The vast majority of our fellow citizens know that on May 9 the country celebrates Victory Day. A slightly smaller number know that the date was not chosen by chance, and it is connected with the signing of the act of surrender of Nazi Germany.
But the question of why, in fact, the USSR and Europe celebrate Victory Day on different days baffles many.
So how did you really give up? fascist Germany?
German disaster
By the beginning of 1945, Germany's position in the war had become simply catastrophic. The rapid advance of Soviet troops from the East and Allied armies from the West led to the fact that the outcome of the war became clear to almost everyone.
From January to May 1945, the death throes of the Third Reich actually took place. More and more units rushed to the front not so much with the goal of turning the tide, but with the goal of delaying the final catastrophe.
Under these conditions, atypical chaos reigned in the German army. Suffice it to say that there is simply no complete information about the losses that the Wehrmacht suffered in 1945 - the Nazis no longer had time to bury their dead and draw up reports.
On April 16, 1945, Soviet troops deployed offensive operation in the direction of Berlin, the goal of which was to capture the capital of Nazi Germany.
Despite the large forces concentrated by the enemy and his deeply echeloned defensive fortifications, in a matter of days, Soviet units broke through to the outskirts of Berlin.
Without allowing the enemy to be drawn into protracted street battles, on April 25, Soviet assault groups began advancing toward the city center.
On the same day, on the Elbe River, Soviet troops linked up with American units, as a result of which the Wehrmacht armies that continued to fight were divided into groups isolated from each other.
In Berlin itself, units of the 1st Belorussian Front advanced towards government offices of the Third Reich.
Units of the 3rd Shock Army broke through to the Reichstag area on the evening of April 28. At dawn on April 30, the building of the Ministry of the Interior was taken, after which the path to the Reichstag was opened.
Surrender of Hitler and Berlin
Located at that time in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery Adolf Gitler"capitulated" in the middle of the day on April 30, committing suicide. According to the testimony of the Fuhrer's associates, in last days His greatest fear was that the Russians would fire the bunker with sleeping gas shells, after which he would be displayed in a cage in Moscow for the amusement of the crowd.
At about 21:30 on April 30, units of the 150th Infantry Division captured the main part of the Reichstag, and on the morning of May 1, a red flag was raised over it, which became the Banner of Victory.
Germany, Reichstag. Photo: www.russianlook.com
The fierce battle in the Reichstag, however, did not stop, and the units defending it stopped resisting only on the night of May 1-2.
On the night of May 1, 1945, he arrived at the location of Soviet troops. Chief of the German General Staff ground forces General Krebs, who reported Hitler's suicide and requested a truce while the new German government took office. The Soviet side demanded unconditional surrender, which was refused at about 18:00 on May 1.
By this time, only the Tiergarten and the government quarter remained under German control in Berlin. The refusal of the Nazis gave the Soviet troops the right to begin the assault again, which did not last long: at the beginning of the first night of May 2, the Germans radioed for a ceasefire and declared their readiness to surrender.
At 6 o'clock in the morning on May 2, 1945 commander of the defense of Berlin, artillery general Weidling Accompanied by three generals, he crossed the front line and surrendered. An hour later, while at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army, he wrote a surrender order, which was duplicated and, with the help of loudspeaker installations and radio, delivered to enemy units defending in the center of Berlin. By the end of the day on May 2, resistance in Berlin ceased, and individual German groups that continued fighting were destroyed.
However, Hitler's suicide and the final fall of Berlin did not yet mean the surrender of Germany, which still had more than a million soldiers in the ranks.
Eisenhower's Soldier's Integrity
The new government of Germany, headed by Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, decided to “save the Germans from the Red Army” by continuing fighting on the Eastern Front, simultaneously with the flight of civilian forces and troops to the West. The main idea was capitulation in the West in the absence of capitulation in the East. Since, in view of the agreements between the USSR and the Western allies, it is difficult to achieve capitulation only in the West, a policy of private capitulations should be pursued at the level of army groups and below.
May 4 in front of the British army Marshal Montgomery The German group capitulated in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany. On May 5, Army Group G in Bavaria and Western Austria capitulated to the Americans.
After this, negotiations began between the Germans and the Western Allies for complete surrender in the West. However, the American General Eisenhower disappointed the German military - surrender must happen in both the West and the East, and the German armies must stop where they are. This meant that not everyone would be able to escape from the Red Army to the West.
German prisoners of war in Moscow. Photo: www.russianlook.com
The Germans tried to protest, but Eisenhower warned that if the Germans continued to drag their feet, his troops would forcefully stop everyone fleeing to the West, whether soldiers or refugees. In this situation, the German command agreed to sign unconditional surrender.
Improvisation by General Susloparov
The signing of the act was to take place at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims. Members of the Soviet military mission were summoned there on May 6 General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, who were informed of the upcoming signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Germany.
At that moment no one would envy Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov. The fact is that he did not have the authority to sign the surrender. Having sent a request to Moscow, he did not receive a response by the beginning of the procedure.
In Moscow, they rightly feared that the Nazis would achieve their goal and sign a capitulation to the Western allies on terms favorable to them. Not to mention the fact that the very registration of surrender at the American headquarters in Reims was categorically not satisfactory Soviet Union.
The easiest way General Susloparov at that moment there was no need to sign any documents at all. However, according to his recollections, an extremely unpleasant conflict could have developed: the Germans surrendered to the allies by signing an act, and remained at war with the USSR. It is unclear where this situation will lead.
General Susloparov acted at his own peril and risk. He added the following note to the text of the document: this protocol on military surrender does not preclude the future signing of another, more advanced act of surrender of Germany, if any allied government declares it.
In this form, the act of surrender of Germany was signed by the German side Chief of Operations Staff of the OKW, Colonel General Alfred Jodl, from the Anglo-American side Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Smith, from the USSR - representative of the Supreme High Command Headquarters under the Allied command Major General Ivan Susloparov. As a witness, the act was signed by the French brigade General Francois Sevez. The signing of the act took place at 2:41 on May 7, 1945. It was supposed to come into force on May 8 at 23:01 Central European Time.
It is interesting that General Eisenhower avoided participating in the signing, citing the low status of the German representative.
Temporary effect
After the signing, a response was received from Moscow - General Susloparov was forbidden to sign any documents.
The Soviet command believed that the German forces would use the 45 hours before the document came into force to flee to the West. This, in fact, was not denied by the Germans themselves.
As a result, at the insistence of the Soviet side, it was decided to hold another ceremony for signing the unconditional surrender of Germany, which was organized on the evening of May 8, 1945 in the German suburb of Karlshorst. The text, with minor exceptions, repeated the text of the document signed in Reims.
On behalf of the German side, the act was signed by: Field Marshal General, Chief of the Supreme High Command Wilhelm Keitel, Air Force spokesman - Colonel General Stupmph and the Navy - Admiral von Friedeburg. Unconditional surrender accepted Marshal Zhukov(from the Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces British Marshal Tedder. They put their signatures as witnesses US Army General Spaatz and French General de Tassigny.
It is curious that General Eisenhower was going to arrive to sign this act, but was stopped by the objection of the British Winston Churchill's premiere: if the allied commander had signed the act in Karlshorst without signing it in Reims, the significance of the Reims act would have seemed insignificant.
The signing of the act in Karlshorst took place on May 8, 1945 at 22:43 Central European time, and it came into force, as agreed back in Reims, at 23:01 on May 8. However, Moscow time, these events occurred at 0:43 and 1:01 on May 9.
It was this discrepancy in time that was the reason why Victory Day in Europe became May 8, and in the Soviet Union - May 9.
To each his own
After the act of unconditional surrender came into force, organized resistance to Germany finally ceased. This, however, did not interfere separate groups, which solved local problems (usually a breakthrough to the West), entered into battle after May 9. However, such battles were short-term and ended with the destruction of the Nazis who did not fulfill the conditions of surrender.
As for General Susloparov, personally Stalin assessed his actions in the current situation as correct and balanced. After the war, Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov worked at the Military Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, died in 1974 at the age of 77, and was buried with military honors at the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
The fate of the German commanders Alfred Jodl and Wilhelm Keitel, who signed the unconditional surrender in Reims and Karlshorst, was less enviable. The International Tribunal in Nuremberg found them war criminals and sentenced them to death penalty. On the night of October 16, 1946, Jodl and Keitel were hanged in the gym of Nuremberg prison.
Act of unconditional surrender of the Germans armed forces was signed on May 7 at 02:41 in Reims by the Chief of the Operational Staff of the High Command German army, Colonel General Alfred Jodl. The document obliged German military personnel to cease resistance, surrender personnel and transfer the material part of the armed forces to the enemy, which actually meant Germany’s exit from the war. The Soviet leadership did not arrange such a signing, therefore, at the request of the USSR government and personally Comrade Stalin on May 8 ( May 9, USSR time) the Act of Surrender of Germany was signed for the second time, but in Berlin, and the day of the official announcement of its signing ( May 8 in Europe and America, May 9 in the USSR) began to be celebrated as Victory Day.
Act of unconditional surrender of the German Armed Forces, signed on May 7, 1945
The idea of Germany's unconditional surrender was first announced by President Roosevelt on January 13, 1943 at a conference in Casablanca and has since become the official position of the United Nations.
Representatives of the German command approach the table to sign the surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945
The general capitulation of Germany was preceded by a series of partial capitulations of the largest formations remaining with the Third Reich:
- On April 29, 1945, the act of surrender of Army Group C (in Italy) was signed in Caserta by its commander, Colonel General G. Fitingof-Scheel.
On May 2, 1945, the Berlin garrison under the command of Helmut Weidling capitulated to the Red Army.
On May 4, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Fleet Admiral Hans-Georg Friedeburg, signed the act of surrender of all German armed forces in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany to the 21st Army Group of Field Marshal B. Montgomery.
On May 5, Infantry General F. Schultz, who commanded Army Group G, operating in Bavaria and Western Austria, capitulated to the American General D. Devers.
Colonel General Alfred Jodl (center) signs the German surrender at the Allied headquarters in Reims at 02.41 local time on May 7, 1945. Seated next to Jodl are Grand Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg (right) and Jodl's adjutant, Major Wilhelm Oxenius.
The leadership of the USSR was dissatisfied with the signing of the German surrender in Reims, which was not agreed upon with the USSR and relegated the country that made the greatest contribution to the Victory to the background. At Stalin's suggestion, the allies agreed to consider the procedure in Reims a preliminary surrender. Although a group of 17 journalists attended the surrender signing ceremony, the US and Britain agreed to delay the public announcement of the surrender so that the Soviet Union could prepare a second surrender ceremony in Berlin, which took place on 8 May.
Signing of the surrender in Reims
The Soviet representative, General Susloparov, signed the act in Reims at his own peril and risk, since instructions from the Kremlin had not yet arrived at the time appointed for signing. He decided to put his signature with a reservation (Article 4) that this act should not exclude the possibility of signing another act at the request of one of the allied countries. Soon after signing the act, Susloparov received a telegram from Stalin with a categorical ban on signing the surrender.
After the signing of the surrender in the first row: Susloparov, Smith, Eisenhower, Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur Tedder
For his part, Stalin said: “ The treaty signed in Reims cannot be canceled, but it cannot be recognized either. Surrender must be carried out as the most important historical act and accepted not on the territory of the victors, but where the fascist aggression came from - in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the high command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition».
The Soviet delegation before signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender of all German Armed Forces. Berlin. 05/08/1945 Standing on the right is Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, standing in the center with his hand raised is Army General V.D. Sokolovsky.
German building military engineering school in the suburb of Berlin - Karlshorst, where the ceremony of signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany was held.
British Air Chief Marshal Sir Tedder A. and Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov review documents on the terms of Germany's surrender.
Zhukov reads out the act of surrender in Karlshorst. Next to Zhukov is Arthur Tedder.
On May 8 at 22:43 Central European time (at 00:43, May 9 Moscow) in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the final Act of the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed.
Keitel signs the surrender in Karlshorst
The changes in the text of the act were as follows:
In the English text, the expression Soviet High Command was replaced by a more accurate translation of the Soviet term: Supreme High Command of the Red Army.
The part of Article 2, which deals with the obligation of the Germans to hand over military equipment intact, has been expanded and detailed.
The indication of the act of May 7 was withdrawn: “Only this text on English language is authoritative" and Article 6 was inserted, which read: "This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German languages. Only Russian and English lyrics are authentic."
Representatives after signing the Act of Unconditional Surrender in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8, 1945
By agreement between the governments of the USSR, USA and Great Britain, an agreement was reached to consider the procedure in Reims preliminary. This is exactly how it was interpreted in the USSR, where the significance of the act of May 7 was belittled in every possible way, and the act itself was hushed up, while in the West it is regarded as the actual signing of capitulation, and the act in Karlshorst as its ratification.
Lunch in honor of the Victory after the signing of the terms of Germany's unconditional surrender. From left to right: British Air Chief Marshal Sir Tedder A., Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov, commander of strategic air force USA General Spaats K. Berlin.
German surrender on the Frisch-Nerung Spit, East Prussia. German officers accept the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrender from the Soviet officer. 05/09/1945
Having accepted the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany, that is, formally remained in a state of war. The decree to end the state of war was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR only on January 25, 1955.
We firmly associate May 9 with Victory Day. This date is associated with the signing of the act of surrender of Nazi Germany. This is also written about in school textbooks. But other countries of the anti-Hitler coalition always celebrated Victory Day on May 8. Where does this discrepancy come from and how did the Nazi leadership actually surrender?
In mid-April 1945, Soviet troops launched a major offensive operation in the direction of Berlin and took the city in a matter of days. At that time, complete chaos reigned in the German army; in anticipation of the impending defeat, many Nazis committed suicide. Goebbels' propagandists clearly overdid it by telling myths about the “terrible Red Army soldiers.” Hitler, who was in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery, “capitulated”
April 30, committing suicide. And the very next day a red flag fluttered over the Reichstag.
However, the suicide of the Fuhrer and the fall of Berlin did not yet mean the surrender of Germany, which still had more than a million soldiers in the ranks. The new government of the country, led by Grand Admiral Karl Dennitz, was inclined to continue hostilities on the Eastern Front. In the western direction, the Germans pursued a policy of so-called private surrenders. Beginning on May 4, the German armies, one after another, laid down their arms before the Americans in Holland, Bavaria, Denmark, and Austria.
On May 7, 1945, at 2.41 in Reims, the United States and England arbitrarily accepted the surrender of Germany. From the USSR, Major General Ivan Susloparov was at the Allied headquarters as a permanent representative. He was clearly not prepared for such an unexpected turn of events. Fearing that the act in Reims could infringe on the interests of the USSR, the general, before the signing ceremony, sent the text of the act of surrender to Moscow, requesting additional instructions. However, the answer never arrived by the appointed time. The head of the Soviet military mission found himself in a very delicate position. It is difficult to even imagine how this decision was given to him, but he agreed to sign the document virtually at his own peril and risk, including a clause in it about the possible repetition of the ceremony at the request of any of the allied states.
Susloparov’s foresight came in handy. Stalin was extremely annoyed by the signing of the surrender in Reims and categorically refused to recognize this document as final. It turned out really unfair and dishonest. Fighting on the Soviet-German front were still ongoing, but in the West the war was considered already over. The Allies delayed the opening of the second front for almost three years under various pretexts, but they were a whole day ahead of the USSR in declaring Victory, thereby hoping to push back its contribution to the defeat of fascism.
This is what Marshal Zhukov recalled about this: “On May 7, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief called me in Berlin and said: “Today in Reims the Germans signed an act of unconditional surrender. The Soviet people bore the brunt of the war on their shoulders, not the allies. Therefore, the surrender must be signed before the Supreme Command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, and not just before the command of the allied forces.” Stalin demanded a new signing of the act of surrender in Berlin taken by the Red Army. The ceremony was scheduled for May 9 at 24.00 Moscow time.
From their table to the table of the presidium, where the Act of Unconditional Surrender was signed, the members of the German delegation had to walk exactly eight steps. This had a special meaning. This is how far the German delegation walked to Marshal Foch's trailer in 1918, when the Act of Surrender of Germany in the First World War was signed
In the middle of the day on May 8, representatives of the Allied High Command arrived at Tempelhof airfield in Berlin: Eisenhower's deputy, British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder, US Air Force Commander General Karl Spaats and French General Jean-Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny. From the airfield, the Allies headed to the Berlin suburb of Karlhorst. They were taken there under guard former boss the headquarters of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Admiral General of the Fleet von Friedeburg and Colonel General Hans Stumpf of the Air Force.
Marshal Zhukov accepted the surrender from the Soviet side. They decided to hold the ceremony in the canteen of the military engineering school. Our fellow countryman from Borisov, Mikhail Filonov (unfortunately, he is no longer alive. - Author's note) was an eyewitness to this historical event. And this is what he told me:
— The school housed the headquarters
5th Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. I served as a sapper at headquarters. And on the night of May 9, I was appointed duty officer in the hall. Most of the officers came to the conference directly from the front line. So they entered the hall - without ceremonial uniforms, awards, with order bars hastily fastened on. In a small smoking room nearby I saw Keitel nervously choking on cigarette smoke. The winners defiantly went out to smoke in the adjacent room.
After listening to the translator, Keitel suddenly stood up, approached with undisguised anger and sat down at the table. At that moment his monocle fell out. He corrected it and with a trembling hand began to quickly sign the Act. At these moments, something incredible was happening around. Photographers and cameramen, pushing each other, rushed to take historical footage. Someone even jumped on the table at which the generals were sitting. The hall was filled with smoke from the flashes of many cameras. The officers on duty had a hard time restoring order. After Keitel, the document was signed in turn by Zhukov and representatives of the USA, Great Britain and France. Then the German delegation was asked to leave the hall. It was 0 hours 43 minutes Moscow time.
Tatyana Koroleva, who worked as a waitress that day, recalls: “There was literally an explosion of emotions. Everyone started hugging, kissing, shouting and crying. They took autographs: some on money, some on photo cards or a notebook.” When everyone had calmed down, tables were brought in and food and drinks began to be set out. Snacks were brought specially from Moscow. Yes, what kind! Sturgeon, salmon, caviar... All this was washed down with vodka and cognac. The toasts sounded non-stop. They drank to the marshals, then to the infantry, pilots, tank crews, sailors, orderlies, army cooks. Suddenly someone remembered about the German delegation. Like, they probably need to be fed too. Everyone looked at Zhukov. After a moment’s pause, he ordered: “Bring them the vodka. Let them drink to our Victory!” Thus the end was put in the history of the most terrible war.
From the text of the Act of Military Surrender of the German Armed Forces:1. We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces currently under German command, to the Supreme Command of the Red Army and at the same time Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
2. The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces... to cease hostilities at 23.01 hours Central European Time on May 8, 1945, to remain in their places where they are at that time and to completely disarm, having transferred all their weapons and military equipment to local Allied commanders or officers allocated by representatives of the Allied High Command, not to destroy or cause any damage to ships, ships and aircraft, their engines, hulls and equipment, as well as vehicles, weapons, apparatus and all military equipment in general -technical means of warfare.
3. In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this instrument of surrender, the High Command of the Red Army as well as the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces will take such punitive measures or other actions they deem necessary.
05/08/1945. - The act of surrender of Germany was signed in Berlin
The price of the storming of Berlin and the chronicle of Germany's unconditional surrender
In the spring of 1945, Germany's defeat was already quite obvious. In April, Soviet troops approached the outskirts of Berlin. But the Germans continued desperate resistance, not so much hoping for the promised “miracle weapon” that would change everything at the last moment, but rather out of a sense of disciplinary duty (perhaps also out of fear of the revenge of the victors, whose behavior in East Prussia was used by German propaganda).
On the approaches to Berlin and in the city itself, a group of German troops numbering about a million people was concentrated, which included 62 divisions (including 48 infantry, 4 tank and 10 motorized), 37 separate infantry regiments and about 100 separate infantry battalions, and Also significant amount artillery units and subunits. It was armed with 1,500 tanks, 10,400 guns and mortars, and 3,300 combat aircraft. Three defensive rings were created around the city; more than 400 reinforced concrete long-term firing points with garrisons of up to a thousand people were built inside the city. Berlin was internally prepared for street fighting with the distribution of anti-tank cartridges to the frightened population.
In the art of war, it is customary to subject such powerful fortified areas to a prolonged siege and fire attack, only finally moving on to an assault on the weakened garrison. It was possible to capture Berlin with a frontal attack only at the cost of huge losses. Nevertheless, the Soviet command considered it politically important to take Berlin as soon as possible, regardless of losses. I wanted to give the people a gift for the holiday, and I also wanted to have a better territorial position for negotiations with the allies.
On the Soviet side, over 2.5 million military personnel, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, and 7,500 aircraft took part in the Berlin operation. The losses during the assault turned out to be enormous: 352 thousand people, including 78 thousand people killed - and this was at the very end of the war over an already virtually defeated Germany...
Every city street was taken at the cost of thousands of lives Soviet soldiers. During the operation, tanks were widely used, which in the city became a convenient, clumsy target for anti-tank weapons: in two weeks of fighting, the Red Army lost a third of the tanks and self-propelled guns participating in the Berlin operation, which amounted to 1,997 units. 917 combat aircraft were also lost.
The chronology of Germany's surrender was as follows.
On April 29, fighting began for the Reichstag (Imperial Parliament), which was defended by about a thousand people. After two days of attacks, the building was occupied by May 1st. At the end, Lieutenant Berest and Sergeants Egorov and Kantaria hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. (However, it is reliably known that before them, other military personnel planted red flags on the roof of the Reichstag, however, in official Soviet historiography, only the banner erected by Berest, Egorov and Kantaria is considered the Victory Banner, apparently due to their nationalities.)
On April 30, in the Reich Chancellery, Hitler committed suicide with his wife Eva Braun. Their corpses were doused with gasoline and burned. According to Hitler's will, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, who was stationed in Flensburg in the north of the country, was appointed President of Germany.
(On May 5, the bodies of Hitler and E. Braun were found by SMERSH and identified, in particular, with the help of Hitler’s dentist, who identified the Fuhrer’s dentures. In February 1946, Hitler’s body, along with the bodies of E. Braun and the Goebbels family, including 6 children , was buried at one of the NKVD bases in Magdeburg. In 1970, when the territory of this base was to be transferred to the GDR, the remains were dug up, cremated to ashes and then thrown into the Elbe. Only dentures and part of Hitler's skull with an entrance bullet were preserved hole. They are stored in Russian archives. However, some biographers of the Fuhrer express doubts that the discovered corpse and part of the skull really belonged to Hitler: his death was confirmed only by his loyal adjutants, who could have lied; the rulers of the Third Reich often used doubles; the FSB refuses to conduct a public DNA testing of a piece of Hitler's jaw. Writer Abel Basti cites declassified documents and photographs from intelligence archives, claiming that Hitler died in 1964 in Argentina, but this is difficult to believe.)
On May 1 at 3:50, the Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces, Infantry General Krebs, was delivered to the command post of the 8th Guards Army, declaring that he was authorized to negotiate an armistice. However, Stalin ordered no negotiations other than unconditional surrender. The German command was given an ultimatum: if consent to unconditional surrender is not given by 10 o'clock, Soviet troops a crushing blow will be dealt. Having received no response, Soviet troops at 10:40 opened heavy fire on the remnants of the defense in the center of Berlin. Nevertheless, by 18 o’clock the demands for surrender by the Germans were rejected.
After this, the final assault began on the central part of the city, where the Imperial Chancellery was located. Hitler was no longer alive, but the desperate resistance of the Germans continued - after all, there was no order to lay down their arms. Only on May 2, all the premises were occupied by Soviet soldiers.
On the night of May 2 at 1:50 the following message was received on the radio: “We are sending our envoys to the Bismarck Strasse bridge. We cease hostilities." Later, Deputy Minister of Propaganda Dr. Fritsche turned to the Soviet command with a request for permission to speak on the radio with an appeal to the German troops of the Berlin garrison to end the resistance. By 3 p.m., the remnants of the Berlin garrison (more than 134 thousand people) surrendered. But in many other places, including France, German troops did not lay down their arms.
On May 7 at 2:41 a.m. in Reims, France, the first protocol of German surrender was signed. On behalf of the German High Command, the document was signed by Colonel General Jodl (Chief of Operations of the Supreme High Command of the Armed Forces) in the presence of General Walter Bedell Smith (on behalf of the Allied Expeditionary Forces), General Ivan Susloparov (on behalf of the Soviet command) and General of the French Army Francois Sevez as witness.
On May 8 in Berlin at 22:43 Central European time (May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time - therefore the difference in the days of celebration) was the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command of the German Armed Forces, Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel, as well as representatives of the German Navy who had the appropriate authority from Dönitz, signed the second and main Act of the unconditional surrender of Germany.
In East Prussia, German troops on Tuesday held the mouth of the Vistula and the western part of the Frische Nehrung Spit until the last opportunity... For exemplary actions, the division commander, General von Saucken, was awarded oak leaves with swords and diamonds to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
The main forces of our Army Group in Courland, for many months under the command of Infantry General Hilpert, offered strong resistance to superior Soviet tank and infantry formations and courageously withstood six major battles, covered themselves with immortal glory. This army group rejected any premature surrender...
So, starting from midnight, the weapons on all fronts fell silent. By order of the Grand Admiral, the Wehrmacht stopped the fight that had become meaningless. Thus, almost six years of heroic martial arts ended. It brought us great victories, but also difficult defeats. The German Wehrmacht in the end gave in with honor to the enormous superiority of the enemy in strength. The German soldier, faithful to his oath, devoting himself to the end to his people, accomplished something that will not be forgotten for centuries. The rear supported him with all its might until the last moment, while bearing the heaviest sacrifices. The unique achievements of the front and rear will find their final assessment in the subsequent fair verdict of history.
Even the enemy will not be able to refuse to respect the glorious deeds and sacrifices of German soldiers on land, on water and in the air. Therefore, every soldier can honestly and proudly let go of his weapon and, in these difficult hours of our history, bravely and confidently turn to work for the sake of eternal life our people.
At this hour, the Wehrmacht honors the memory of its fallen soldiers. The dead oblige us to unconditional loyalty, obedience and discipline in relation to the Motherland bleeding from numerous wounds.
Of course, there were “unique achievements” of Hitler’s Wehrmacht, which started this war, especially in Russia... By the time of the capitulation, the Germans held a number of strongholds on the Atlantic coast of France, the northern part of Germany, territory in Central Europe (part of Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia ), bridgeheads east of Danzig on the Putziger-Nerung spit (the mouth of the Vistula) and in Courland (Latvia). German troops in Central Europe, facing the Soviet front, did not obey the order to surrender and began to retreat to the west, trying to go over to the Anglo-Americans. On May 10, Soviet troops occupied a bridgehead on the Putziger-Nerung spit, and on May 11 Courland was taken under control. By May 14, the pursuit of German troops retreating to the west in Central Europe ended. From May 9 to May 14, on all fronts, Soviet troops captured more than 1 million 230 thousand German soldiers and officers and 101 generals.
By agreement between the governments of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, an agreement was reached to consider the procedure in Reims preliminary. However, in Western historiography, the signing of the surrender of the German armed forces is often associated with the procedure in Reims, and the signing of the act of surrender in Berlin is called its “ratification”.
Having accepted the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany, that is, it remained at war with Germany. The war with Germany was officially ended after the death of Stalin, under Khrushchev, on January 21, 1955, by the adoption of a corresponding decision by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The German prisoners who survived the concentration camps were able to return home. Many had to sit there longer. Only on September 17, 1955, was the decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces "On the amnesty of Soviet citizens who collaborated with the occupiers during the Great Patriotic War" adopted Patriotic War 1941-1945." However, the application of this amnesty was so arbitrary that on June 29, 1956, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution "On eliminating the consequences of gross violations of the law in relation to former prisoners of war and members of their families." Nevertheless, After this, many “traitors to the Motherland” remained in the camps.
Discussion: 21 comments
The Victory Banner is considered to be installed by Egorov and Kantaria, because the previous ones did not stay there, because the Germans continued to resist. and this banner remained until the end.
Regarding the losses during the storming of Berlin: everyone knows well that Americans teach in all schools and impose on other countries that they won the war (logical, if you consider who holds power in the USA). Imagine what would have happened if they had also taken Berlin! after all, the allies advanced with great speed, because met virtually no resistance. The capital, as the heart of the country, had to be taken.
Remember M.N. : “A bad citizen of the earthly fatherland is not worthy of the heavenly fatherland.”
Hitler shouted about a second Stalingrad, and this really could have happened if Headquarters had not managed to organize a battle ON THE APPROACHES to Berlin, where the bulk of its defenders died. By that time, ours already knew how to fight and were not in a particular hurry because there was a firm agreement that we would take Berlin. And this article strongly smacks of a desire to steal victory, downplaying its significance and accusing Headquarters of inability to fight... Very simple, but as they say, what are they rich in...
Victory was won in 1945 with Russian blood, and now this people is dying out under democratic hooting.
Whenever I read articles on this site, I get the feeling that I am part of the news from Washington. Russia is dying out, losing its achievements in technology, science and education, people are simply running wild. And the authors of this site, not sparing their bellies, are fighting hard battles with the dead - with Bolshevism.
Moreover, the angle of the struggle was apparently determined by the great Reagan. He argued that a country that does not recognize God is an evil empire. And he even announced to the country of the Soviets crusade. Apparently the struggle continues, because, as was correctly pointed out by previous speakers, this article is simply an obvious American order. As if from perestroika Ogonyok.
According to Russian history of the twentieth century, to the glory of dear Reagan and his Reaganomics - come on!
Always, when I read such responses, I get the feeling that, unfortunately, many of our “patriots” do not want to know the truth about our history. This, in their opinion, is always an “American order”. They clearly demonstrate that dead Bolshevism has left a lot of garbage in the minds of the Russian people. And until we realize the truth and overcome the lies, Russia will continue to die out. Thank God that there is this site that cleans out garbage, asserts the truth and thereby fights for the revival of Russia.
Daria: “According to Russian history of the twentieth century, to the glory of dear Reagan and his Reaganomics - come on!”
Jew: “Remember M.N.: “a bad citizen of the earthly fatherland is not worthy of the heavenly fatherland”...
This unanimity between the Red patriots and the Jews is touching. You love Jewish-Bolshevik Russia, which serves Jewish plans, and only its admirers are “good citizens” for you. I feel sorry for you and sad to see this union of deceivers and the deceived... We love historical Russia, pleasing to God and following His Plan for Russia. This is the only way to be worthy of the Fatherland, both earthly and heavenly.
By the way, this year, on May 9, Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Jewish state. And Soviet war veterans (Jews) have long been equated with other Israeli Zionist veterans and received the same benefits and allowances. Those. This war is recognized as having contributed to the creation of the Heb. State of Israel.
Eh, guys, we could have taken Berlin much earlier, in 1917, but only because of all sorts of scum, not unknown to us, our triumph was delayed by 28 years!
Mr. Nazarov persistently denounces the Russian Victory. He himself, of course, continues, apparently, to earn money from his CIA masters. Normal people do not believe his tales that while working at NTS he allegedly “did not know” that this structure was financed by the CIA.
To understand the essence of Nazarov’s activities, it is enough to simply analyze WHO benefits from his publications and actions (or rather, imitation of them), to whose mill they are grist.
And what about Nazarov’s words about his Russianness, then... one must evaluate a person by his deeds, BY DEEDS!
Here is the answer, like an answer, without red and zoological nonsense. Briefly, clearly.
“Eh, guys, we could have taken Berlin much earlier, in 1917, but only because of all sorts of scum, not unknown to us, our triumph was delayed by 28 years!”
Mikhail Viktorovich, if you are familiar with the research of the historian I. Pykhalov, then isn’t it worth making an adjustment to this too free-sounding phrase? - "Many Soviet servicemen who had the misfortune of ending up in German captivity and to be repatriated to their homeland in the same concentration camps, they had to sit there longer." If we talk about this, then with the obligatory proviso that they were traitors to the Motherland, accomplices, etc.
(Information from the book "The Great Slandered War").
I don’t know about anyone, but I have a persistent cognitive dissonance between the ever-increasing cult of victory almost seventy years ago and today’s victims of the moloch of perestroika and democracy. After the 90s, it would be necessary to moderate this already unhealthy ardor of universal victory and turn our attention to today.
In this article, they either forgot or did not specifically write about the “Allies” plan “The Unthinkable”, according to the scenario of which in June 1945, Anglo-American-German troops were supposed to attack Soviet troops. Because of this, such haste the capture of Berlin. There is no need to make bloodthirsty tyrants out of Stalin and Zhukov.....
You write that there were about a million Germans (well fortified for defense), against two and a half Russians, while we lost 352 thousand people, including 78 thousand people killed. The Germans lost 700 thousand near Moscow. man in that including 200 thousand killed.
Read "War" by V. Medinsky to separate the wheat from the chaff.
On the post-Soviet battlefield,
Where did the liberals take the front?
Soros led them on a mission:
Pervert everything so that people know!
Destroy the fortresses of heroes,
Let the number of victories be diminished,
Portraying rogue soldiers
By multiplying Russian troubles with lies!
But, thank God, we woke up:
Raised the Medinsky Russian shield:
Myths debunked? Woke up!
Truth of Victory will win!
I do not recommend that sites or anyone in general use materials from Wikipedia, because the information is NOT checked there and everyone and anyone who is not too lazy writes on this site, both specialists and amateurs who consider themselves experts. As a result, many of the articles in this trash heap are an explosive mixture of lies and truth. However, for some reason the Russian government turns a blind eye to this. Many teachers from the USSR are against this site.
I completely agree with you about Wikipedia. However, you can use its information base with an appropriate correction factor in comparison with other sources, which is what I do. The Soviet interpretation of the war, which continues to this day in the Russian Federation, is much less reliable.
Why was it removed from history that the Kazakh KOSHKARBAEV also placed the banner on the Reichstag with them?
The German command orders the German troops to lay down their arms, but about the German troops there is only a mention that this could happen, so that the German command had German and German troops under the command, there is already something to think about.
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 3, 1918, was a peace treaty between Germany and the Soviet government regarding Russia's withdrawal from the First World War. This peace did not last long, since Germany terminated it on October 5, 1918, and on November 13, 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was terminated by the Soviet side. This happened 2 days after Germany’s surrender in the World War.
Possibility of peace
The issue of Russia's exit from the First World War was extremely relevant. The people largely supported the ideas of the revolution, since the revolutionaries promised a quick exit from the country from the war, which had already lasted 3 years and was extremely negatively perceived by the population.
One of the first decrees of the Soviet government was the decree on peace. After this decree, on November 7, 1917, he addressed all warring countries with an appeal for a speedy conclusion of peace. Only Germany agreed. It should be understood that the idea of concluding peace with capitalist countries was in contrast to Soviet ideology, which was based on the idea of world revolution. Therefore, there was no unity among the Soviet authorities. And Lenin had to push through the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty of 1918 for a very long time. There were three main groups in the party:
- Bukharin. He put forward ideas that the war should continue at any cost. These are the positions of the classical world revolution.
- Lenin. He said that peace must be signed on any terms. This was the position of the Russian generals.
- Trotsky. He put forward a hypothesis, which today is often formulated as “No war! No peace! It was a position of uncertainty, when Russia disbands the army, but does not leave the war, does not sign a peace treaty. This was an ideal situation for Western countries.
Conclusion of a truce
On November 20, 1917, negotiations on the upcoming peace began in Brest-Litovsk. Germany offered to sign an agreement on following conditions: separation from Russia of the territory of Poland, the Baltic states and part of the islands Baltic Sea. In total, it was assumed that Russia would lose up to 160 thousand square kilometers of territory. Lenin was ready to accept these conditions, since the Soviet government did not have an army, and the generals Russian Empire They unanimously said that the war was lost and peace must be concluded as soon as possible.
Trotsky conducted the negotiations, as people's commissar By foreign affairs. Noteworthy is the fact of the surviving secret telegrams between Trotsky and Lenin during the negotiations. To almost any serious military question, Lenin gave the answer that it was necessary to consult with Stalin. The reason here is not the genius of Joseph Vissarionovich, but that Stalin acted as an intermediary between tsarist army and Lenin.
During the negotiations, Trotsky delayed time in every possible way. He said that a revolution was about to happen in Germany, so you just need to wait. But even if this revolution does not happen, Germany does not have the strength for a new offensive. Therefore, he was playing for time, waiting for the party’s support.
During the negotiations, a truce was concluded between the countries for the period from December 10, 1917 to January 7, 1918.
Why did Trotsky stall for time?
Taking into account the fact that from the first days of negotiations Lenin took the position of unambiguously signing a peace treaty, Troitsky’s support for this idea meant the signing of the Brest Peace Treaty and the end of the epic of the First World War for Russia. But Leiba didn’t do this, why? Historians give two explanations for this:
- He was waiting for the German revolution, which was to begin very soon. If this is indeed the case, then Lev Davydovich was an extremely short-sighted person, expecting revolutionary events in a country where the power of the monarchy was quite strong. The revolution eventually happened, but much later than the time when the Bolsheviks expected it.
- He represented the position of England, the USA and France. The fact is that with the beginning of the revolution in Russia, Trotsky came to the country precisely from the USA with a large amount money. At the same time, Trotsky was not an entrepreneur, he had no inheritance, but large amounts he had money, the origin of which he never specified. It was extremely beneficial for Western countries for Russia to delay negotiations with Germany as long as possible so that the latter would leave its troops on the eastern front. This is not a lot of 130 divisions, the transfer of which to the western front could prolong the war.
The second hypothesis may at first glance smack of conspiracy theory, but it is not without merit. In general, if we consider the activities of Leiba Davydovich in Soviet Russia, then almost all of his steps are connected with the interests of England and the United States.
Crisis in negotiations
On January 8, 1918, as was stipulated by the truce, the parties again sat down at the negotiating table. But literally immediately these negotiations were canceled by Trotsky. He referred to the fact that he urgently needed to return to Petrograd for consultations. Arriving in Russia, he raised the question of whether the Brest Peace Treaty should be concluded in the party. In opposition to him was Lenin, who insisted on the speedy signing of peace, but Lenin lost by 9 votes to 7. The revolutionary movements that began in Germany contributed to this.
On January 27, 1918, Germany made a move that few expected. She signed peace with Ukraine. This was a deliberate attempt to pit Russia and Ukraine against each other. But the Soviet government continued to stick to its line. On this day, a decree on the demobilization of the army was signed.
We are leaving the war, but we are forced to refuse to sign a peace treaty.
Trotsky
Of course, this shocked the German side, which could not understand how they could stop fighting and not sign peace.
On February 11 at 17:00, a telegram from Krylenko was sent to all front headquarters that the war was over and it was time to return home. The troops began to retreat, exposing the front line. At the same time, the German command brought Trotsky’s words to Wilhelm, and the Kaiser supported the idea of the offensive.
On February 17, Lenin again made an attempt to persuade party members to sign a peace treaty with Germany. Once again, his position is in the minority, since opponents of the idea of signing peace convinced everyone that if Germany did not go on the offensive in 1.5 months, then it would not go on the offensive further. But they were very wrong.
Signing the agreement
On February 18, 1918, Germany launched a large-scale offensive on all sectors of the front. The Russian army was already partially demobilized and the Germans were quietly moving forward. There was a real threat of a complete seizure of Russian territory by Germany and Austria-Hungary. The only thing the Red Army was able to do was give a small battle on February 23 and slightly slow down the enemy’s advance. Moreover, this battle was given by officers who changed into a soldier’s overcoat. But this was one center of resistance that could not solve anything.
Lenin, under the threat of resignation, pushed through the party’s decision to sign a peace treaty with Germany. As a result, negotiations began, which ended very quickly. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 3, 1918 at 17:50.
On March 14, the 4th All-Russian Congress of Soviets ratified peace of Brest-Litovsk new contract. As a sign of protest, the Left Socialist Revolutionaries resigned from the government.
The terms of the Brest-Litovsk Peace were as follows:
- Complete separation of the territories of Poland and Lithuania from Russia.
- Partial separation from Russia of the territory of Latvia, Belarus and Transcaucasia.
- Russia completely withdrew its troops from the Baltic states and Finland. Let me remind you that Finland had already been lost before.
- The independence of Ukraine was recognized, which came under the protectorate of Germany.
- Russia ceded eastern Anatolia, Kars and Ardahan to Turkey.
- Russia paid Germany an indemnity of 6 billion marks, which was equal to 3 billion gold rubles.
Under the terms of the Brest Peace Treaty, Russia lost a territory of 789,000 square kilometers (compare with the initial conditions). 56 million people lived in this territory, which accounted for 1/3 of the population of the Russian Empire. Such large losses became possible only because of the position of Trotsky, who first played for time and then brazenly provoked the enemy.
The fate of the Brest peace
It is noteworthy that after signing the agreement, Lenin never used the word “treaty” or “peace”, but replaced them with the word “respite”. And this really was so, because the world did not last long. Already on October 5, 1918, Germany terminated the treaty. The Soviet government dissolved it on November 13, 1918, 2 days after the end of the First World War. In other words, the government waited until Germany was defeated, became convinced that this defeat was irrevocable, and calmly canceled the treaty.
Why was Lenin so afraid to use the word “Brest Peace”? The answer to this question is quite simple. After all, the idea of concluding a peace treaty with capitalist countries went against the theory of socialist revolution. Therefore, recognition of the conclusion of peace could be used by Lenin’s opponents to eliminate him. And here Vladimir Ilyich showed quite high flexibility. He made peace with Germany, but in the party he used the word respite. It was because of this word that the decision of the congress to ratify the peace treaty was not published. After all, the publication of these documents using Lenin’s formulation could be met negatively. Germany made peace, but it did not make any respite. Peace puts an end to the war, and a respite implies its continuation. Therefore, Lenin acted wisely by not publishing the decision of the 4th Congress on the ratification of the Brest-Litovsk agreements.