported the Chicago Daily Tribune. Government and labor leaders asked workers to stay on their jobs, and liquor stores were closed for 24 hours. New Orleans "had no frenzied celebration," and a similar calm prevailed in Dallas, Boston and Denver, according to Newsweek. The mood in Atlanta was "somber, reflective," while in Los Angeles, the mayor proclaimed: "This is not a holiday."

On this special anniversary, the ASOM recognizes with gratitude the sacrifices made over 76 years ago in the European Theater of Operations.

Victory in Europe Day will always be remembered.

To learn more about World War II, and the role Airborne forces played in it, click here!

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Interesting Facts About Victory In Europe Day (VE DAY) | ASOMF

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"The western world has been freed of the evil forces which for five years and longer have imprisoned the bodies and broken the lives of millions upon m ...

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Children on VE Day

Two small girls, named Jeannie Lebby and Maureen Schroles, waving their flags in the rubble of Battersea, London on 8 May 1945.

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Article

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Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day | UNESCO in the UK

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Thursday 8 May 2025 marks 80 years since VE (Victory in Europe) Day when the Second World War came to an end in Europe.

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Biography of the women in this photo

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Who Were The Women In The Trafalgar Square Fountains On VE Day?

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It’s an iconic photograph - one that has been used across the world to highlight the celebrations on VE Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe. But there’s always been one big question surrounding this particular image: what was the story behind those two women smiling for the camera in the Trafalgar Square fountains on 8 May 1945.

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A colour photograph of the crowd in front of the Ministry of Health building in Whitehall. Churchill addressed the crowd from the balcony.

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80th anniversary ‘VE Day’ - secondary assembly resources

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An assembly framework and video to commemorate ‘VE Day’ on 8 May and to consider what life was like in the UK in the years immediately after World War II.

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VE Day 80th anniversary services held to mark end of World War Two | BBC News

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Primary source, man talks about his experience.

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Primary source, man talks about his experience.

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80 years after VE Day a veteran says, ‘I hope people will see the futility of it all’

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Army veteran Harry Miller was stationed in Germany when the Nazis surrendered. Upon hearing the news, he recalls that American troops went to sleep or shook hands. “And some just couldn’t believe it.”

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Abby

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sarah densmore

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Secondary source Victory day re-cap from white house.

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Secondary source Victory day re-cap from white house.

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Today, our Nation proudly commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Allied Powers' triumph over national socialism and fascism, and the end of World War II in Europe - one of the most epic victories for forces of freedom in the history of the world. On this Victory Day for World War II, we celebrate the unmatched might, strength, and power of the American Armed Forces, and we commit to protecting our sacred birthright of liberty against all threats, foreign and domestic.

In the wake of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States righteously entered the fray of what would become the apex of the eternal battle between good and evil. After nearly 4 years of the darkest and bloodiest chapters ever recorded in human history, more than 250,000 Americans lost their lives in the fight against the Nazi regime. Today and every day, we pay tribute to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their Nation, their liberty, and the survival of Western civilization. Without the sacrifice of our American soldiers, this war would not have been won, and our world today would look drastically different.

May 8, 1945 marks the Allies' acceptance of Germany's unconditional surrender - the beginning of the end of years of long, gruesome, and brutal warfare. The millions of souls senselessly lost serve as a reminder of why we must pursue peace through strength. I remain steadfastly devoted to stopping the years of endless foreign wars and preventing the further loss of lives. As I stated during my Inaugural Address, we will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars we end - and my proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker.

As we commemorate Victory Day for World War II, we offer our unending thanks to every patriot from the Greatest Generation who left behind his home and family to fight for our freedom in distant lands. We honor the memories of all those who perished. Above all, we renew our commitment to keeping America and the entire world safe, secure, prosperous, and free.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 8, 2025, as a day in celebration of Victory Day for World War II.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty‑five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATION Today, our Nation proudly commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Allied Powers' triumph

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https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/victory-europe