When the act of unconditional The idea of unconditional surrender and the preparation of the text of the act

May 7 Nazi Germany made the last attempt to escape from complete defeat by concluding a separate peace with the allies of the USSR, but they failed.

The commanders of the Allied armies insisted on full and unconditional surrender with the participation of the USSR

From May 2 to May 4, a meeting of the top military leadership of the Third Reich was held at Doenitz's headquarters.

It was attended by Admiral Doenitz, Field Marshal Keitel, Colonel General Jodl, Field Marshals Scherner, Ritter von Greim and others higher ranks german army. There was a question of capitulation to the allied Anglo-American troops and the further resistance of the Red Army.

The issue of concluding an anti-Bolshevik alliance with the Americans and the British was especially sharply discussed. The death of Hitler, as it seemed to the new German leaders, destroyed the last obstacle to this.

German leaders felt that with the death of the Fuhrer, the West would view Germany and its army as a bulwark against Bolshevism in Europe.

That is why Admiral Karl Dönitz, who succeeded Hitler, tried to split East and West and save what was left of Germany by partial surrender only to the Western Allies. However, upon receiving proposals from the German government Doenitz to conclude an alliance, the US President Harry Truman replied that the only acceptable one was unconditional surrender to the entire Big Three states - the USA, Great Britain and the USSR.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill supported him. General Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Europe, also fully agreed with Truman's policy.

Meanwhile, the German leadership tried to shake the consensus of the allies with proposals for separate world and the continuation of hostilities. German soldiers on the Eastern Front, rightly fearing capture and revenge by the Red Army, fought desperately.

On the Western Front, they surrendered as soon as they saw the allies. The civilian population fled to the West to end up in the Anglo-American zone after the end of the war. On May 1, Admiral Doenitz, in his radio address to the German nation, said that the Wehrmacht would "fight against Bolshevism as long as German troops and hundreds of thousands of families remain in the eastern part of Germany."

But on May 5, he realized that Eisenhower would not accept surrender only to the Western Allies, so he tried to achieve his goal by surrendering German divisions and armies in the West and continuing to fight in the East. On May 4, Doenitz sent his representative, Admiral Hans von Friedeburg, to the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (VSESES) in Reims with the task of negotiating the surrender of the remaining German troops in the West.

Eisenhower continued to insist that total surrender should take place simultaneously on the Eastern and Western fronts. Von Friedeburg was interviewed by Chief of Staff General Smith and General Strong, who had served as military attaché in Berlin before the war and spoke excellent German.

Eisenhower refused to meet with German officers until the signing of the document of complete and unconditional surrender. General Smith told von Friedeburg that negotiations were not forthcoming and suggested that he sign a document of complete surrender.

Friedeburg replied that he did not have the authority to do so.

General Smith, in turn, showed Friedeburg some of the operational staff maps, which clearly showed the overwhelming superiority of the Allied forces and the hopelessness of the position of the German troops. Admiral von Friedeburg urgently telegraphed Doenitz, asking him for permission to sign an unconditional surrender.

Alfred Jodl

However, the head of the German government did not give such permission. Instead, he made a last attempt to split the alliance of the three powers, sending to Reims Colonel-General Alfred Jodl, chief of the operations department of the headquarters German army. Jodl arrived there on May 6, Sunday evening.

He again held talks with Generals Smith and Strong, emphasizing that the Germans were ready and willing to capitulate to the West, but not to the Red Army. Jodl frankly declared his intention "to preserve for the German nation big number Germans and save them from Bolshevism."

Moreover, he said that nothing could force the troops of Generals Lehr and Rendulich, Field Marshal Scherner, to execute the order of complete and unconditional surrender, as long as they had the opportunity to withdraw to areas occupied by American and British troops. In other words, Colonel General Jodl refused to surrender the German troops in the East.

In turn, General Smith once again confirmed the previous demands for surrender to all allies. After that, Jodl asked for two days to “so that the necessary instructions reach all German units". In response, Smith pointed out the impossibility of fulfilling such a request. Negotiations dragged on for another hour and ended in vain. General Smith reported the difficulties in the negotiations to Eisenhower.

It was clear to Eisenhower that Yodl was trying to buy time to German soldiers and the civilian population managed to cross the Elbe and escape from the troops of the Red Army.

He asked Smith to pass German general- if he does not sign a document on complete and unconditional surrender, then the allied command will interrupt all negotiations and put a reliable force barrier in front of the refugees. But Eisenhower nevertheless decided to give Yodl the 48 hours of respite requested ...

American General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) and British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder (Arthur William Tedder, 1890-1967) at a press conference after the signing of the German surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945.

General Smith relayed Eisenhower's reply to Jodl, who telegraphed Doenitz asking for permission to sign the document. The head of the Reich called Eisenhower's demands "arm twisting."

Nevertheless, he was forced to accept them, consoling himself with the fact that for a 48-hour delay the Germans would be able to save a lot of their troops. Just after midnight on May 7, Doenitz sent the following telegram to Jodl: “You are given the full right to sign a surrender on the terms set forth. Admiral Doenitz.

The head of the Soviet military mission at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, Major General I.A. Susloparov, says that on the evening of May 6, 1945, Eisenhower's adjutant flew to him.

General Susloparov

He conveyed the invitation of the Commander-in-Chief allied forces urgently arrive at his headquarters in Reims. Eisenhower received Susloparov at his residence. Smiling, he said that the German Colonel General Jodl had arrived with a proposal to capitulate to the Anglo-American troops and begin joint fighting against the Red Army.

—What do you say, Mr. General? Eisenhower asked.

I.A. Susloparov knew that the German Admiral Friedeburg had been sitting at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief for several days, who, however, could not persuade Eisenhower to a separate agreement. Therefore, the Soviet representative replied that there were obligations jointly accepted by the members anti-Hitler coalition on the Crimean Conference regarding the unconditional surrender of enemy troops on all fronts, including the Eastern one.

General Eisenhower informed Susloparov that he demanded from Jodl the complete surrender of Germany and would not accept any other. And that the Germans were forced to agree to this.

Then the Commander-in-Chief asked Susloparov to inform Moscow of the text of the surrender, get approval there and sign it on behalf of the Soviet Union. Moreover, the time and place, according to Eisenhower, had already been appointed - 2 hours 30 minutes on May 7, 1945, in the premises of the operational department of the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief.

The draft protocol received by Susloparov spoke of the unconditional surrender of all land, sea and air armed forces located to present moment under German control.

The German command was obliged to give an order to cease hostilities at 00:01 on May 9, 1945, while all troops subordinate to it had to remain in their positions. It was forbidden to disable weapons and other means of warfare. The German command guaranteed the execution of all orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and the Soviet Supreme High Command.

The head of the Soviet military mission, General Susloparov, had very little time left to receive instructions from his government.

He sent an urgent telegram to Moscow about the forthcoming act of signing the surrender and the text of the protocol. He also asked for special instructions. By the time Susloparov's telegram reached and was reported to its destination, several hours had passed.

In Reims, it was past midnight, the time had come to sign the surrender, and instructions from Moscow still did not come. The position of the head of the Soviet military mission turned out to be very difficult. Everything now depended on him, his decision. Put your signature on behalf of the Soviet Union or refuse?

General Susloparov understood that the signing of Germany's surrender only to the Western allies could turn out, in the event of any oversight on his part, the greatest misfortune for the Soviet Union and for him personally. At the same time, the horrors of war rose before the eyes of the general, when every minute takes away many human lives. So he decides to sign the document.

At the same time, while providing an opportunity for the Soviet Union to influence the subsequent course of events, if necessary, Susloparov made a note to him.

It stated that this protocol does not exclude the further signing of another, more perfect German Surrender Act, if any allied government declares so. Commander-in-Chief General Eisenhower and representatives of other powers at his headquarters agreed with the note.

At 2 am on May 7, 1945, Generals Smith, Morgan, Bull, Spaats, Tedder, the head of the Soviet military mission, General Susloparov, and the French representative gathered on the second floor in the recreation room of the Reims Polytechnic School for Men. General Strong served as an interpreter. The rest room was shaped like the letter "G" with a single small window.

There were many military maps around. Pins, arrows and other staff symbols on them testified to the complete defeat of Germany.

Due to the relatively small area of the room, the allied officers squeezed one by one to their chairs, which stood around a massive oak table. When everyone took their places, Colonel-General Jodl was brought into the room, accompanied by Admiral Friedeburg and their adjutants.

Tall, straight as a stick, neatly dressed, Jodl with his invariable monocle served as a model of the Prussian general. He bowed dryly to those present. The procedure for signing the protocol on the surrender of Germany began, which took no more than half an hour.

The protocol itself looked like this:

MILITARY SURRENDER OF GERMANY

Only real text English language is an authentic document

Act of military surrender

We, the undersigned, acting under the authority of the German High Command, hereby declare the unconditional surrender of all land, sea and air forces now under German control to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command.
The German High Command undertakes to issue immediate orders to all German land, sea and air forces and all military forces under German control to cease all active operations, starting from 2301 hours CET on May 8, and remain at the places of their current deployment. It is forbidden to destroy any ships, vessels or aircraft, as well as to cause any damage to their hull, mechanism or equipment.
The German High Command undertakes to simultaneously issue appropriate orders and ensure the execution of further orders issued by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and the Soviet High Command.
This act of surrender does not limit the general act of surrender drawn up on behalf of the United Nations in relation to Germany and the German armed forces in general, and will be superseded by it.
In the event that the German High Command or any forces under its control fail to comply with the provisions of this Instrument of Surrender, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and the Soviet High Command may take punitive and other measures as they deem necessary.

On behalf of the German High Command.

Jodl

IN THE PRESENCE

On behalf of Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Forces.

V.B. Smith

F. Seve

Major General of the French Army

On behalf of the Soviet High Command.

Susloparov"

While the procedure was going on, General Eisenhower waited in a nearby office, pacing back and forth, smoking cigarette after cigarette. He claimed that he would not speak to the German officers until they had signed the protocol. Finally, the moment of victory over Nazi Germany has come!

Eisenhower wrote later in his book The European Campaign that, logically, he should have felt uplifted, joyful, but, on the contrary, he felt completely broken. Eisenhower did not sleep for almost three days, now it was deep night, and he wanted everything to end quickly.

Representatives of the German command approach the table to sign the surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945

General Jodl signing the German surrender at Reims on May 7, 1945

The Chief of Staff of the Allies in Europe, American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith (Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith, 1895 - 1961) signs the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945.

In the photo on the left - the chief of staff british navy Admiral Sir Harold Martin Burrough (1889-1977), on the right is the head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov

The Commander-in-Chief sat down at his desk. Yodl bowed and stood at attention. Eisenhower asked if he understood the terms of surrender and was ready to fulfill them. Jodl answered yes.

Eisenhower then warned him of personal responsibility for violating them. Yodl bowed again and left. Eisenhower got up and went to the headquarters room. There he gathered all the staff officers and representatives of the allied forces. Photographers were called in to take pictures. solemn event for history.

Eisenhower prepared short message for publication and recorded his radio speech. He congratulated everyone on the victory. With the journalists gone, it was time to send the message of Germany's surrender to the Big Three heads of state and headquarters. Each of the officers and generals was looking for words and spectacular phrases to express the greatness of the event. Eisenhower silently listened and watched.

Each subsequent version was more pompous than the previous one. The Supreme Commander, finally, thanking those present, rejected all proposals and dictated his own: "The task facing the allied forces was completed at 02.41 local time on May 7, 1945." That was the message of history...

In the photo from left to right:

Chief of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897–1974), Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC), British Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Morgan (Frederick Edgeworth Morgan, 1894– 1967), American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith (Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith, 1895 - 1961)

American radio commentator Harry C. Butcher, American General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder (Arthur William Tedder, 1890-1967) and Chief of Staff of the British Navy Admiral Sir Harold Burro ( Harold Martin Burrough, 1889-1977).

He still managed to smile in front of the cameras, raise his fingers in the form of the letter "V", symbolizing victory, and left.

“As far as I understand,” he said quietly to the adjutant, “the event requires a bottle of champagne.”

They brought champagne, opened it to soft exclamations. Drank to win. Terrible fatigue pressed on everyone, so those present soon dispersed.

The head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974) shakes hands with the commander of the allied forces in Europe, American General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) at the signing of the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945 .
To the left of I.A. Susloparov - his adjutant senior lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev.

After Eisenhower congratulated General Susloparov on the signing of the German surrender protocol and victory, the head of the Soviet military mission prepared and sent his report to Moscow.

Meanwhile, a counter message was already coming from the Kremlin, in which the general was ordered not to sign any documents on surrender ....

REACTION OF THE USSR

In the meantime, on the morning of May 7, the notice of Germany's surrender, signed at Reims, was received in Moscow. Colonel-General S.M. Shtemenko, who was then head operational management of the General Staff of the Red Army and often invited to the Kremlin, testifies ...

When the telegram from Reims was received, the Chief of the General Staff A.I. Antonov summoned Shtemenko and ordered that a draft directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command be drawn up regarding the capitulation that had taken place.

He showed him a letter just sent to Antonov by the head of the US military mission, Dean, which contained the following: “... This afternoon I received an urgent message from the president in which he asks Marshal Stalin to give his consent to announce the surrender of Germany today at 19.00 Moscow time.

We received an answer through the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs that this could not be done, because the Soviet government still had not received from its representatives at Eisenhower's headquarters information about the surrender of Germany.

I (i.e. US Chief of Mission Dee) informed President Truman of this and was told that he would not official announcement until 9 a.m. Washington time on May 8, or 4 p.m. Moscow time, if Marshal Stalin does not express his consent to an earlier hour ... "

Soon followed by a call to the Kremlin, to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin.

In the office, besides Stalin himself, there were members of the government. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as usual, walked slowly along the carpet. His whole appearance expressed extreme displeasure. The surrender of Germany at Reims was discussed.

Stalin summed up the results, thinking aloud.

He noticed that the Allies had arranged a unilateral agreement with the Dönitz government. And such an agreement is more like a conspiracy.

In addition to General I.A. Susloparov, none of the state officials of the USSR was present in Reims. It turns out that there was no capitulation to the Soviet Union, and this was when the USSR suffered the most from the Nazi invasion and made the greatest contribution to the cause of victory. Bad consequences can be expected from such a "surrender".

“The treaty signed by the allies in Reims,” Stalin continued, “cannot be canceled, but it cannot be recognized either. Surrender must be carried out as the most important historical fact and accepted not on the territory of the winners, but where it came from fascist aggression: in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the supreme command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Let it be signed by one of the leaders of the former fascist state or a whole group of Nazis responsible for all their atrocities against humanity.”

Having finished speaking, Stalin turned to the Chief of the General Staff A.I. Antonov and asked if Zhukov could find a suitable room for the solemn signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany in Berlin.

Well, then there was great date ninth of May!

Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces(English: German Instrument of Surrender, fr. : Actes de capitulation de l'Allemagne Nazie, German : Bedingungslose Kapitulation der Wehrmacht) - a legal document that established a truce on the fronts of World War II directed against Germany, obliging the German military to cease resistance, surrender personnel and transfer the materiel of the armed forces to the enemy, which actually marked Germany's exit from the war. It was signed by representatives of the High Command of the Wehrmacht, the High Command of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

The idea of unconditional surrender and the preparation of the text of the act

The idea of Germany's unconditional surrender was first announced by President Roosevelt on January 13, 1943 at the Casablanca conference and has since become the official position of the United Nations. The draft text of the surrender was developed by the European Consultative Commission from January 1944; the text (called the "Terms of Surrender of Germany") was agreed at the end of July and approved by the heads of the allied governments. This extensive document was sent, in particular, to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (S.H.A.E.F), where, however, it was perceived not as a mandatory instruction, but as a recommendation. Therefore, when on May 4-5, 1945, the question of Germany's surrender practically arose, the allied headquarters did not use the existing document (perhaps fearing that disputes over the political articles contained in it would complicate negotiations with the Germans), but developed their own short, purely military document which was eventually signed. The text was drafted by a group of American officers close to Allied Commander-in-Chief Dwight Eisenhower; the primary writer of the text was Colonel Filimor of the 3rd (Operational) Division of SHAEF. In order not to contradict the draft of the European Commission, at the suggestion of the British diplomat Ambassador Wynand, Article 4 was introduced into the text of the document, suggesting the possibility of replacing this act with “another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations” (some Russian sources, however, they attribute the idea of this article to the Soviet representative under the command of the Allies, Susloparov).

Partial surrenders

On the same day, a meeting was held at the new head of the German government, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. Assessing the military situation as hopeless, the meeting participants decided to concentrate their main efforts on saving the possible more Germans from the Red Army, avoiding military operations in the West and continuing operations against the Anglo-Americans only to the extent that they would hinder the attempts of the German troops to evade the Red Army. Since, in view of the agreements between the USSR and the Western Allies, it is difficult to achieve surrender only in the West, a policy of private surrenders at the level of army groups and below should be pursued. .

First act

The school building in Reims, where the surrender was signed.

Having signed the act of surrender of German troops in the north on May 4 in Lüneburg, Admiral Friedeburg went to Eisenhower's headquarters, located in Reims, in order to put before him, on behalf of Dönitz, the question of the surrender of German troops on the Western Front. Since, due to bad weather, he was forced to travel from Brussels to Reims by car, the German delegation arrived in Reims only by 17:00 on May 5. Meanwhile, Eisenhower told his chief of staff, Walter Bedell Smith, that there would be no bargaining with the Germans, and he did not intend to see the Germans until they signed the terms of surrender. The negotiations were entrusted to Generals W. B. Smith and Carl Strong (the latter participated in the negotiations for the surrender of Italy in 1943).

The signing of the surrender in Reims. Back: Hans Friedeburg, Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Oxenius. Face: Sir F.E. Morgan, Francois Sevez, Harold Burrow, Harry S. Batchell, W.B. Smith, Conrad Strong, Ivan Chernyaev, Ivan Susloparov, Carl Spaats, John Robb, Ivan Zenkovich (side)

The negotiations took place in the premises of the operational department of the allied headquarters (this headquarters was located in a building that was called the "red school building", in fact - in the building of a technical college). In order to demonstrate to Friedeburg the futility of the German position, Smith ordered the walls to be hung with maps indicating the situation on the fronts, as well as maps indicating the strikes allegedly being prepared by the Allies. These maps made a great impression on Friedeburg. Friedeburg offered Smith the surrender of the remaining German forces on the Western Front; Smith replied that Eisenhower refused to continue negotiations unless the offer of surrender also applied to the Eastern Front; only a general surrender is possible, with the troops in the West and East must remain in their places. Friedeburg replied to this that he did not have the authority to sign a general surrender. After studying the text of the act of surrender presented to him, Friedeburg telegraphed Doenitz, asking permission to sign a general surrender or send Keitel and the commanders of the air and naval forces for this.

Dönitz found the terms of surrender unacceptable and sent Jodl to Reims, who was known as a categorical opponent of surrender in the East. Jodl had to explain to Eisenhower why a general surrender was impossible. He arrived in Reims on the evening of 6 May. After an hour of discussion with him, Smith and Strong came to the conclusion that the Germans were simply playing for time in order to have time to smuggle to the West as much as possible. more troops and refugees, which was reported to Eisenhower. The latter told Smith to tell the Germans that “If they do not stop looking for excuses and stalling for time, I will immediately close the entire Allied front and stop the flow of refugees by force through the location of our troops. I will not tolerate any further delay.". Having received this answer, Jodl realized that his situation was hopeless, and requested from Dönitz the authority for a general surrender. Dönitz called Eisenhower's behavior "a real blackmail", however, also realizing the hopelessness of the situation, shortly after midnight on May 7 instructed Keitel to answer: "Grand Admiral Doenitz grants the full right to sign in accordance with the proposed conditions". The signing ceremony was scheduled for 2:30 am. The act of surrender was to come into force at 23:01 on May 8, i.e. almost two days after the signing - Dönitz hoped to take advantage of this time to move as many troops and refugees to the West as possible.

On May 6, representatives of the allied commands were summoned to SHAEF: members of the Soviet mission, General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, as well as the Deputy Chief of the Supreme National Defense Staff of France, General Sevez (Chief of Staff, General Juyn, was in San Francisco at the founding conference of the UN). Eisenhower did his best to calm the suspicions of the Soviet representatives, who believed that the Anglo-American allies were ready to conspire with the Germans behind their backs. As for the role of Sevez, who signed the act as a witness, it turned out to be insignificant: the general, being a pure military man, did not try to defend the prestigious interests of France and, in particular, did not protest against the absence french flag in the room where the surrender was signed. Eisenhower himself refused to participate in the signing ceremony for protocol reasons, since the German side was represented by the chief of staff, and not by the commander in chief - the ceremony was thus held at the level of chiefs of staff.

At 02:41 on May 7, in the premises of the SHAEF operations department, General Jodl signed the Instrument of 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. An oath was taken from the reporters that they would report the surrender only 36 hours later - at exactly 3 pm on May 8, 1945. However, the German radio (from Flensburg) announced the signing of the surrender already on May 7, at 14:41. An hour later, this was reported by the Associated Press, whose reporter Edward Kennedy, after the German report, considered himself free from the promise to keep the event secret. However, Kennedy was fired from the agency, and the silence about surrender continued in the West for another day - only on the afternoon of May 8 was it officially announced. In the Soviet Union, there was an absolute ban on information about the surrender on 7 May.

Second act

The Soviet representative, General Susloparov, signed the act in Reims at his own peril and risk, since by the time appointed for signing, instructions from the Kremlin had not yet arrived. He decided to put his signature with the proviso that this act should not exclude the possibility of signing another act at the request of one of the allied countries. Shortly after signing the act, Susloparov received a telegram from Stalin with a categorical prohibition to sign the surrender.

Stalin was outraged by the signing of the surrender at Reims, in which the Western Allies played a leading role. He refused to recognize this act, demanding a new signing of it in Berlin, taken by the Red Army, and asking the Allies not to make official announcements of victory until the surrender took effect (that is, until May 9).

The last demand was denied by both Churchill (who noted that parliament would demand information from him about the signing of the surrender) and Truman (who stated that Stalin's request came to him too late and it was no longer possible to cancel the announcement of victory). For his part, Stalin declared: “The treaty signed at Reims cannot be canceled, but it cannot be recognized either. Surrender must be committed as the most important historical act and accepted not on the territory of the winners, but where the fascist aggression came from - in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the supreme command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. In response, the Allies agreed to hold a second signing ceremony in Berlin. Eisenhower informed Jodl that the German commanders-in-chief of the branches of the armed forces were to appear for the final official procedure at a time and place to be indicated by the Soviet and Allied commands.

Zhukov read out the act of surrender in Karlshorst. Next to Zhukov is Arthur Tedder.

Keitel signing the surrender at Karlshorst

The Soviet people learned about this from the message of the Sovinformburo on May 9, 1945 only at 10 pm Moscow time, from the lips of the legendary announcer Yuri Levitan.

Then, 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, as a rule, is 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, formally remained in a state of war. The decree on ending the state of war was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on January 25, 1955. However, the Great Patriotic War itself refers only to military operations against Germany until May 9, 1945.

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the USSR the USSR,
United Kingdom United Kingdom,
USA USA,
France France

Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces(English) German Instrument of Surrender, fr. Actes de capitulation de l'Allemagne Nazie, German Bedingungslose Kapitulation der Wehrmacht) - a legal document that established a truce on the fronts of the Second World War directed against Germany, obliging the German military to stop resistance, surrender personnel and transfer the materiel of the armed forces to the enemy, which actually meant Germany's withdrawal from the war.

The act was signed by representatives of the High Command of the Wehrmacht, the High Command of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union on May 7 at 02:41 am in Reims (France). The capitulation of Nazi Germany took effect on May 8 at 23:01 CET.

The dates of the official announcement by the heads of state of the signing of surrender - May 8 in the countries of Europe and May 9 in the USSR - began to be celebrated in the respective countries as Victory Day.

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Document text preparation

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. The draft text of the instrument of surrender since January 1944 was developed by the European Consultative Commission; the text (called the "Terms of Surrender of Germany") was agreed at the end of July and approved by the heads of the allied governments. This extensive document was sent, in particular, to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (S.H.A.E.F), where, however, it was perceived not as a mandatory instruction, but as a recommendation. Therefore, when on May 4-5, 1945, the question of Germany's surrender practically arose, the allied headquarters did not use the existing document (perhaps fearing that disputes over the political articles contained in it would complicate negotiations with the Germans), but developed their own short, purely military document, which was eventually signed. The text was developed by a group of American officers from the entourage of the Allied Commander-in-Chief Dwight Eisenhower; the primary writer of the text was Colonel Filimor of the 3rd (Operational) Division of SHAEF. In order not to contradict the draft of the European Commission, at the suggestion of the British diplomat Ambassador Wynand, Article 4 was introduced into the text of the document, suggesting the possibility of replacing this act with “another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations” (some Russian sources, however, they attribute the idea of this article to the Soviet representative under the command of the Allies, Susloparov).

Partial surrenders

On the same day, a meeting was held at the new head of the German government, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. Assessing the military situation as hopeless, the meeting participants decided to concentrate their main efforts on saving as many Germans as possible from the Red Army, avoiding military operations in the West and continuing operations against the Anglo-Americans only to the extent that they would interfere with the attempts of the German troops to evade from the Red Army. Since, in view of the agreements between the USSR and the Western Allies, it is difficult to achieve surrender only in the West, a policy of private surrenders at the level of army groups and below should be pursued.

On May 4, Admiral of the Fleet Hans-Georg Friedeburg, newly appointed commander-in-chief of the German Navy, signed the act of surrender of all German armed forces in Holland, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and North-West Germany to Field Marshal B. Montgomery's 21st Army Group.

On May 5, General of the Infantry F. Schultz, who commanded Army Group G, operating in Bavaria, capitulated to the American General D. Devers Western Austria. However, in the south, the Reich still had a large grouping of army groups "Center" and "Austria" (formerly "South") under the command of Field Marshal Albert Kesselring.

First act

Having signed the act of surrender of German troops in the north on May 4 in Lüneburg, Admiral Friedeburg went to Eisenhower's headquarters, located in Reims, in order to put before him, on behalf of Dönitz, the question of the surrender of German troops on the Western Front. Since, due to bad weather, he was forced to travel from Brussels to Reims by car, the German delegation arrived in Reims only by 17:00 on May 5. Meanwhile, Eisenhower told his chief of staff, Walter Bedell Smith, that there would be no bargaining with the Germans and he did not intend to see the Germans until they signed the terms of surrender. The negotiations were entrusted to Generals W. B. Smith and Carl Strong (the latter was involved in the negotiations for the surrender of Italy in 1943).

The negotiations took place in the premises of the operational department of the allied headquarters (this headquarters was located in the building that was called the "red school building", in fact - in the building of the technical college). In order to demonstrate to Friedeburg the futility of the German position, Smith ordered the walls to be hung with maps indicating the situation on the fronts, as well as maps indicating the strikes allegedly being prepared by the Allies. These maps made a great impression on Friedeburg. Friedeburg offered Smith the surrender of the remaining German forces on the Western Front; Smith replied that Eisenhower refused to continue negotiations unless the offer of surrender also applied to the Eastern Front: only a general surrender was possible, and the troops in the West and East should remain in their places. Friedeburg replied to this that he did not have the authority to sign a general surrender. Having studied the text of the act of surrender presented to him, Friedeburg telegraphed Dönitz, asking permission to sign a general surrender or send Keitel and the commanders of the air and naval forces for this.

Dönitz found the terms of surrender unacceptable and sent Jodl to Reims, who was known as a categorical opponent of surrender in the East. Jodl had to explain to Eisenhower why a general surrender was impossible. He arrived in Reims on the evening of 6 May. After an hour of discussion with him, Smith and Strong came to the conclusion that the Germans were simply playing for time in order to have time to transport as many troops and refugees to the West as possible, which they reported to Eisenhower. The latter told Smith to tell the Germans that “If they do not stop looking for excuses and stalling for time, I will immediately close the entire Allied front and stop the flow of refugees by force through the location of our troops. I will not tolerate any further delay.". Having received this answer, Jodl realized that his situation was hopeless, and requested from Dönitz the authority for a general surrender. Dönitz called Eisenhower's behavior "a real blackmail", however, also realizing the hopelessness of the situation, shortly after midnight on May 7 instructed Keitel to answer: "Grand Admiral Dönitz grants full authority to sign in accordance with the terms offered". The signing ceremony was scheduled for 2:30 am. The act of surrender was to come into force at 23:01 on May 8, that is, almost two days after signing - Dönitz hoped to use this time to move as many troops and refugees to the West as possible.

May 6 at SHAEF Representatives of the allied commands were summoned: members of the Soviet mission, General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, as well as the Deputy Chief of the Supreme National Defense Staff of France, General Sevez (Chief of Staff, General Juyn, was in San Francisco at the founding conference of the UN). Eisenhower did his best to calm the suspicions of the Soviet representatives, who believed that the Anglo-American allies were ready to conspire with the Germans behind their backs. As for the role of Sevez, who signed the act as a witness, it turned out to be insignificant: the general, being a pure military man, did not try to defend the prestigious interests of France and, in particular, did not protest against the absence of the French flag in the room where the capitulation was signed. Eisenhower himself refused to participate in the signing ceremony for protocol reasons, since the German side was represented by the chief of staff, and not by the commander in chief - the ceremony was thus held at the level of chiefs of staff.

The act was signed on May 7 at 02:41 (Central European time) by the head operational headquarters High Command of the German Army, Colonel General Alfred Jodl. The surrender was accepted: from the Anglo-American side, Lieutenant General of the US Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Walter Bedell Smith, from the USSR - the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command under the command of the Allies, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov. The act was also signed by Brigadier General François Sevez, Deputy Chief of the French National Defense Staff, as a witness.The English text of this act is authentic.

Although a group of 17 journalists attended the 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. An oath was taken from the reporters that they would report the surrender only 36 hours later - at exactly 3 pm on May 8, 1945.

Without waiting for the announcement of the ceremony, Dönitz gave (at 1:35 a.m.) the following order to Field Marshal Kesselring and General Winter, which was also transmitted for information to the commander of the Army Group Center F. Scherner, the commander of the troops in Austria L. von Rendulich and the commander of the troops of Yugo - East A. Leroux: “The task is to withdraw to the west as many troops as possible, operating on the Eastern Front, while breaking through, if necessary, with a fight through the location Soviet troops. Immediately stop any military operations against the Anglo-American troops and order the troops to surrender to them. The general surrender will be signed today at Eisenhower's headquarters. Eisenhower promised Colonel General Jodl that hostilities would cease on May 9, 1945 at 0000 hours German summer time ... " .

On May 7 at 14:41 German radio (from Flensburg) officially announced the signing of the surrender. The foreign minister of the Dönitz government, Count Schwerin von Krosig, delivered the following speech:

Germans and Germans!
The Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht, on the orders of Grand Admiral Dönitz, announced the unconditional surrender of the German troops. As the leading minister of the imperial government, formed by the grand admiral to complete all military tasks, I appeal to the German people at this tragic moment in our history ...
No one should be mistaken about the severity of the conditions that our opponents will impose on us. It is necessary, without any loud phrases, to clearly and soberly look them in the face. No one can doubt that the coming times will be harsh for each of us and will require sacrifices from us in all areas of life. We are obliged to bring them and be loyal to all the obligations that we undertake. But we do not dare to despair and indulge in dull resignation to fate. We must find a way to get out of this darkness on the road of our future. Let the three guiding stars, which have always been the guarantee of a truly German essence, be unity, law and freedom ...
We must base our folk life right. Justice must become the supreme law and the main guiding thread for our people. We must recognize law both out of inner conviction and as the basis of our relations with other peoples. Respect for the treaties that have been concluded must be as sacred to us as the feeling of belonging to the European family of peoples, as a member of which we want to bring all our human, moral and material forces to heal the terrible wounds inflicted by the war.
Then we can hope that the atmosphere of hatred that now surrounds Germany throughout the world will give way to that reconciliation of peoples, without which the improvement of the world is unthinkable, and that freedom will again give us its signal, without which no people can live decently and with dignity.
We want to see the future of our people in the realization of the deepest and the best forces every living being to whom the world has given enduring creations and values. With pride in the heroic struggle of our people, we will combine the desire, as a link in Western Christian culture, to contribute to honest peaceful labor in the spirit of best traditions our people. May God not leave us in our trouble, may he sanctify our difficult work!

An hour later, the German surrender was reported by the Associated Press, whose reporter, Edward Kennedy, after the German report, considered himself free from the promise to keep the event secret. However, Kennedy was fired from the agency, and the silence about surrender continued in the West for another day - only on the afternoon of May 8 was it officially announced. In the Soviet Union, information about the surrender on May 7 was also initially banned, but then, after the signing of the final act in Karlshorst, the Reims preliminary protocol of surrender was mentioned by J. V. Stalin in his address to the Soviet people broadcast by radio at 21:00 on May 9.

According to most sources, on May 8 at 22:43 CET (at 00:43, May 9, Moscow) in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst in the building of a former canteen military engineering school The final act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed. The text of the act does not indicate the exact date of its signing - May 8, 1945 is indicated. Some sources indicate the date of signing the act after midnight CET, that is, May 9 - at about 00:15 or 00:43 (Keitel signed at 00:16).

Thus, at the time of signing the final act, it was 23.15 in Western European time, 00.15 in Central European time, and 02.15 in Moscow.

The text of the act basically repeats verbatim the text of May 7, including even Article 4, which has now lost real meaning. The Karlshorst Act also confirmed the time of the ceasefire - May 8 at 23:01 CET (May 9 at 01:01 Moscow time). The changes in the text of the act were as follows:

in the English text, the expression Soviet High Command (Soviet High Command) has been replaced by more exact translation Soviet term: Supreme High Command of the Red Army (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 and safe, has been expanded and detailed;
the indication of the act on May 7 was withdrawn: "Only given text in English is authoritative" and inserted article 6, which read: “This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only Russian and English texts are authentic".

From the German side, the act was signed by: Field Marshal, Chief of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht Wilhelm Keitel, representative of the Luftwaffe - Colonel General Stumpf and the Kriegsmarine - Admiral von Friedeburg. Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force Marshal Tedder (Eng. Arthur William Tedder) (Great Britain). As witnesses, General

On May 8, 1945, at 22:43 CET (at 00:43, May 9, Moscow time), in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the Act of Germany's unconditional surrender was signed.

May 7, 1945. Personal and strictly secret message from Mr. Churchill to Marshal Stalin:
"I have just received your message and also read a letter from General Antonov to General Eisenhower proposing that the announcement of Germany's surrender be postponed until May 9, 1945. It will be impossible for me to postpone my application for 24 hours, as you did Moreover, the parliament will demand information about yesterday's signing in Reims and about the official ratification scheduled for today in Berlin ... "

On the morning of May 8, correspondents from all the major newspapers and magazines in the world and photojournalists began to arrive in Berlin to capture historical moment legal registration complete defeat of Nazi Germany.

In the middle of the day, representatives of the High Command allied troops. The Allied Expeditionary Forces High Command was represented by Eisenhower's Deputy Air Chief Marshal Arthur William Tedder; air force General Carl Spaats, French Armed Forces - Commander-in-Chief of the Army General Jean-Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny. From the airfield, the Allies arrived in Karlhorst, where it was decided to accept unconditional surrender from the German command.

At the same airfield from the city of Flensburg, under the protection of British officers, the former Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht Supreme Command, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Commander-in-Chief naval forces Admiral General of the Fleet G. von Friedeburg and Colonel General of Aviation Hans Stumpf.

Here, in Karlshorst, in the eastern part of Berlin, in the two-story building of the former canteen of the German military engineering school, a hall was prepared where the signing ceremony was to take place. Soon, all representatives of the command of the allied forces arrived at the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union G. Zhukov, to agree on procedural issues. Keitel and his companions at that time were in another building.

At exactly 24:00 Zhukov, Tedder, Spaatz, and de Lattre de Tassigny entered the hall decorated with state flags Soviet Union, USA, Great Britain and France. Present in the hall Soviet generals, whose troops participated in the legendary storming of Berlin, as well as Soviet and foreign journalists.

Generals Bogdanov and Berzarin

The signing ceremony was opened by Marshal Zhukov. He greeted the representatives of the allied armies in Berlin occupied by the Red Army at the historic moment of the surrender of the common enemy - Nazi Germany. “We, representatives of the Supreme Command of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces ... are authorized by the governments of the anti-Hitler coalition to accept the unconditional surrender of Germany from the German military command,” he solemnly said.

At the suggestion of the Soviet representative, Keitel handed over to the heads of the Allied delegations a document by which Doenitz authorized the German delegation to sign the act of surrender. The German delegation was then asked whether it had the Act of Unconditional Surrender in hand and whether it had studied it. The question was repeated in English by Marshal Tedder. After Keitel's affirmative answer from the German side, the act was signed by Field Marshal General, Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command Wilhelm Keitel, Luftwaffe representative Colonel General Stumpf and Kriegsmarine Admiral von Friedeburg.

Signed by Wilhelm Keitel:

Stumpf's signature:

Unconditional surrender was accepted by Marshal Zhukov (from the Soviet side) and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Marshal Tedder (Great Britain).

General K. Spaats (USA) and General J. de Latre de Tassigny (France) put their signatures as witnesses.

At 0 hours 43 minutes (Moscow time) on May 9 (at 22 hours 43 minutes Central European time on May 8), 1945, the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was completed. The German delegation was asked to leave the hall. Keitel, Friedeburg, Stumpf bowed and left the hall.

Having accepted the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany. The decree on ending the state of war was adopted by the Presidium Supreme Council USSR January 25, 1955.

Exactly 70 years ago, on May 8, 1945, on the outskirts of Berlin, Karlshorst, at 22:43 CET (May 9 at 00:43 Moscow time), the final act of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed.

A selection of photographs dedicated to this significant event.

1. The building of the German military engineering school in the suburbs of Berlin - Karlshorst, where the signing ceremony of the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany was held.

2. Representatives of Germany at the table during the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender. In the photo they are sitting from left to right: Colonel General Stumpf from the Air Force, Field Marshal Keitel from ground forces and Admiral General von Friedeburg from the navy. 05/08/1945

3. American General Dwight Eisenhower and British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder at a press conference after the signing of the surrender of Germany in Reims (France) on May 7, 1945.

4. Representatives of the Allied Command after the signing of the surrender of Germany in Reims (Wrance) on May 7, 1945.
In the photo from left to right: Chief of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces in Europe, British Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Morgan Morgan, 1894-1967), American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith, American radio commentator Harry Butcher, American General Dwight Eisenhower, British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder and Chief of Staff of the British Navy Admiral Sir Harold Burro.

5. Colonel-General Alfred Jodl (center) signs the German surrender at the Allied Headquarters in Reims at 02.41 local time on 7 May 1945. Sitting 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 surrender of Germany in Reims, which was not agreed with the USSR and relegated the country that made the greatest contribution to the Victory to the background. At the suggestion of the Soviet government and personally I.V. Stalin and the Allies agreed to consider the procedure in Reims a preliminary surrender. The Allies also agreed that the matter should not be postponed, and appointed the signing of the German Surrender Act in full form in Berlin for May 8, 1945.

6. The signing of the surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo, from right to left: adjutant A. Jodl, Major Wilhelm Oxenius, Colonel General Alfred Jodl and Grand Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg; facing left to right: Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces in Europe, British Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Morgan, French general François Sevet, Chief of Staff of the British Navy Admiral Sir Harold Burro, radio commentator Harry Butcher, American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith, Adjutant I.A. Susloparov Senior Lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev, Chief of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), American General Carl Spaatz, cameraman Henry Bull, Colonel Ivan Zenkovich.

7. Colonel-General Alfred Jodl (center) signs the surrender of Germany at the headquarters of the allied forces in Reims at 02.41 local time on May 7, 1945.

8. Representatives of the German command come to the table to sign the surrender in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo from left to right: Adjutant A. Jodl, Major Wilhelm Oxenius, Colonel General Alfred Jodl and Grand Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg.

9. The head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), shakes hands with the commander of the allied forces in Europe, American General Dwight Eisenhower at the signing of the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945. To the left of I.A. Susloparov - his adjutant senior lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev.

10. The Chief of Staff of the Allies in Europe, the American Lieutenant General Bedell Smith, signs the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo on the left is Admiral Sir Harold Burro, Chief of Staff of the British Navy, on the right is Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), head of the USSR military mission in France.

11. The head of the USSR military mission in France, Major General Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov (1897-1974), signs the act of surrender of Germany in Reims on May 7, 1945. In the photo on the far right is American General Carl Spaatz. To the left of I.A. Susloparov - his adjutant senior lieutenant Ivan Chernyaev.

12. Wehrmacht Artillery General Helmut Weidling leaves the bunker during the surrender of the Berlin garrison. May 2, 1945

13. Representative of the Supreme High Command of the Red Army, Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, who signed the Instrument of Surrender from the USSR. In the background is a Soviet cameraman filming the signing ceremony. Berlin. 09/08/1945

17. Representatives after the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8, 1945. The German act was signed by Field Marshal Keitel (in front to the right, with a marshal's baton) from the ground forces, Admiral General von Friedeburg (to the right behind Keitel) from the navy and Colonel General Stumpf (to the left of Keitel) from the military -but-air force.

18. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, signing the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany from the German side, is served the text of the Act. To the left, second from the viewer, G.K. is sitting at the table. Zhukov, who signed the Act on behalf of the USSR. Berlin. 05/08/1945

19. Chief general staff of the German Ground Forces, Infantry General Krebs (left), who arrived on May 1 at the location of the Soviet troops in order to draw the High Command into the negotiation process. On the same day, the general shot himself. Berlin. May 1, 1945

20. The Soviet delegation before the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of all German armed forces. Berlin. 05/08/1945 Standing on the right - the representative of the Supreme High Command of the Red Army, the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, standing in the center with his hand raised - Deputy Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, General of the Army V.D. Sokolovsky.

21. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, who is signing the Act of Germany's unconditional surrender from the German side, is presented with the text of the Act. G.K. is sitting at the table on the left. Zhukov, who signed the Act on behalf of the USSR. Berlin. 05/08/1945

22. Representatives of the German command, headed by Field Marshal Keitel, are sent to sign the Act of Germany's unconditional surrender. May 8, Berlin, Karlhorst.

23. Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces Lieutenant General of the Infantry Hans Krebs at the headquarters of the Soviet troops in Berlin. On May 1, Krebs arrived at the location of the Soviet troops in order to draw the High Command into the negotiation process. On the same day, the general shot himself.

24. Surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia. German and Soviet officers are discussing the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrendering German troops. 05/09/1945

25. Surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia. German and soviet officers discuss the terms of surrender and the procedure for the surrender of German troops. 05/09/1945

26. Surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia. German officers accept from the Soviet officer the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrender. 05/09/1945

27. Surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia. German officers accept from the Soviet officer the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrender. 05/09/1945

28. Surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia. German and Soviet officers are discussing the terms of surrender and the procedure for surrendering German troops. 05/09/1945

29. The surrender of the Germans on the spit Frisch-Nerung, East Prussia.

30. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signs the act of unconditional surrender of Germany. Berlin, May 8, 1945, 22:43 CET (May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time).

31. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel goes to the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany. Berlin. 05/08/1945

32. Arrival in Berlin for the ceremony of signing the Act of Surrender of Germany of the Air Chief MarshalGreat Britain Tedder A.V. Among those meeting: General of the Army Sokolovsky V.D. and commandant of BerlinColonel General Berzarin N.E. 05/08/1945

33. Arrival in Berlin, Field Marshal W. Keitel, Admiral of the Fleet H. Friedeburg and Colonel General of Aviation G. Stumpf to sign the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany. Among the escorts is General of the Army Sokolovsky V.D. and Colonel General Berzarin N.E. 05/08/1945

34. First Deputy People's Commissar Foreign Affairs of the USSR Vyshinsky A.Ya. andMarshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. heading to the signing ceremonyThe act of unconditional surrender of Germany. Karlshorst. 05/08/1945

35. Air Chief Marshal of Great Britain Sir Tedder A. and Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. looking through the documents on the terms of the surrender of Germany.

36. Signing Field Marshal Keitel W. Act of unconditional surrender of all armed forces in Germany. Berlin. Karlshorst. 05/08/1945

37. Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K.signs the Act of unconditional surrender of all German armed forces.

38. Dinner in honor of the Victory after the signing of the terms of the unconditional surrender of Germany. From left to right: Chief Air Marshal of Great Britain Sir Tedder A., Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. Commander of the US Strategic Air Force General Spaats K. Berlin. 08-09.05.1945