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Churchill waves to crowds-1-

Winston Churchill on V-E Day.

Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day or VE Day) occurred on 7 and 8 May 1945, the dates when the Allied Forces of World War II formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, the last Axis power in Europe. On 30 April Hitler committed suicide during the Battle for Berlin, and so the surrender of Germany was authorized by his replacement, President of Germany Karl Dönitz. The administration headed up by Dönitz was known as the Flensburg government. The act of military surrender was signed on 7 May in Reims, France, and 8 May in Berlin, Germany.

Note: The above is true in most Harry Turtledove timelines with a Point of Divergence after 1945. It is immediately germane to the following:

Victory in Europe Day in Joe Steele[]

After Adolf Hitler committed suicide, Germany surrendered unconditionally. Individual German units tried to surrender to U.S. or British forces but President Joe Steele insisted they surrender to the Soviet Red Army as had been previously arranged. To emphasis this, a second surrender ceremony was held in Berlin with Soviet Marshall Ivan Koniev.[1]

President Steele went on a national radio broadcast afterwards to congratulate the American people and to sanction celebrations. However, he also cautioned the public that the war was not over, that Japan remained a deadly threat. He concluded with encouragement to celebrate but to carry on the struggle.[2]

Victory in Europe Day in The Man With the Iron Heart[]

The Allies believed that Victory in Europe would bring an end to the war on the continent. Unfortunately, the German Freedom Front, led by Nazi Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich, put the lie to this belief.

References[]

  1. Joe Steele, pg. 299, HC.
  2. Ibid, pgs. 299-300.
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