How The Actual Victory In Europe Day Unfolded | VE Day - War & Peace | Timeline

this channel is part of the history hit Network [Music] [Music] defeated and exhausted by the Great War of 1914-1918 Germany suffered further humiliation when the Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh conditions that would lead inexorably to further conflict [Applause] many Germans looked for political change to restore national pride and prosperity and in 1919 there had appeared a new National Socialist otherwise known as the Nazi party promising this beginning as a fringe political group the Nazis under their eventual leader Adolf Hitler steadily gained popularity in 1925 Hitler had issued his mind Camp my struggle a personal philosophy of bizarre Concepts that would become the Nazi Bible Hitler believed that Germany had been weakened and undermined by alien and inferior peoples Germans he believed were a superior Aryan race that should through increasing military strength overturned the Versailles treaty and regain its rightful Supremacy to achieve this Germany had to cleanse itself of all racially inferior beings particularly Jews convenience scapegoats both for the country's defeat and economic hardship that followed military power would be essential to reclaim lost territories and acquire more especially those occupied by lesser Eastern peoples into which Hitler's blue-eyed blonde-haired super race could expand by 1930 the Nazi party had gained power through The Ballot Box becoming Germany's second largest political party and three years later seized complete power during the Nazi Puch when Hitler then Chancellor took dictatorial Powers Jews were suffering greatly through the actions of Hitler's brown shirts and especially his SS a military organization placed Above the Law with a slogan of one state one people one leader Hitler began implementing his expansionist policies world power seemed helpless as Germany started reclaiming territories it had lost the USA being concerned more with its own problems while Britain and France were reluctant to take any action that could precipitate yet another War unchecked Hitler annexed a generally welcoming Austria recovered the Tsar region and began to militarize its Rhineland border with France actions greeted triumphantly at home and with trepidation elsewhere racial cleansing gathered pace and even though Jews were numbered amongst Germany's leading musicians scientists and bankers their intimidation and arrests would increase [Music] Nazi military and industrial expansion wiped out unemployment and Germany prospered New Roads Hitler's Auto bands of equality never before seen birth aided rapid troop movements and Germany's growing Industries highly Advanced tanks aircraft and Naval vessels were creating military forces of ever-increasing strength in 1938 this territorial expansion would continue when German forces entered Czechoslovakia and the Western Powers reacted although in the spirit of appeasement war was prevented largely by Britain's prime minister Neville Chamberlain's meeting with Hitler and his return from Germany bearing the dictator's promise of no further aggression this scrap of paper allowed Britain another 12 months to prepare for the war that seemed ever more inevitable Britain and France had jointly guaranteed Poland security and when German forces invaded that country on September 1939 demanded their withdrawal if you love history then you will love history hit our extensive library of documentary features everything from the ancient origins of our earliest ancestors to the daring mission to sink the bismar history hit has hundreds of exclusive documentaries with unrivaled access to the world's best historians we're committed to Bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts that you cannot find anywhere else sign up now for a free trial and timeline fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use the code timeline at checkout thank you this ultimatum was ignored and at 11 o'clock on the 3rd of September prime minister Chamberlain declared war soon Britain France Australia and New Zealand would stand alone opposing a powerful and militarized journey [Music] tomorrow [Music] just you wait and see the second world war would begin almost hesitantly with a period that became known as the phony War naval fleets are ready while British and French troops guard a strangely quiet franco-german border the USA under its President Roosevelt declares neutrality but by September the 10th neighboring Canada had entered the war in support of Britain and the Ally German submarines and surface Raiders attack shipping [Music] by April the war gathers Pace when Germany first invades Denmark and Norway and a month later a sudden assault the new Blitzkrieg strategy through Belgium and Holland splits Allied Forces and traps much of the British and French armies at Dunkirk it is [Music] the miraculous evacuation from Dunkirk of British French and polish troops is followed by French surrender with the puppet government under martial pattern being established at Vichy [Music] [Music] in England General de Gaulle is recognized as leader of the free French the Channel Islands are seized and Italy's fascist dictator Mussolini Hitler's Ally declares war on Britain which with its Empire and Commonwealth now fight on alone [Music] Uber attacks on a shipping increase and Germany prepares to invade Britain by attempting to gain air control on July the 10th waves of bombers begin attacking airfields and towns in what became known as the Battle of Britain Spitfire and hurricane Fighters aided by Britain's secret radar systems Save the Day foreign [Music] London is bombed and ports and industries attacked in Africa Italian troops invade British Somaliland and Egypt to prevent the French Navy at Iran falling into German hands it is bombarded and sunk by the Royal neighbor bombing intensifies with many British towns suffering heavy damage and civilian casualties the threat of global war intensifies when Japan enters into an axis pact with Germany and Italy the USA now introduces military conscription and in Germany Jews are now forced to wear a yellow star of David on their clothes by December British and Commonwealth troops begin driving Italian armies out of the western desert while a neutral USA supplies Britain with weaponry and armaments a massive air raid destroys much of Coventry in England with Italian forces routed in North Africa and her book captured Hitler dispatches General Romney and Africa Corps to stabilize the situation foreign surrender to invading German armies causing supporting British forces to suffer heavy loss Ronald's Africa Corps with its Superior weaponry and armor reached and besieges to Brook but Israel Hitler's Deputy Rudolf Hess flies to England with secret peace proposals hoping to end the war before Germany attacks Russia they think we are is it possible they do not realize that we shall never cease to persevere against them until they have been taught a lesson which they and the world will never forget heavy German bombing continues while the RAF retaliates against Germany on June the 22nd Germany begins its Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union gaining 14 consecutive victories Stalin orders a scorched Earth policy whereby anything that could Aid an enemy is burned foreign [Music] s are made for Hitler's final solution that will exterminate all Jews the USA moves closer to War by seizing Japanese assets and signing the Atlantic Charter with Britain a German Advance against Master is abandoned when the Soviet Army recaptures roster after the Russian winter approaching the campaign will be a bet the Russian front is now over 2 000 miles long and German forces are stretched to their limit Atlantic Shipping losses are increasing to a dangerous level in spite of its neutrality the USA is becoming a major player committed to Hitler's defeat and supplying Weaponry to both Britain and Russia a surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base brings America into the continent all allies other than Russia now declare war on Japan and in response Germany declares war on the USA near Moscow a Red Army offensive in bitter weather throws back German forces causing their first retreat foreign [Music] Africa the British AIDS Army recaptures Benghazi and forces rommel's Africa core to retreat Hitler now takes personal command of German forces in all theaters of War [Music] packs caused numerous sinkings in the Atlantic and along America's Eastern seaboard in Germany Hitler's SS begins to organize total Jewish extermination Romo begins a new desert campaign [Music] U.S forces now begin arriving in the UK in preparation for attacking Hitler's youths [Music] Jack that's the GI Jive heavy German air attacks on Britain are continuing in May the raf's first thousand bomber raid is made on cologne when every available bomber is pressed into service [Music] from all parts of occupied Europe cattle trucks are carrying Jews and others to concentration camps for extermination a Polish town and its people are destroyed by Hitler's SS in retaliation for the assassination of its leader Hydra by June the Africa Corps has captured to Brook pushing the eighth Army back to Egypt but is held at El Alamein Russia's Premiere is now in German hands and attacks begin against dollar Road in Poland Jews are being rounded up for transportation to a newly Urban treblinker extermination camp General Bernard Montgomery takes command of the eighth Army and makes preparation to drive bromel out of it the US Air Force begins its costly daylight raids against Europe during which you will suffer heavy losses of aircraft and Crews on we can still carry on coming in unoccupied beachy France passes under German control in Russia the German advance halts of Stalingrad and in North Africa Montgomery defeats Rommel at Allen health by November the element battle forces the Africa Corps into full Retreat while at Stalingrad the Red Army begins to counter-attack [Music] in Operation Torch U.S and British forces land in French North Africa forcing Rommel to fight on two fronts in August an amphibious raid by Michael France and although a failing provides valuable experience for dinner in Chicago USA an atomic reactor is constructed that will indirectly lead to the atom bomb [Music] had the Casablanca conference President Roosevelt insists upon eventual German unconditional surrender [Music] the eighth Army captures Tripoli at Stalingrad by February Germany's sixth Army has been surrounded and forced into surrender and by May the Africa Corps has also capitulated foreign the Atlantic battle rages but British code breaking enables increasing numbers of huberts to be traced and sunk Germany's Admiral donitz orders their temporary withdrawal the U.S Air Force is bombarding German targets and in Poland Hitler's SS assault the Warsaw Ghetto transporting all surviving Jews for extermination other Jewish communities in the country are now systematically eliminated [Music] the RAF bonds the road dams in an attempt to Halt its industrial production [Music] in July with the Africa core defeated Allied Forces invade Sicily and by all this all resistance there has entered on September the 8th Italy surrenders and in response German forces enter Rome shortly afterwards Mussolini escapes and immediately attempts to re-establish fascist control Allied armies have landed in southern Italy and are fighting their way up the peninsula against Fierce resistance RAF night bombing of Germany intensified while U.S bombers operate in daylight Berlin is heavily bombed and firestorms Destroy other German towns and cities [Music] foreign [Music] Churchill Roosevelt and Stalin made to discuss future policy German forces in Russia are driven back into Poland in Italy another front opens when Allied Forces land at ancient although Fierce German counter-attacks almost pushes them back into the sea [Music] Inland the ancient Monte Casino Monastery is destroyed during Fierce fighting Berlin is now suffering USAF daylight bombing and in one nighttime raid on Hamburg alone the array of crops 3 000 tons of bombs in Italy German defense lines are being assaulted and taken one by one on June the 5th Allied armies enter Rome [Music] on June the 6th D-Day the Allied invasion of Europe begins thousands of British and U.S pattern troops seize vital targets foreign [Music] [Music] particularly heavy losses are suffered by troops landing at Omaha Bridge [Music] thank you [Music] Southern England is now attacked by German V-1 flying bombs in France SS troops murder the population of orador Sir Glenn a suspected resistance Center [Music] and by June the 27th U.S forces captured the port of Sherba in Normandy advances hindered by easily defended headrooms but on July the 9th can is liberated in the sherbo peninsula U.S forces takes and low and croutons soon breaking out into Open Country Beyond [Music] on the Eastern Front The Red Army reaches and liberates the first concentration camp in Germany a group of officers attempt to end the war by assassinating Hitler but failing are executed horribly in Poland resistance forces attempt to seize control of Warsaw [Music] the Normandy battles end with German forces trapped and destroyed and the filet's pocket [Music] as near Paris its resistance groups rise on August the 25th the city is liberated with General de Gaulle allowed to head the procession leading his free French troops [Music] by early September German forces have fallen back to the old Franco German foreign [Music] operation Market Garden attempts rapid seizure of Holland's Rhine Crossings but fails to take on a bridge in the East the red armies at times continues Phil Marshall Rommel already wounded in an air attack is implicated in the Hitler assassination attempt and takes poison German troops surrendered aachen [Music] and Auschwitz gas Chambers are used for the last time in Poland Warsaw is retaken by German troops V2 Rockets begin landing on London and will cause great destruction until their launch sites are overrun [Music] foreign [Music] by December 1944 what is to be the last major German offensive of the war the Battle of the Bulge and the Arden's region of Belgium begins with German troops smashing through U.S lines in winter weather [Music] until held up as they besieged the U.S 101 first Airborne at bastoin when asked to surrendered the airborne commander famously replied nuts during this fighting 80 U.S prisoners are murdered by the SS at malmadi [Music] in January Montgomery given temporary command of all U.S Northern forces Waits until the attack falters as German petrol and supplies are exhausted before launching his successful counter-attack within 10 days German forces have been pushed back with the loss of a hundred and twenty thousand men but a difference in method causes strain between the allies foreign Montgomery wants to attack deeply into Germany but Eisenhower's broadfront strategy prevails [Music] the Western allies with 4 million men in 85 divisions are faced with two major obstacles on their drive towards Berlin Rhine River and the Siegfried line that flanks it they now Advanced through Eastern France Belgium and Holland towards the German Border in three Army groups with Montgomery's British and Canadian armies in the North Bradley and the US first and third armies pushing towards cologne and the tsar and Divas with U.S 7th and French first armies making for Strasbourg German forces Retreat and are now fighting on their own soil with Industries and cities being bombarded day this is to be a bloody and long drawn-out struggle in which the Germans fight for every yard of ground although bloodly defeated they refused to give up even though hundreds of thousands will die unnecessarily and cities will be continually pounded into Rubble as a direct result of Hitler's refusal to accept the amendment the war's ending will continue to be as bitter and terrible as any of its other constituent parts on January the 12th the Red Army began their winter offensive driving forward in three Army fronts the first billed Russian front under zukov in the center pushing across Poland towards the odor and Berlin rakoskov is second belarussian front along the Baltic Coast into East Prussia and Connie's first Ukrainian front towards Budapest in Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the south German resistance is furious and determined but the sheer weight of numbers of the Russian armies steadily pushes forward driving the German populations into flight before it in Terror of Revenge atrocities all right thank you very much [Music] by the 17th of January they forced the Germans to evacuate Warsaw which has been almost totally destroyed under the direct orders of ss strike spear to Heinrich Himmler as an example to the rest of Europe on January the 26th during their Relentless Advance units of the Red Army come upon Auschwitz birkenau the largest extermination camp ever built sighted near the IG farben Chemical Works its Cyclone B gas was tested here on 900 Soviet prisoners of war in 1941. from that time to its Liberation some 4 million people Jews Gypsies homosexuals and other unto mench or sub-humans are believed to have been gassed and burned at Auschwitz While others were literally worked or starved to death a week earlier the SS had evacuated 60 000 surviving prisoners and forced them on a Death March westwards before the Russians arrived five thousand Left Behind as too weak to March would be liberated by the veteran [Music] oh [Music] by the end of January the Red Army has completed its occupation of Poland to the odor but Stalin with the largest army in Europe numbering 12 million soldiers in 300 divisions orders a pause for his conference with Churchill and an ailing President Roosevelt at jalter there they discussed the war's final stages and how Germany is to be divided and ruled at the end of the war the clear intention is to prevent the country's re-emergence as a threat to World Peace as it happened after 1918. I always wanted you to walk in Berlin walls in Berlin walls in Berlin the early days of February see the Western allies continuing their broad front advance to the secret line liberating Eastern French towns as they go along with Sam will be leading the band bombardment of Germany continues with the tanks on any location believed to possess the slightest military or industrial significance Dresden ancient and beautiful and the last untouched German city is attacked on the orders of air marshal Arthur Harris because of its lack of anti-aircraft defense and the psychological effect it would have on the German population between the 13th and 15th of February raids by RAF and USAF bombers using first phosphorus in centuries to start fires in the city and then high explosive bombs to spread the fires create a firestorm that kills over a hundred thousand people many of them civilians refugees and pows foreign [Music] foreign launches an offensive which is held up in the continuing bloody Battle of hurt conference the last days of February see Montgomery's Canadian and British armies fight their way through part of the Siegfried line to the Rhine north of duisburg while Patton's U.S third Army begins an assault on the secret line in the Tsar region by the months end it breaches the line on an 11 Mile front and launches an offensive towards the rhinocerblance and Frankfurt and mine [Music] still there on the Baltic Coast German forces find themselves encircled around Danzig and konigsberg fighting a desperate rear guard action as they try to evacuate East Prussia while in Hungary they lose Budapest and despite a strong counter-attack fall back into Silesia in Eastern Germany driven before a Relentless red eye thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] cologne on the Western Bank of the Rhine is taken by the U.S first Army on March the 6th its magnificent Gothic Cathedral surviving almost untouched amidst a sea of Destruction by now the Western Allied armies reach a number of points along the Rhine the U.S ninth that news after a costly breakthrough the U.S third at koblenz and the Canadian first had zantan on the lower Rhine retreating Germans now bought across the remaining Rhine Bridges destroying them in a vain attempt to deny further Advance into their father but on March the 7th an advanced patrol of the U.S first Army reaches Caesars and holds the bridge at remark disconnecting its german-led demolition charges so that American armor and infantry can cross a widening Bridgehead inside Germany is soon established saving many lives and much time that would have been wasted in an assault Crossing even though the weakened Bridge finally collapses it is replaced by pontoons [Music] during the rest of March the rhiners crossed at several points foreign ERS crossed in the vessel area after a heavy bombardment and parachute Landing [Music] Patton's third Army crosses north of Vons [Music] the U.S first Army breaks out of the ramagan Bridgehead as to the Canadians and British at vessel the Western allies have the interior of Germany at their Mercy by the end of March the red armies have advanced and established bridgeheads on the odor at stetting and south of Frankfurt they cut off the last petrol suppliers from oil fields in Hungary and across the Austrian border [Music] on the 27th of March they reached the outskirts of Danzig and after bitter street fighting the portfols on the 30th of March with the capture of ten thousand prisoners and 45 U-boats a major psychological blow to Germany in the last phase of this long barbarous and bloody war the Allied armies close in on the beleagued forces of the Third Reich forcing them back on all fronts secret negotiations for the surrender of German forces in Italy have begun in March in Switzerland that the bitter fighting continues as Field Marshal Alexander commander of all Allied Forces there once the last great assault on April the 9th [Music] the British 8th and U.S fifth armies Advance over the apennines north into the po valley and towards the end of April take the meantime south of the river Poe while the Germans Retreat to the northern plain part of the U.S fifth on the west coast takes La Spezia and heads for Genoa foreign front in less than a month the Allied armies Advanced swiftly through Germany towards Berlin although a pocket of 300 000 German troops still holds out in the Rua Valley surrounded by two U.S armies but by mid-april they've capitulated and their General Modell shoots himself [Applause] in places the Allies encounter Fierce opposition from SS units still loyal to their fuhrer and pledged to die for the Fatherland but in many towns surrender is seen as far better than destruction during their Advance Allied troops liberate Belson buchenwald and Dachau Concentration caps most surviving concentration camp prisoners are suffering from starvation tuberculosis typhoid or dysentery having been forced to work 16 hours a day or face death by torture or flogging others have been subjected to extreme medical experimentation at dakao 32 000 prisoners are still alive 30 000 at Belson and 80 000 at book involved it is later estimated that over 6 million people died in concentration camps at the hands of the Nazis with victims being gassed and then burned their ashes were often employed as agricultural fertilizer at last the full horrors of these camps are being revealed to an unbelieving world [Music] across Western battlefields Allied aircraft control the skies rocket equipped Fighters making it almost impossible for any remaining German armor to operate in days although the love father fights are there are few experienced Pilots left and they offer little protection against Allied bombing raids that continue to lead German cities to waste [Music] oh [Music] President Roosevelt dies on April the 12th 1945 and is replaced by vice president Harry Truman three times elected since 1932 Roosevelt had come to represent the Allies great principles and as early as 1936 had won the USA against complacency stating let no one imagine America will escape that America may expect Mercy that this Western Hemisphere will not be attacked Truman more isolationist and anti-russian lacks Roosevelt's Vision to an extent that even Allied Unity becomes threatened had Roosevelt died earlier the war's outcome might have been different [Music] in Berlin many are drafted into civil defense units and given Mika training in resistance and Hasty defenses are being thrown up in anticipation of the expected Russian offensive [Music] foreign [Music] on April the 16th the master Red Army begins its final assault from the odor and nice rivers on Hitler's Germany its main target being Berlin and the fury himself foreign ER now agrees that anyone ordering Retreat will be shot immediately [Music] to the north and south of Berlin Red Army France breakthrough the defensive lines and push on towards the album River but the first Bellow Russian front is held up with great loss of men and tanks at The Silo Heights by desperate German defense of the approaches to the city three days later zirkov's front finally overcomes the Defenders of Silo and races towards the suburbs of Berlin [Music] for the next week the people of Berlin will suffer continuous bombardment as District by District the city has taken in Savage fighting foreign [Music] rages the Western allies occupy much of western and southern Germany Patton's third Army reaches Leipzig and then turns South in support of the U.S 7th Army taking Nuremberg and Crossing into Czechoslovakia and Austria in the north the British State Bremen and then arrive at the Elba south of Hamburg the U.S first and Ninth armies reached the Elba Odessa and magdeburg but rather than advancing further occupy its Western Bank Eisenhower decides not to risk a large number of casualties in taking Berlin which has little military importance rather he lets his Air Forces continue their bombing of the city he leaves Berlin to the Russians having crossed the river Poe in Northern Italy the U.S Fifth Army takes Verona and enters Genoa while the British eighth army takes Venice there is a partisan Revolt in Milan captured Germans and their Italian collaborators are repeatedly attacked by Angry crowds [Music] Benito Mussolini his mistress Clara patachi and 12 of his cabinet tried to escape to Switzerland but are caught by partisans and summarily shot their bodies are brought back to Milan where they are hung upside down in the piazales Loreto where 15 partisans had been shot a year before their bodies are repeatedly shot and spat on laughs Berlin is now a city in torment its people take shelter as best they can as the remnants of their once great armies fight on some through fanaticism but most through fear of the Revenge atrocities that the Russians will visit upon them [Music] District by District Street by Street the Russians destroy much of the city until on the 30th of April with Russian troops fighting only a few hundred meters from his bunker Hitler commits suicide in the ruins of his 1000 year right Goebbels has the body of the fuhrer burned and later takes his own life along with those of his wife and six daughters [Music] foreign [Music] he leaves behind him a devastated city of defeated demoralized and starving people [Music] Admiral Donuts now assumes command of the remnants of the German armies and immediately tries to negotiate A Separate Peace with the Western allies and continue with their help to fight the Russians his proposal is refused and on the 3rd of May on lundenberg Heath south of Hamburg the German High command surrenders all German forces in the Northwest to Montgomery the German command agrees to the surrender although all German Armed Forces to the commander-in-chief for the first Army group this to include all naval ships in these areas these forces to lay down their arms and to surrender unconditionally Germany is now in chaos as hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the advancing Russians mixed with freed Allied pows make their way worse [Music] when we drive those Sons of Satan from their place of sin we'll be singing Hallelujah marching through Berlin everywhere German troops are now surrendering in their thousands causing accommodation problems that the Allies at first seem reluctant to address in view of German behavior in the war many of the leading Nazis now try to escape Allied Justice by fleeing abroad or hiding in the mobile German population one search is Hermann Goring one-time commander of the lufafa I'm one of the highest Nazi leaders he is arrested by the U.S 7th Army in southern Germany he will take poison hours before he is to be hanged leaving his wife and daughter to face an uncertain future finally on the 7th of May the German Chief of Staff General yodel signs Germany's unconditional surrender to the Western allies and Russia at 2 41 am [Music] operation cease at one minute after midnight on the 8th of May [Music] for almost six years the whole of Europe had been at War now finally peace returned but to a very different Europe [Music] foreign May the 9th has been agreed upon as the official day of Celebration but the news of the signing of surrendered leaks out on the evening of the seventh and many people start their celebrations then [Music] the Western allies agreed to announce the end of the European War simultaneously on May the 8th [Music] Winston Churchill addresses the United Kingdom and its Empire by radio over a million people crowd London streets many packing into Trafalgar Square to hear Churchill's announcement being broadcast on public loudspeakers [Music] at General Eisenhower's headquarters General zodel the representative of the German High commands signed yet of unconditional surrender of all German land sea and air forces in Europe Hospitality will end officially at one minute or after midnight tonight Tuesday the 8th of May but in the interests of saving lives the ceasefire began yesterday to be founded all along the front and our Channel Islands are also to be free today the German war is therefore at an end our gratitude to all our Blended allies go forth from all our hearts in this island and throughout the British Empire Advanced Britannia long live the cause of freedom God Saves The King well I mean it was something we'd always expected or higher had expected that we would win the war it never crossed my mind that we wouldn't it was a Pity it took so long but there we are and my cousin was down here and I said to him I said where's my mother gone have you seen my mother and we looked and we couldn't see her and then we looked at these people who were dancing and she was in the middle of them she was having a marvelous time dancing round the roundabout and you know enjoying herself [Music] I was undergoing of course at the School of Naval Air for Warfare in in in submarine in Cornwall when the news with the news broke somehow our other my friends and I some of my friends and I found ourselves on the padstow fire engine and we were careering around North Cornwall on The Wire Engine with all bells ringing and later on of course there was a sort of party of celebration in the in in the in the mess later he leans both houses of Parliament to attend the service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance Hanson Margaret's Church Westminster [Music] the Mal leading to Buckingham Palace is a solid mass of cheering men and women [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] King George V and Queen Elizabeth accompanied by their daughters and prime minister Winston Churchill appear several times on Buckingham Palace balcony waving to cheering and delighted crowds [Applause] [Music] across the whole Kingdom flags and Bunting appear and they begin Street parties that would use up the once carefully store ration oh everybody was joyful and they were out in the streets all so happy you know all decided where we had to do something about this it was such a wonderful day so uh we all decided now that we were going to have parties every street had an intradiga I think it was at a party and for the kids mostly but then for the party when we got together and whatever we could take they they made some pastry out or something or other and what else did we have to ride eggs that was terrible stuff we was all squabbling about what food we would have because we'd never experienced having the food a sandwich you know it was a miracle thing to just have a sandwich but that day table saw it was fantastic and it was a sunny day everybody had to change the into the best clothes we had pop taser Corona um Saxons of course from brimo uh which oh we thought that was great hi everyone I went down to this [Music] everybody you say you couldn't dance you couldn't do anything because there were too many people but everybody was shouting them singing on the home fires burning well we really couldn't believe it at the time and then there were Street parties our focused on the tongue clock quite a lot of people who are around their own a feeling of well joy and relief but unfortunately Russian Indian end immediately but I think was ordered to be at the time for that didn't and it was damn week anyway you could drink large quantities and only one thing I really would do but um no everybody seemed believed we couldn't wait then for the war in Japan to end schools are closed church bells peel and as evening Falls the street lights come on one by one for the first time in six long years [Music] foreign was announced you might as well been sitting in a cave somewhere with nobody around you the only way I can describe this I've never said that one before performance appeared as though they'd never had a war didn't know there was a war there was no Jubilation there was no special lights lit up lights went up obviously but there was no special light for the time nobody dancing around the fountains as you probably learn about and it was most disappointing as far as I was concerned one expected something to be a little bit more lively find a place of light but no it wasn't that was Mormon far it was a tiny little village and I made a tiny little village I mean it's not as it's bigger now but when I went there it was everybody knew everybody else there wasn't any sort of Festival any uh uh celebrations going on as such if you know what I mean in London yes I mean it was a fantastic I'm told and places like that then it was really a madhouse but the local Village didn't seem to do that it's not where I was anyway and uh I was in the nappy and uh sitting there I messed around the face as long as a kite one of the girls came out she wasn't about for you so I said well I said you know it's severe you know some skin I'm fed up she says oh I'll lend you some money so shut me off a crown two and seconds and I went to the one pub called the Bailey nikujabi either one partner beer I was sick as a dog for some reason went back to the bill it went to bed I was in bed by nine o'clock [Music] [Applause] as Churchill speaks so too does President Truman of the USA making his own announcement of War's end to the American people solemn but glorious hour I wish that Franklin D Roosevelt had lived to see this day General Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United Nations the flags of Freedom fly all over Europe for this Victory We join in offering our thanks to the Providence which has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity and into light much remains to be done the victory won in the West must now be one in the east the whole world must be cleansed of the evil from which half the world has been free in New York huge crowds gather spontaneously in Times Square and across the country whistles and Hooters are sounding [Applause] tied down the whistle of the train [Applause] [Music] although the news is tempered by the continuing war in the Pacific foreign [Music] addresses his notion from the Arc de Triomphe as the population and Allied soldiers celebrate the end of hostilities [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] the Dutch people who had suffered near starvation under the Nazis parade and celebrate with the help of British and Canadian soldiers you see the Dutch were so pleased to says because I had a bad time they really and I mean they stopped the war didn't they to let drop food to them no and I mean seven o'clock in the morning in the snow there was barefooted children seeing what we were going to throw in a swirl bin that's how bad it was never forget it mate we got a message the day before it was finished that when it did when it was over we were to go up to him and look after displaced persons was to administrate to them I got the job of driving a racing truck which was quite handy all day day day when they were over the moon when they were the snaps was going around you know I don't know where they found it but they always have a bottle of snaps we managed to get hold of some Cherry Brandy we had a good drink we celebrated with Sherry Brandy [Music] all over Europe Victoria's Allied soldiers are cheered by the end of hostilities some are saddened by the war's end wanting to continue their work others remembering Fallen comments [Music] [Music] we chased the Germans down through Germany through a lot of unfriendly German Country and we went into Czechoslovakia we knew it was the end of the war because we took the surrender of a German division and we knew that that was it there was no sort of hooray celebrations or you know well that set you know we're all we're done we're finished but no no it's a feeling of that's another job John done I suppose we'll have to go to the Japs now the feeling was of relief we didn't have anything to celebrate with and I don't suppose we would have if if we had I was in Glasgow and I was sound asleep and I didn't know about it until the following day I mean all the celebrations went on the night before I don't know I think in a way almost disappointed I think you got you got used to the Army you know and uh it's representative it's very emotional situation you be able to think what the hell is going to happen now but of course it was still with Japan so you wondered about that too [Music] [Applause] [Music] well it's good to be a better news of course whoever heard about it especially people would jump City Heights you see from the the happiness you see and the best news you see secrets I suppose so God's help you see has a gauge I suppose just unexpectedly you see ended in that way that was and my reason is to become soe Special Operation the executive I myself had a Target stick Hitler to get need to have you see it we dropped you see it Berlin you see uh and got because I was barely think about it and I'll try to see become under uh some camouflage you see him or some other opportunity I am being equipped with a revolver or maybe a Granada or explosive to see just finish him off that way [Music] although the Western allies have begun celebrations early Joseph Stalin and the Russian high command keep to the 9th of May agreement started announcing in Red Square the age-long struggle of the slav Nations has ended in Victory your courage has defeated the Nazis the war is over [Music] thank you [Music] the Russian people who have suffered and sacrificed immensely are ecstatic on receiving the news and in Moscow their reveling continues far into the night [Music] oh [Music] as Europe celebrates the news travels around the world reaching those still fighting the Japanese [Laughter] very long but you can't say the Navy is doing good uh what I can say is I'm very happy to be in this area in Europe and it gives me great pleasure to be here and help finish the war Pacific area so head back home this is one of the two of those things stlc provider Barn of Kansas City Missouri let's hear what she has to say about BB Dave I think there is too good to be true Allied Forces in this Eastern theater of war are relieved of worry about families at home and hopeful reinforcements and resources from the Western theater we were delighted when we heard the news of Victory in Europe VE day was wonderful news to us from every point of view of course the fact that it was Victory after the years of fighting was fantastic we also knew that it was going to help us because there would be parts of the Army and the Air Force and navy would be transferred to support us in the Far East and therefore that was good news from a selfish point of view that we would get that much more support uh we weren't in a position we were fighting so we weren't in the position to have any parties or celebrations or whatever they might have been a few extra rations of rum I don't remember but we were fighting it was just another day in terms of fighting it didn't change anything as far as a our daily routine was concerned that war was going on we were all overjoyed and we were happy to hear about that yes there there was a sort of Celebration because the war had not really ended on our side you see but there was a celebration to the because of the 90 percent of the my colleagues were from Britain the army officers and they naturally felt relief that they were their family they were safe now back in Europe people begin to come to terms with what war has done to them many see little reason to celebrate and we took bologna and then we after work we came that this German has completed and divorced it has ended but it did not for us because we knew that the Russian occupied the whole country when we who were liberating the Italian soul from the German the the allies of our allies Russia was occupied our occupying our country [Music] most people don't like War and when it finished we were we were into two minds a we were glad that hostility is finished but B we knew very well that we could not would not be able to return back to our country for us it was it wasn't really a victory it wasn't it was rather one of these saddest day that you know the war was ended and that we cannot return to to ront so that was the most it wasn't it wasn't really a Jubilation in this country they they were you know everything is okay but for us no others see the need to pass their experiences on as a lesson and a warning to Future Generations we've all heard about Switz the Concentration Camp of course there were several of quite a number of the consultation camps the best known as Auschwitz and Ravens broke and so on but there's also one just south of Hamburg at nine gamma and I visited there one day is a typical consultation camp shower bars an enormous gas Chambers [Music] to stand in this place where thousands of Jews another unwanted human beings were cast and burnt and ironically when I was there it was used as a prison or detention Camp well SS we've been rounded up by the British army so instead of housing inmates for gas in we had SS troops waiting to be punished for their little Deeds when the war ended I was just south of Hamburg and of course we were all delighted then all sorts of noise because we weren't in need any pubs that sort of thing so we had to celebrate by making noise and sending off trees of bullets letting out and Hand Grenades making all sorts of noises celebrate I was eight of May 1945 the end of the war was announced and I begged of the soldiers don't shoot your rifles don't everybody used to fire off the rifles it's a dangerous thing to think the nuts it's coming back and that's what happened whether the God forbid I don't know how many died I hope none of them died but they were all terrified and um that was agree it was a great great joy a great joy you know Friday night the Sabbath begins at Sabbath it's a very holy moment and some of the girls come and make Kiddush photos you know sanctify the Sabbath in our heart I patent he had given them candles Delight during the week and maybe a bottle of wine I don't remember but when I came in the hunt it wasn't as long as this but one part of it people were dead and others were dying and the other side was several women with a young girl on the lap of one of the women that was at the mother I didn't know what to put myself all the laws of cleanliness and Purity and sanctity just flew out of the window you know what how can I make Kiddush in anything but I made kiddos and they asked me to eat something they said it was kefilter fish have you ever heard of the expression I was terrified to eat it but I couldn't refuse and I believe that caused the diarrhea [Music] well can you imagine a relief and the same time sorrow you know because they think how many of our families or any other family some of the people were destroyed and how many thousands thousands innocent people so it was a great great relief that they eventually surrender I feel those atrocities and those experiences not only my and everybody else who were unfortunate time when I was should tell the story and and should never be forgotten the political map of Europe has changed irrevocably after the largest conflict the world has ever known a conflict that introduced industrial and global war on a huge scale that scale was not only matched by the barbarity and savagery but also the courage of many to face up to unprecedented evil the future will bring two superpowers into rivalry facing each other along a line running through conquered Germany deadline to be dubbed the Iron Curtain by Churchill although destined to eventually disappear were split Europe and the world although many millions have died all of the Allies ensure that from this catastrophe New Beginnings are to grow foreign represents a moment of Hope foreign

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Views: 61,241

Keywords: Eastern Front, Germany's defeat, Historical footage, Historical landmarks, Last shots fired, Military surrender, Nazi Germany, Surrender, Timeline, Timeline - World History Documentaries, Victory celebration, WWII events, WWII famous events, WWII heroes, WWII historical moments, WWII history, WWII liberation of Europe, WWII memorial event, WWII retrospective, WWII surrender footage, World War II documentary

Id: QoGgiWB9B8o

Length: 82min 32sec (4952 seconds)

Published: Thu May 11 2023