On a sunny morning on May 8, 1945, the small town of Reims suddenly became the focus of the world. As night faded, the European theater of World War II seemed to close its bloody eyes. In a makeshift conference room, senior Allied generals gathered, calm on the outside, but full of mixed emotions on the inside. They are waiting for the arrival of a key figure - the representative of Germany, who will sign the instrument of surrender here, marking the end of a brutal six-year-long war.
The sudden news of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin not only disrupted the plans of the Allies, but also confused and uneasy everyone present. Why, on the threshold of victory, would Stalin suddenly declare the surrender of Reims null and void?
1. The journey to Reims
On 5 May 1945, as the morning light broke, the Admiral of Friedburg prepared to embark on a journey to Reims with the intention of negotiating a decisive surrender with the Allies. The plane started in the early morning cold, and the roar of the engines echoed over the airport, heralding a flight full of uncertainty. The plane took off into the air, jolting slightly through the clouds and heading towards its destination.
However, flying was not all smooth sailing. Shortly after the plane entered Belgian airspace, the sudden rainstorm and thick clouds quickly reduced the visibility in the air. The pilot struggled to maneuver the plane, trying to find a safe path to continue, but bad weather forced him to make the decision to land. The lights of Brussels Airport loomed in the pouring rain, and the planes finally bumped down the runway to land, spraying water and the sound of taxiing tires filling the surroundings.
After landing, Friedburg was quickly directed to a makeshift settlement at the airport. The airport staff urgently coordinated and arranged a car for him to ensure that he could continue to Reims as soon as possible. After a short wait and preparation, Friedburg boarded a military jeep, which started with difficulty in the wind and rain, and drove through the streets of Brussels towards the French border.
The cars drove on the slippery road, rain and rain, and the convoy in Friedburg moved slowly but surely forward. Along the way, destroyed bridges and barricades often appeared, and the traces of war can be seen everywhere. Drivers must constantly change routes, bypassing destroyed roads and uncleared battlefield remains. Despite this, the soldiers of the convoy remained on high alert and were ready to respond to possible hostilities.
Entering French territory, the Friedburg convoy sped up to try to make up for the delay due to poor weather and road conditions. Passing through farmland and small towns between Rennes and Chalon, the convoy witnessed the profound impact of the war on local communities: farmland was turned up by artillery fire, houses were destroyed, and displaced civilians were occasionally displaced along the roadside.
Finally, after a long and difficult journey, the convoy of Marshal Friedeburg arrived in Reims. The edge of the city was surrounded by makeshift Allied military installations, with tight security checks and sentinels standing in every way. Fort Friedburg was quickly guided to the Allied headquarters, where a stately building stood within a heavily guarded high wall.
2. Guarantees and requirements for surrender
Inside the Allied Headquarters in Reims, a typical World War II-era temporary building, the rooms are simple but functional. Marshal Friedburg, accompanied by a group of Allied officers, entered the conference room, where tables and chairs were already set up for discussion. Maps on the walls depict the latest situation on the European battlefield, and bright lights illuminate the desktop where documents and maps are scattered.
General Smith was already waiting in the conference room, dressed in a standard American military uniform, with a star stripe on his epaulettes glinting with authority. When Friedburg entered, General Smith immediately got up, exchanged a brief military salute, and then took their respective seats, separated by a heavy wooden table with maps and various military documents.
Marshal Friedburg spoke first, and in a firm tone, he expressed the position of the German troops on the Western Front. He made it clear that the German forces on the Western Front were ready to completely lay down their arms and accept unconditional surrender. The news should have brought some relief, but tension still hung in the room.
General Smith's response was more direct and harsh. He clearly stated the position of the Allies, emphasizing that the German forces on the Eastern Front must also surrender immediately and unconditionally. General Smith's voice was loud and firm, and every word emphasized the determination and urgency of the Allies to end the war once and for all. He tapped his finger on the table and pointed to the map of the battlefield hanging on the wall, the situation on the Eastern Front was particularly complicated, and he demanded that the German troops on the Eastern Front must also lay down their arms, otherwise negotiations would be impossible.
At this time, the air in the conference room was almost frozen, and only the occasional sound of wind outside the window and the irregular sound of artillery in the distance reminded everyone present that the war was still going on. General Smith's attitude was clear, leaving Friedburg without any room for bargaining, and the dialogue at this moment underscored the Allied demand for German surrender in its entirety.
General Smith then handed Friedburg a detailed draft of the terms of surrender, which laid out the specific Allied demands on the German fronts. Friedburg took the document, and he and several senior German officers who accompanied him began to read the document carefully, checking the details of each clause. General Smith watched quietly, occasionally pointing to key parts of the document to emphasize its importance.
During this intense and important meeting, the two sides engaged in several rounds of detailed discussions, reviewing the terms of surrender article by article. General Smith repeatedly stressed that only the complete surrender of the German army could ensure the restoration of peace and order in the European theater.
III. The Complexity of the Surrender on the Eastern Front
In the early morning of 6 May, General Jodel disembarked outside the Allied Provisional Command, and his arrival was quickly noticed by the Allied soldiers, who showed obvious concern about the appearance of the senior German general. General Yodel's uniform was neat and rigorous, his steps were firm, and his arrival was clearly for a special mission. As he entered the room, the atmosphere in the room immediately became tense.
General Joddle is greeted in front of General Smith, and after the two generals greet each other, Joddle goes straight to the subject. He made it clear that he was acting on behalf of Dönitz, bringing a formal request for the surrender of the German forces on the Eastern Front. His resolute tone stated that the Germans on the Eastern Front were willing to surrender to the Western Allies, but they refused to surrender to the Soviet forces because of their deep fear of the Soviet Union. This statement not only showed the difference in strategic considerations of the German forces on the Eastern and Western fronts, but also reflected their fear of possible retaliation from the Soviet Union.
When General Smith heard this, he immediately organized an emergency meeting and summoned representatives from the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. In the conference room, the map was unfolded, showing the current military situation on the Eastern Front. Delegates sat around the table, and discussions began to be tense and challenging in the face of this new strategic change.
IV. The unified decision of the Allies and the reaction of Stalin
General Eisenhower returned to his office immediately after intensive negotiations and strategic meetings and began drafting a report to US President Harry S. Truman. He recorded in detail the exchanges between the Allies and the German generals, especially the German request for a separate surrender of the Eastern Front to the Western Allies and the tough response of the Soviet Union. Having completed the report, General Eisenhower prepared an urgent telegram that would be sent to Washington, detailing the current situation and requesting further instructions.
At 2 a.m. on May 8, 1945, the tranquility of the European theater was shattered by a remarkable event - the German surrender ceremony was held at the vocational and technical school in Reims, France. The school was temporarily converted into a meeting and ceremonial venue for this historic occasion. Although it was dark outside, the inside of the campus was brightly lit, and intense preparations were underway.
In the conference room, a number of national flags were placed on a long table, with the insignia of the Allied countries in the background. The interior is solemnly furnished, and the solemn atmosphere contrasts with the silence outside. One by one, the senior Allied generals entered the conference room, dressed in neat uniforms, medals and insignias, their footsteps echoing through the corridor.
The German delegates, dressed in dark military uniforms and grim faces, entered the conference room according to the predetermined procedure and walked to the signing table. Under the supervision of the Allied generals, German representatives signed the surrender document, marking the end of World War II in Europe. Every detail of the document is scrutinized to ensure its integrity and validity. After the signing was completed, the room resounded with low and solemn applause, and everyone's face was full of post-liberation seriousness.
However, thousands of kilometers away in Moscow, the news provoked a very different reaction. Stalin, upon learning of this, showed strong dissatisfaction. In particular, he noted why this important historical moment should be determined in terms of Washington time, and not Moscow time. He believed that the Soviet Union, as the main opponent of Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front, should have a decisive voice in Germany's surrender.
Stalin quickly summoned his senior generals and advisers to discuss how to respond to the incident. In a sparsely decorated strategy room, senior Soviet officials gathered around a huge map of the campaign depicting the Soviet advance on the Eastern Front since 1941. Every important battle and victory was marked, showing the key role of the Soviet army in defeating Nazi Germany.
Stalin decided that in order to show the decisive contribution of the USSR in this war, another ceremony of the surrender of Germany must be held in Moscow. He instructed the Soviet high-ranking representative in the Allied Forces to prepare an official surrender ceremony in Berlin, ensuring that the position and timing of the Soviet Union were recognized by the international community.
5. The re-signing of the surrender agreement and the end of the war
On May 9, 1945, after a long period of coordination and negotiations between the Allies and the Soviet Union, the Berlin Military Engineering Institute became a witness to a historic event. On this day, the parties reunited in this building with a heavy historical load to prepare for the re-signing of the German surrender agreement. General Zhukov served as the moderator, and the day's events showed the Soviet Union's military achievements on the Eastern Front and its important role in post-war arrangements.
The exterior of the building is a bit dilapidated, and the walls of the academy are mottled by the traces of the war, and the windows are somewhat shattered. However, the hall inside was quickly and thoroughly cleaned and rearranged to accommodate this important ceremony. In the center of the hall is a long table covered with a dark tablecloth and lined with neat chairs for the incoming signatories.
General Zhukov was dressed in an official military uniform with his medals and rank insignia, and his appearance emphasized the authoritative position of the Soviet Union in this signing. He greeted in the hall high-ranking military officers and political representatives from all sides, including representatives from the United States, Great Britain and France, as well as a team of high-ranking Soviet officials.
As delegates arrived, the hall gradually filled with crowds. The U.S. delegation consisted of a group of officers dressed in their iconic uniforms, with medals draped over their chests and serious expressions. The British delegates appeared in their traditional military uniforms, wearing badges of honor from the beginning of the war. The ceremony was also attended by French representatives, whose presence symbolized France's resilience against Nazi Germany and its rebirth after victory.
In the minutes leading up to the ceremony, the participants made final confirmations and preparations. The document was presented to the main table, containing the final text of the surrender agreement, which was the result of intense negotiations in the previous days. General Zhukov checked the arrangements of the grounds, making sure that everything was going according to plan.
When the ceremony officially began, General Zhukov began with a brief speech reiterating the importance and historical significance of the moment. Subsequently, the representatives of Germany were invited to come forward and sign the surrender document. The movements of the German representatives looked a little heavy, but under the watchful eyes of the Allied and Soviet officials, they signed their names on the documents one by one.
During the signing, the room was filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere, and each signature symbolized the end of a brutal history on the battlefields of Europe. Photographers and journalists were on the sidelines to document the moment, ensuring that this historic moment was witnessed by the world. With the completion of the last signing, General Zhukov announced that the surrender agreement was officially in force, which marked the final end of World War II in Europe.
Resources:
1. Antony Beevor, "The Second World War" (2012)
2. William Shirer, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (1960)
3. Richard Overy, "Russia's War: A History of the Soviet Effort: 1941-1945" (1997)