Victory Day is the European commemoration of Germany’s surrender in World War IIwhich took place on May 7, 1945 and which this year celebrates its 77th anniversary.
But in the former republics of the Soviet Union the celebration for the victory of the Red Army against the Nazis takes place two days later, on May 9. What accounts for this difference?
On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of Germany to the Allies in Reims. thus putting an end to the war in Europe, although not in Asia, where Japan continued to withstand the push of the Americans until September 2, after the launch of two atomic bombs by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that cost the life to more than 150,000 people.
In the surrender document it was indicated to all German troops that they were to lay down their arms and cease their activities at 11:01 p.m. on May 8, 1945according to Central European Time.
Although the surrender implied the capitulation of the weapons of the entire Nazi Army, the fact that the signing had been carried out in Reims (France) between the English, the Americans and the Germans, did not please the Russians, who wanted to be participants in this historical moment.
For Stalin, Germany had to ratify its surrender also before the Red Army and he got that on May 8 (the day after the original signing) heads of the Wehrmacht (German ‘Defense Force’) were taken to Berlin to re-sign their surrender in compliance with the Soviet demand.
News of the Nazi surrender spread throughout Europe and the US on May 8, which caused spontaneous parties to be held that same day according to the information received by the radio or the press, whether it was at night (Europe) or during the day (North America).
But the Soviet government demanded to wait for the exact time set at the signing (11:01 p.m.) to celebrate the victory. This meant that given the time difference between the Soviet Union and Central Europe it was already May 9 in today’s Russia when it was 11 o’clock at night.
This jet lag places the celebration of Victory Day on two different days for North Americans and Western Europeans versus the former republics of the Soviet Union.
In Russia, as in many European cities, Victory Day is a public holiday, but only the Russians hold a military parade on that day. The originator of the idea was Stalin, who imposed the tradition of a grand parade on Moscow’s Red Square as a display of the country’s military might against foreign powers.
Source: Lasexta
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
