#v-e day

[vox-anglosphere]

Two teenage princesses slipped into the roaring crowd unnoticed. After six years of blackouts, it was a night of unsurpassed jubilation.

[pagesofthesea]

V-E Day, 79 years ago

"I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we’ve done and they will say “do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be-unconquered.'"

PM Winston Churchill, May 8, 1945

"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."

President Harry S. Truman, May 8, 1945

"Célébrons votre victoire : victoire de Mai, victoire radieuse de printemps qui redonne à la France la Jeunesse, la force et l’Espoir."

General de Lattre de Tassigny, Commander of the Free French Army, May 9, 1945

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Crowd in Times Square celebrating the surrender of Germany, May 8, 1945.

Photo: Bettmann Archive/Galerieprints

[carbone14]

Enfants anglais agitant leurs drapeaux dans les décombres d'une maison de la banlieue sud de Londres à Battersea pour célébrer la victoire en Europe - 8 mai 1945.

Photographe américain anonyme

©Imperial War Museums - HU 49414

[married-to-a-redhead]

May 8, 1945

[walkingthroughthisworld]

[bloodstainedsaint]

Hello! How are you? I'm very much in love with your stories. I discover your tumblr today and I already read most of them. Are you taking request? Keep up your good work! You really are very talented!

hi ! first i'd like to say...

(gif originally posted by dawningli; you have no idea how long i've been waiting to use this gif)

and thank you for the nice words 🤗 i've been good, and i hope you've been too!

now about requests; the original plan was for me to start taking requests at some point once i've worked through my original ideas, but the truth is i've been busy and sort of moved on from bob (though it'll always have a special place in my heart). you might still catch me lurking around tho

that said i just started my third rewatch, so maybe summer will be a renaissance time for me to start writing bob again. in the meantime, hang tough!

[daysofxavierspast]

Peace will come when fear has dissipated

And only hope remains

Peace will come when hearts are cleared of hatred

And love has won the day

We’re on the other side of the coin now

The war is over, the bitterness of loss will fade

The ones we loved who now roam the sky as sentinels

Will keep watch until our dying day

So let’s all drink victory’s wine

Get drunk on the promise of a better life

The hopes of years of souls, aloft in flight

Explode in fireworks upon this sacred night

The plans have started, “give me your home address”

“I’ll write to you, we’ll meet again even if there’s no one left”

An empty field, devoid of birds who soared above

Replaced with memories of friendship, loss and the deepest love

[lightthewaybackhome]

Happy 78th Anniversary of V-E Day, everyone!!!

[16woodsequ]

Happy V-E day everyone

[secretly-your-history-professor]

happy v-e day everyone (between today and tuesday really, depending on where you live) <:

[vox-anglosphere]

V-E Day in Toronto - Union flags were everywhere!

It was pandemonium from City Hall to the Toronto waterfront, with my young parents at opposite ends of the huge crowd. 8 May 1945

[sigalrm]

Rotarmist by Pascal Volk

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Soldiers, sailors, and civilians whooping it up in Times Square, ca. 1945. Looks like it was in the neighborhood of V-E Day.

Photo: Charles Ditchfield via MCNY

[underqualifiedcritic]

79 years ago today. Happy V-E Day.

[rabbitcruiser]

Victory in Europe Day 

Victory in Europe Day is observed on May 8 to commemorate when the Allies of World War II formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. Did you know that even after Germany — the architect of the war — surrendered, Japan continued to wage war against the Allied troops? World War II was the costliest war ever; over 75 million lives were lost, cities leveled, and the economy of Europe was devastated. The war began when Hitler’s Germany invaded Poland and ended nearly six years later when Japan surrendered. Victory in Europe Day is celebrated as a public holiday in several European countries and termed V.E. Day and V-E Day in the U.K. and the U.S., respectively.

HISTORY OF VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY

On April 30, 1945, the Allied forces surrounded Germany, tightening the noose around the German army. Realizing the hopelessness of his situation, Hitler killed his newly wedded wife, Eva Braun, and committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. Immediately taking the presidency, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, Hitler’s successor, began negotiating for a term of surrender with the Allied forces. Chief among his goals was saving as many Germans as possible from being captured by the Soviets.

On May 4, in Luneburg Heath, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany, and Denmark. On May 7, another unconditional military surrender was signed at SHAEF H.Q. at Reims, between Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower and General Alfred Jodl of Germany. The following day, a slightly modified document — the definitive German Instrument of Surrender — was signed in Karlshorst, Berlin, by German Field Marshal William Keitel.

Following the announcement of the German surrender on radio on May 7, the news quickly spread across the western world, and jubilations erupted everywhere, especially in North America and the U.K. The B.B.C. interrupted their program to announce that Victory in Europe Day would be a national holiday. Over one million people trooped out to the streets of the U.K. to celebrate, while in London, people crowded Trafalgar Square, the Mall, and Buckingham Palace. The British Royal Family, joined by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the palace’s balcony, waving to the cheering crowds.

In the United States, Victory in Europe Day happened to be the same day as President Harry Truman’s 61st birthday. However, he dedicated the victory to his late predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. flag remained at half-mast. Victory in Europe Day was also celebrated in Australia, Paris, and Canada — where a riot broke down and resulted in several deaths.

VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY TIMELINE

April 30,1945 The Suicide of Hitler

During the Battle of Berlin, the city becomes surrounded — so, Hitler kills his wife and commits suicide.

May 4, 1945 The First Act of Surrender

British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery accepts the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany, and Denmark.

May 7, 1945 The Second Act of Surrender

Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower accepts the unconditional surrender of German forces from German General Alfred Jodl.

May 8, 1945The German Instrument of Surrender

The definitive German Instrument of Surrender is signed in Berlin by German Field Marshal William Keitel.

August 14, 1945 The End of the War

Japan agrees to surrender to the Allied forces and formally signs an agreement the following month.

VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY FAQS

Is Victory in Europe Day celebrated in Germany?

Victory in Europe Day is generally viewed in Germany as a day to commemorate those that died during the war. However, it’s also a day to renew their promises of preventing such events from happening again.

Who celebrates Victory in Europe Day?

Victory in Europe Day is mainly celebrated by North American and European countries, including Israel and the European Union — celebrated as Europe Day.

How do the French celebrate Victory in Europe Day?

Victory in Europe Day is celebrated with a lot of festivities and fanfare. Church services, parades, ceremonies, monument visitations, and air force flyovers are ways Victory in Europe Day is commemorated in France.

HOW TO OBSERVE VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY

Visit the World War II Memorial

Talk to a World War II veteran

Watch World War II movies or documentaries

The World War II Memorial was built in 2004 to honor those that fought and died during World War II. The memorial is located in Washington D.C. You can visit and take a tour around this place of honor to pay your respects to those that prevented the war from entering our borders.

You can observe Victory in Europe Day by chatting with a WWII veteran about the unfiltered events of the war. There are many of these veterans around, and they can be found at senior homes. Visiting them would allow you to learn a lot and provide you with an opportunity to appreciate them for their sacrifices.

Many films are produced almost every decade, dedicated to the major battles of World War II. You can spend Victory in Europe Day by watching classics like “Stalingrad,” “Dunkirk,” “Dirty Dozen,” “Come and See,” and “Saving Private Ryan.” You can also watch documentaries, such as “Battlefield,” “World At Watt,” and “Russia’s War: Blood Upon the Snow.”

5 IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT WORLD WAR II

It was between two groups of countries

The Holocaust happened

Some countries remained neutral

It was the bloodiest war

Millions died for not being perfect Germans

World War II was fought between Allied countries — Britain, France, Russia, China, and the U.S. — and Axis nations — Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Hitler’s Germany killed about six million Jewish people during the war.

Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland are examples of countries that never chose a side during the war.

About 75 million people died during the war, including 40 million civilians and 20 million military personnel.

Aside from Jews, Hitler ordered people with disabilities and Gypsies to be killed for not meeting his vision of the best and strongest race.

WHY VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY IS IMPORTANT

It marked the beginning of the end of WWII

It serves as a day of remembrance

It’s a day of reflection

When the German forces surrendered to the Allied troops on Victory in Europe Day, it ended the war on the European theatre, allowing the Allies to concentrate their efforts to win in the Eastern theatre three months later.

Victory in Europe Day is not only a day to celebrate Germany’s surrender but also a day to appreciate the military personnel that fought and died to make it happen.

Victory in Europe Day is a day for every country that participated in World War II, both the instigators and heroes, to reflect on the actions and events that led to the outbreak of war and ensure they don’t repeat themselves.

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