May 08 2008
63 years ago it was Victory in Europe day
Hitler committed suicide on April 30th 1945. On May 7th the new government of Germany bowed to the inevitable and authoritsed the signature of the unconditional surrender document at Reims on May 7th, and in Berlin on May 8th. All war like operations between Germany and the Allied powers ceased at 23.01 on May 8th.
There was great rejoicing throughout the country, with dramatic scenes on the streets of London. The relief must have been huge after the long dark years of bombing raids, the loss of loved ones overseas,and the nagging fear of death to civilians and active service personnel alike. The evil of the concentration camps and gas chambers discovered by the Allied armies was still sinking in. Years of post war austerity lay ahead, but who cared on the news that the war was over?
At the Potsdam Conference the Allies decided on the partition of Germany, and the granting to Poland of territory from the Reich. This ushered in an era of suffering for the Germans who were living in the wrong places in Eastern Europe and had to move out.
One of the main preoccupations of the Allies was to dismantle German heavy industry, to prevent future rearmament and the construction of battle ships, tanks and fighter planes. They ordered the dismantling of steel capacity, the closure of many factories, and the transfer of weapons techonology.
This thinking lived on with French governments, and led directly to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community and the proto EU. It took a long time for Western politicians to come to see Western Germany, later Germany, as a peaceful democratic ally in an uncertain world.
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John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Thank you for your timely reminded of this awesome day.
No, it was not inevitable. It was won by a tougher generation who really put themselves on the line for us, their progeny.
If they had lost, the Far East would now be completely barbaric and very dangerous - miles and miles of Burma/Myanmar. Russia West of the Urals would now be a wasteland with huge German latifundia run by slave owning, arrogant men in uniform. Western Europe would be a terrible dictatorship run on racist lines and at permanent war with America by narrow minded bigots.
We had good reason to fear the Germans. Ever since the Frederick William (18th century) period when the King liked nothing better than smoking and reviewing his giant grenadiers, Prussia/ Germany had been utterly militaristic. Hitler, of course, presented himself as the new Frederick the Great.
It was in their history.
Today, the Germans seem to have swung far too much the other way.