Victory Day (9 May)

For the song, see Den Pobedy

Victory Day (Russian: День Победы, Den' Pobedy) marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War commonly referred to in the Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War. This capitulation was signed late in the evening on May 8, 1945, following the original capitulation Germany signed earlier to the joint Allied forces. The Soviet government announced the victory early on May 9, a day after the signing ceremony in Berlin.^[1]

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"May 9", Soviet poster based on the famous photo of the Soviet flag being raised over the Reichstag in 1945. The caption reads: "And the saved world remembers", a line from a Soviet post-war song about two young men who did not return from the war, and about how life in their home city has to go on without them.

Field-Marshal Keitel signing the ratified surrender terms for the German military

The May 9 Victory Day is celebrated in most of the successor states to the Soviet Union, especially in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The day is traditionally marked by ceremonial military parades with the most prominent one being traditionally held in Moscow Red Square.

The anniversary was enforced during communist control over Poland until 1989 when the government choose to celebrate Victory in Europe Day on May 8 instead. The original date was considered by many to be the symbol of the start of Soviet occupation rather then liberation from Nazi's.^[2].

Two separate capitulation events took place at the time. First, the capitulation to the Allied nations in Reims was signed on May 7, 1945, effective May 8. This date is commonly referred to as the V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) in most western European countries. The Red Army's command however insisted that the Germans specifically surrender to the Soviet Union, which contributed most to the defeat of Nazi Germany on land in Europe, and held another surrender ceremony in Berlin late on May 8, when it was already May 9 in Moscow due to the difference in time zones. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel submitted the capitulation of the Wehrmacht to the Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov in the Red Army headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst. To commemorate the event, the ceremonial Moscow Victory Parade was held in the Soviet capital on June 24, 1945.

Soldiers Marching on the 60th Anniversary of Victory Day.

Soldiers Marching on the 60th Anniversary of Victory Day.

General Zhukov reading the German capitulation. Seated on his right was Arthur Tedder, Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

See also

• End of World War II in Europe
• German Instrument of Surrender, 1945
• V-E Day
• V-J Day
• Ribbon of Saint George
• Victory Day in other countries

Footnotes

1. Ziemke Further reading CHAPTER XV:The Victory Sealed Page 258 last 2 paragraphs
2. In the times of the Polish People's Republic, in enslaved Poland, a different version of history was compulsory. The official and "only correct" version. So we celebrated 9th May as Victory Day. But even today, six years after the overthrow of communism, we still have "difficulties" with this anniversary. We still don't know whether to treat it as a day of victory or a day of national catastrophe. Address by president of the Republic of Poland Lech Walesa at the joint session of the Diet and Senate on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II[1]

References

External links

  Works related to German Instrument of Surrender (8 May 1945) at Wikisource

• Interactive map of the Great Patriotic War between the USSR and Nazi Germany
• Still jostling after all these years, The Economist May 10th 2005 (subscription required)