V-E Day, short for "Victory in Europe Day," marks the formal acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. This day signifies the end of World War II in Europe, although fighting continued in other parts of the world, particularly in the Pacific Theater.
The surrender document was signed in Reims, France, at 02:41 on May 7, 1945, by General Alfred Jodl on behalf of Adolf Hitler, who had committed suicide on April 30, 1945. The signing was witnessed by representatives from the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France. A second signing took place in Berlin on May 8, 1945, to satisfy Joseph Stalin's demand for a surrender ceremony on German soil.
V-E Day was not only a moment of celebration but also a time for reflection on the immense loss and destruction caused by the war. The day also symbolized the beginning of the post-war era, leading to the Nuremberg Trials and the reshaping of Europe's political landscape. The division of Germany into zones of occupation, the Yalta Conference, and the subsequent Cold War were all consequences of the war's end.