On this day in history, World War II came to an end. 

Gathered in a small schoolhouse in Reims, France, Allied forces met with German General Alfred Jodl to sign an unconditional surrender for Nazi Germany. By all accounts, the war was functionally over— Nazi forces were splintering, Berlin had fallen to the Soviet Army, and Adolf Hitler had committed suicide on April 30. All that remained was signing an official document to mark the legal end of the war.

Contributed/Wikipedia

The German Instrument of Surrender mandated the termination of all active German military forces and that a ceasefire would occur on May 8 to allow orders to spread across fighting fronts. The atmosphere inside the Reims schoolhouse was extremely tense, devoid of any triumphant speeches or victorious demonstrations. Groups of Allied journalists were brought to Reims before May 7, fully aware that something monumental was to take place. When glimpses were seen of late-night negotiations and German officials entering Allied-dominated spaces, the reality of a defeated Nazi Germany became clearer. These reports were silenced until the official announcement coincided with the ceasefire. A large factor in this decision was to appease the Soviet Union, which wanted the signing to happen in Berlin to signify Soviet Victory. The May 8 signing in Berlin is often cited as the better-known event. 

Regardless of where it took place, the submission of Nazi forces to Allied powers saw multiple astonishing feats: Germany virtually ceased to exist as a fighting force, a universal surrender was witnessed across every front, and the deadliest war in human history came to an end in a small schoolhouse in the early hours of the morning.

 

Author