We were Allies with Stalin but ideologically, we couldn’t have been more different. WWII makes both the US and USSR world powers. The alliance would be short lived. When Germany was defeated and The Soviet Union looked to expand territory, it was obvious their goal was to spread communism beyond their current borders. We will get more into this in our series of episodes on The Cold War.
The U.S. and Soviet Alliance from 1941-1945 was certainly a strained one. Nothing like a common enemy to bring two countries together. The history between the two countries was not one that screamed potential Ally. The US hasn't had diplomatic relations with Russia since 1917. the U.S. didn’t recognize the Soviet Union. During his first year in office, FDR changed that. After months of negotiations, the US formally recognized the Soviet Union in Nov. of 1933. He hoped that in doing so, it would help to limit Japanese expansion in Asia. In exchange the Soviet Union agreed to hold talks to discuss the debt the former regime had with the U.S. and agreed not to aid the U.S. Communist Party in any way.
When WWII began in Europe, fDR condemned the Soviet Union for its non aggression pact with Germany and its involvement in the war with Poland and Finland and its seizure of territories. Stalin’s violence against political opposition and citizens alike strained the newly budding relationship.
It became diplomatically necessary for the U.S. to begin talks with the Soviets in the hopes of improving relations after the fall of France to the Nazis. When Hitler ordered the invasion of Russia in June of 1941, the U.S. extended the Lend Lease Act to include the Soviet Union.
The countries worked together to defeat Germany. Stalin requested help along the Eastern Front to help fight off the Germans. This help was delayed. While FDR, Churchill and Stalin were Allies, there was a sense of distrust and rightfully so. FDR, Churchill and Stalin were known as The Big Three.
WWII on the homefront (Women, Black Americans, Rationing)
Victory Gardens – 20 million created during the war
The Victory Garden Program reduced the demand for commercially grown vegetables, packaging materials, and transportation needs. Americans were encouraged to grow their own produce and preserve and can harvest their surplus. There were at least 20 million victory gardens created and they supplied 40% of the nation’s produce by 1944.
By the spring of 1942, a rationing program was established that set limits on the amount of gas, food and clothing consumers could purchase. Families were issued ration stamps that were used to buy their allotment of everything from meat, sugar, fat, butter, vegetables and fruit to gas, tires, clothing. Local rationing boards were set up and manned by volunteers who were tasked with handing out the booklets but also had to explain this process to the American people. Items made with restricted items not only cost money but a certain number of ration stamps. The government issued a certain number of points to each person in the household. Having the correct coupon didn’t mean you would leave the store with that item. For those of us old enough and brave enough at the start of covid know what it is like to go into supermarkets and see bare shelves or not be able to get certain essential items. You had to get creative, you had to search for substitutes. There were different color stamps for different items. Red stamps for example allowed you to buy meat, oils and butter. Blue stamps were for frozen and canned fruit and vegetables, juices, beans, and other processed foods. If you wanted items that were harder to find due to rationing like coffee, sugar gas, rubber, clothing and shoes – those had their own stamps.
Meanwhile, individuals and communities conducted drives for the collection of scrap metal, aluminum cans and rubber, all of which were recycled and used to produce armaments. People became resourceful. As gasoline was rationed and new tires were not easy to find, many people purchased bicycles to help them get around. Certain foods became popular during the war because they were inexpensive and easy to make. Kraft Macaroni and cheese became popular. In the quest to make food last longer, especially on the battlefield – dehydrated potatoes allowed for the creation of pringles. When women couldn’t find pantyhose or stockings in the store, many would draw lines down the backs of their legs with markers so that from far away, it would look as though they were wearing stockings. People did without so those needed supplies could go to the war effort or to go to feed our soldiers fighting overseas.
Individuals purchased U.S. war bonds to help pay for the high cost of armed conflict. War bonds allowed the government to raise money for the military operations without having to raise taxes significantly. Make no mistake about it, The Federal government did raise taxes to pay for the war. About 40% of the war was funded through direct taxes on the American people. Each purchase of a war bond was cast not just as a loan to the government but as a personal commitment to the nation's cause.
The campaigns to promote these bonds were multifaceted, from propaganda posters that adorned public spaces to radio broadcasts that reached into the living rooms of families, celebrities of the day and Hollywood icons used their star power to promote the cause. The message was clear: purchasing a war bond was a direct contribution to the nation's victory. These bonds not only helped to fund the war but also helped to prevent inflations. Americans were more than willing to curtail their own personal spending and make what seemed like simple sacrifices compared to the sacrifices soldiers were making by giving their lives. According to the US Treasury Dept., more than 85 Million Americans which was about half of the US population at the time purchased war bonds and had helped to raise 185.7 Billion dollars.
American workers and their role in the war effort
Rosie the Riveter the famous wwii propaganda image of a strong woman wearing a red bandanna and blue coveralls.
The1942 song, Rosie the Riveter by Kay Kyser is a great way to introduce this topic to your class. It’s so catchy and always spurs a great discussion.
American women also held non-war-related jobs in business offices, schools, factories, farms and other enterprises. By the mid-1940s, the percentage of women in the American work force had expanded from 25 percent to 36 percent.
There were more than half-million “Black Rosies” who worked alongside their white counterparts in the war effort. At the peak of the wartime industrial production, some 2 million women worked in war-related industries. For women of color these new opportunities were especially important in that allowed the opportunity for women of color to work in jobs beyond that of domestic servants and sharecroppers. These jobs didn’t come easily and many white male business owners held out to only hire white women who they would have not hired either had all the men not been at war. Executive Order 8802 was signed by FDR to limit and hopefully put an end to widespread hiring discrimination. Regulations to prevent wage discrimination didn’t prevent black and white women from being paid less than men or from black women from being paid less than white women. These struggles became part of a much larger campaign for equality in the post WWII years known as The Double V Campaign, which I will talk more about later.
The United States Office of War Information was a government agency that operated from 1942-1945. Most Americans didn’t understand why the world was at war and the information that was coming out seemed confusing to some. The agency helped to provide Americans with information through posters, newspapers, movie reels and radio broadcasts. The agency had overseas branches which worked to spread propaganda and even went as far as revising film scripts which could portray the US in a negative light. You have to understand that the creation of this agency did raise some eyebrows, especially with the press. Can we trust having just one provider of information? That same question rings true today.
Women in WWII
350,000 women served their country during WWII.
Today, over 3 million women have served in or with the US Military since The American Revolution. A 2021 Defense Department study showed that over 17% of the active duty force of the military is made up of women. From the outset of our direct involvement in WWII, the country faced a two front war. American women were tapped to fulfill the needed military and workforce labor shortages. Public law 554 created the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. The law was introduced by Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts. The hope was that by allowing women to serve, it would free men for combat. Originally, the bill outlined that women would have the same military status and benefits as men. The law wasn’t popular until after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was only passed once the provision was made that women not be given military status. 350,000 women served in the armed forces during WWII. They were not permitted to serve in combat positions. Over the course of the war, 432 women were killed and 88 had been taken prisoner. Women served as Nurses during the Revolution. In 1901, Branches like the Army Nurse Corps and The Navy Nurse Corps were established. Women who served in this capacity paved the way for women to have the opportunity to serve in other branches and in other capacities in the US Military.
At its outset The Women’s Army Corps didn’t receive equal pay or benefits to men. In 1943, it became an official part of the US Army and allowed its members to serve overseas and to receive benefits if they were killed or injured. For women who served in the military, they had a number of obstacles. A number of obstacles still exist for women in the military. In order to recruit women for these positions, the public had to be persuaded that “a woman could join the army but still be a lady”. The national archives have incredible war department propaganda videos urging women to join. You hear terms like “Petticoat soldiers”. Women were shown as x-ray technicians, meat inspectors, teachers, repairing vehicles and planes. They took an oath to live up to the legends of their fighting men. The housewife and the girl next door were encouraged to enlist. Black women served in separate units.
The US Navy established WAVES – Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. Waves were classified as reservists. They were not permitted to serve overseas until 1945 which even then was limited to Hawaii and Alaska which were not yet states. Women were also not permitted to serve on Navy vessels. Black women were not permitted to join until 1944.
Our War Too: Women in Service salutes the hundreds of thousands of women who served in the women’s component branches of the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps, and with the civilian Women Air force Service Pilots (WASPs), as well as the additional 73,000 women who served in the Army and the Navy Nurse Corps. Women were expected to serve temporarily, on an emergency basis, and did not have a full sense of belonging within the military despite answering the call of duty to their country.
A Branch of the US Marines was created for women. There was a call to create a feminine nickname for those enlisted in the Marines – one example was Glamarines. I hope you are all doing the same eye roll I am with that one. Thankfully, Commander in charge declined and said if they join the Marines, they are a Marine. Like the WAVES women who joined the Marines were classified as Reservists and were often referred to as WRs. Black women were not allowed to enlist. The first woman of color was able to enlist in 1949.
Black Americans and WWII
Over 1 Million black Americans served in WWII. Civil rights leaders pressured the US government to allow black Americans to serve in integrated units, but the military remained segregated. Black soldiers were fighting a two front war. They were fighting for Democracy abroad but they were fighting to be treated as first class citizens at home. You may have heard about The Double V Campaign. Victory at home and Victory Abroad. This was a campaign started by an African American Publication called The Pittsburgh Currier. The movement caught national attention. It highlighted the irony of Black soldiers going to war to fight for Decocracy and against tyranny abroad and yet at home in America, they were segregated from white americans, faced harsh discrimination, prevented from voting or registering to vote and were lynched. The prevailing prejudice of the era dictated that many Black servicemen were assigned support roles, limiting their opportunities to engage directly in combat operations. This segregation was not confined to the battlefield; it extended into every facet of military life, including training camps and even prisoner-of-war circumstances, reflecting the deeply entrenched racial divisions within American society at the time. Many military bases located in Southern states that had strict Jim Crow laws required there to be separate blood banks, hospitals, barracks and recreational facilities. Many Black troops weren’t allowed to serve in combat units and were appointed to serve as cooks, mechanics or served in units that were assigned labor jobs like digging ditches, building roads or loading and unloading military vehicles.
The 761st Tank Battalion was the first Black division to see ground combat in WWII when they joined Patton’s Third Army in France in 1944. They were known as The Black Panthers. A famous name most will recognize from the 762st Battalion is Jackie Robinson, the famous baseball player who helped to desegregate baseball. Robinson was moved to another battalion after refusing to move to the back of the bus. He was court marshaled for his actions but was later cleared of the charges against him.
The 761st were trained to handle equipment for 2 years, a much longer time than white soldiers were trained. The Black Panthers as they were known fought in Northern France and in the Battle of The Bulge and served under Patton. Patton himself was quoted as saying that he didn’t feel Black soldiers were as capable as White soldiers. A belief he continued on with after the war.
During the war, the unit received a Presidential Unit Citation and a large number of individual members of the 761st also received medals, including one Medal of Honor, eleven Silver Stars and 300 Purple Hearts.
Another group that I was to discuss are the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American US Military pilots. Black Americans had tried to serve as Military pilots before, but were turned away. It wasn’t until 1939 after considerable amounts of pressure and advocacy by groups like the NAACP that the US government set aside funds to train black Americans as pilots. According to the US Census Bureau, in 1940, there were only 124 African American pilots in the United States. The men were trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The men were required to all have College degrees and held to the same physical fitness standards as other members of the Army. Over 16,000 Black Americans trained at Tuskeegee. Of that number, 352 were deployed and saw combat. Within that number of 16,000 you also have black women who were being trained and worked as mechanics, test pilots and parachute technicians. Many of the Tuskegee Airmen had double the amount of combat missions than their white counterparts. Many of the men were awarded medals for their bravery and the Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold medal in 2007.
Black men and women fought to be able to have the opportunity to serve in the military to fight in combat and did so for a Government whose laws held them as second class citizens. They couldn’t order a meal at a lunch counter, had to sit at the back of the bus or on a different train car, had to attend different schools, many soldiers on leave were denied service at hotels that were for whites only, some men were even lynched while wearing their military uniforms. When we talk about the concept of the double v campaign – Black soldiers were fighting for democracy abroad but also fighting for it at home in The United States.
WWII weaponry
Technology had improved since the end of WWI. We have fighter jets, sonar technology to combat u boats, cavity magnetrons which is considered one of the most important advancements made during WWII. It helped to improve radar capabilities. This technology which allowed for microwaves became increasingly popular and is still used today. As the adage goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." The war years saw technological advancements on a scale never before witnessed, propelling the world into a new age, the nuclear age. We are going to have a separate episode on the atomic bomb. Today, we are going to focus on other advancements.
The field of aviation saw a number of advancements. This era gave birth to breakthroughs such as jet propulsion, radar systems, long-range bombing platforms, and the naval integration of aircraft carriers.
The B-29 Superfortress, with its pressurized cabin and remote-controlled gun turrets, represented the cutting-edge in long-range bomber technology. Tanks, as an integral part of this evolution, underwent massive redesigns, pushing the boundaries of speed, armor, and firepower. Key players in this shift included the German Panzer, American Sherman, and Soviet T-34 tanks. Each of these models, unique in their design philosophies, provided potent illustrations of the rapid advancements in armored warfare. Submarine technology underwent critical refinements to enhance their operational performance underwater. A significant aspect of these improvements was the focus on increasing the submarines' submerged endurance. Prior to WWII, submarines were primarily surface vessels that could submerge for short periods. However, the advent of more efficient battery systems and air purification technology during the war allowed submarines to remain underwater for extended periods, making them even more elusive to enemy forces. The tools used to detect and track them also evolved significantly. Sonar technology, a relatively new invention during WWII, was quickly adopted and improved upon. This technology was critical in locating enemy submarines underwater. The torpedoes carried by these submarines were also refined. Improvements in guidance systems, propulsion, and explosive power resulted in more effective and lethal weapons, making submarines a formidable threat to surface vessels.
Code-breaking stands as a sterling example of the pivotal role intelligence played in WWII. The relentless efforts of code-breakers, most notably those stationed at Bletchley Park in the United Kingdom, were instrumental in deciphering the complex Enigma codes used by Germany. Through the application of intricate algorithms and the creation of early computers, the team at Bletchley Park managed to crack these elusive codes, providing the Allies with invaluable insights into German strategies. In the United States, 10,000 American Women worked as code breakers. The women took a vow of secrecy. The old saying loose lips sink ships. These women told their families they were going to be doing secretarial work. The intelligence field was just getting started. Agencies like the CIA have yet to be created. These women somehow made sense of what at first glance would appear to be a sequence of nonsensical letters. This was a high stress job. You make a mistake and people die.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also discuss the Navajo Code Talkers. During WWII, the complexities of the Navajo language made it an ideal choice. It is not a written language and very few people that are not Navajo Indian are able to speak it. In 1942, 29 Navajos were enlisted to create a Navajo code. Over 400 would eventually take part in the program. Every major Pacific Theater operation the Marines were involved in, utilized Navajo code. The operation wasn’t declassified until 1968. The original 29 code talkers were awarded the Presidential medal of Freedom in 2000 by President Bill Clinton.
the introduction of advanced reconnaissance techniques provided critical visual data from the battlefield. The advent of aerial photography via specialized reconnaissance aircraft offered military strategists a bird's eye view of enemy positions, fortifications, and movements.
GI Bill 1944
FDR planned for the return of soldiers and wanted to ensure better conditions and opportunities for our servicemen than had been done after WWI and earlier wars. If you remember we discussed things like the Bonus Army and how WWI had to march on Washington to demand better help. Much of their demands were not met. This time around, there was bipartisan support for the Bill that had been promoted by The American Legion. The American Legion has consistently lobbied Congress for better benefits for veterans. The bill provided a number of financial rewards - low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans, one year of unemployment compensation, and money for tuition for higher education. This was for any WWII Vet who served at least 90 days and who hadn’t been dishonorably discharged. Many Black Veterans found it difficult to obtain those low cost mortgages, loans or money for higher education. The GI Bill allowed for returning Vets to purchase homes, start a business or attend college or a vocational school. For many throughout the US, college was not a realistic option. Many had a high school education or quit high school in order to get a job and to help with paying the bills. My Grandfathers fought in WWII. My paternal grandfather quit high school during his 3rd year. He said he was tired of not having money in his pocket. He was older when he enlisted to fight in WWII and when the war was over, he married my Grandmother and they started a family.
Now that you have a glimpse of what life was like in the US during the war years, let's get back to the battle front. When the war was coming to an end, It was FDR’s hope that if they could satisfy the basic concerns of the Soviets, have them involved in the newly created United Nations- that the Soviets could be an international team player - this didn’t happen for a variety of reasons.
The Allies had to decide how they were going to defeat Hitler and chip away at Germany’s empire it had built.
A glance at a world map underscores the stark geographic contrast between the European and Pacific theaters of WWII. Europe's theater was largely a land-centric conflict, sprawled over diverse terrains and landscapes. Transportation and logistics were comparatively easier to manage given the shorter distances between the nations and battlefronts. It was a war fought in the backyard of many European nations, where every inch of the land bore witness to the fierce face-off between the Allies and the Axis powers. The European Theater was massive. It was divided into key territories: The Western Front which consisted of Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The Mediterranean theater & Northern Africa. (This included French Africa, Spain, Portugal & Italy.
In June of 1942, Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower was selected to lead US forces in Europe. Eisenhower, while he had no combat experience, his knowledge of military strategy and his organizational skills made him a natural fit for the task. Eisenhower, along with others, helped to plan the European war strategy and convinced the Army Chief of Staff to create a position that would oversee ALL operations in Europe. Eisenhower was surprised when he was the one selected for that very position. That position was Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Force. Other well known Generals in the European theater include George Marshall, Omar Bradley and George Patton.
A series of planning conferences took place in 1943 among Allied leaders. In May of 1943, FDR & Churchill agreed to hold off the Normandy landings until the Spring of 1944 so that they could build up supplies and troops for such an expansive invasion. The next important meeting was in Cairo, Egypt in Nov. of 1943. The meeting was codenamed Sextant and it set the stage for a postwar Asia after the defeat of Japan. Japan would lose all islands in the Pacific they occupied since WWI. Chinese territories would be given back to China and Korea would gain its independence. The second major conference was in Tehran and it was the first time FDR, Churchill and Stalin all met together. The three powers decided on a Germany first policy. In Dec. of 1943, Churchill and FDR met in Cairo again. This time discussing the possibility of Turkey joining the war. Turkey’s neutrality meant that Hitler was stopped from accessing Middle Eastern oil supplies. Turkey didn’t join WWII until Feb of 1945. They did so to meet the deadline for countries to join the United Nations by declaring war on Germany by Mar. 1, 1945
On the European front, some major battles were the Battle of Britain proved to be a significant aerial combat that altered the course of the war. The Royal Air Force defied all odds to successfully ward off the Luftwaffe's relentless air raids, a heroic victory that kindled hope amidst the widespread gloom of war.
Equally consequential was the brutal Battle of Stalingrad. Regarded as one of the deadliest battles in history, it signaled a significant shift in the war dynamics, placing the Axis powers on the back foot. Stalingrad's shattered ruins bore witness to the collapse of the German war machine, marking the beginning of the end for the Axis in Eastern Europe.
The D-Day invasion remains etched in global memory as a monumental milestone in the European theater. We did an entire episode on D-Day. I hope you listened to it.
In Feb of 1945, the Big 3 (FDR, Churchill & Stalin met at Yalta, a resort city on the coast of the Black Sea. Stalin agreed to join the fight in the Pacific after the defeat of Hitler. The fate of post war Germany was also decided at Yalta. After the defeat of Hitler and the Nazis, Germany would be divided into 4 zones. The zones would be controlled by the US, British, French and Soviet Forces. The city of Berlin was also to be divided. Germany was to be demilitarized, assume some responsibility for the war and pay reparations. Stalin took a hardline when it came to Eastern European territories like Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. While Stalin promised political freedom and elections in these territories he had no intention of keeping those promises. Stalin agreed to join The United Nations only after it was agreed that the 5 founding members would hold veto power. The Big 3 agreed to meet again after the defeat of Germany.
The Italian Campaign began in 1943. Allied forces invaded Sicily and looked to work their way up the Italian peninsula. The goal was to remove Italy from the war and to secure dominance of the Mediterranean. The Italian army’s invasion of Northern Africa and the heavy losses the Italian army faced there and in Stalingrad made the war and Mussolini unpopular. On July 24, 1943, Mussolini was voted out of power, arrested and sent to the island of La Maddelena. German forces rescued Mussolini and brought him to Northern Italy which was under German control and installed as a puppet leader. On April 25, 1945, Mussolini fled Milan in the hopes of reaching the Swiss border. He was captured 2 days later. It is believed Mussolini was killed by a firing squad. His body was taken back to Milan where angry crowds pelted, spat on and beat his corpse. His body was hanged upside down in the square along with the bodies of other fascists and his mistress.
Defeat of Germany
In March of 1945, the Allied forces crossed the Rhine River and began their march towards the heart of the Third Reich. An American soldier was quoted as saying when they marched through France, they were liberators, but when they marched through Germany, they were conquerors. As city after city was liberated, US troops found that high ranking Nazi officials, SS officers and their families had committed suicide instead of surrendering or being captured by Allied forces. As the US, Great Britain and France attacked Germany from the West, Stalin and the Soviet Union closed in on the East. Each quickly closed in on the city of Berlin. For the majority of the war, capturing Berlin was the prize. By the early months of 1945, the Soviet Army was only 40 miles out of Berlin. The US & British forces had been stalled by The Battle of the Bulge. General Eisenhower made the decision not to push his advance into Berlin and to allow Stalin’s army to take the city. This was not a decision the British were happy about. Eisenhower argued the potential loss of 100,000 American soldiers for territory that under the agreement drawn up at the Yalta conference would go to the Soviet Union anyway. Eisenhower had no way of knowing that Stalin wouldn’t exit these territories and that the Cold War would emerge and last for decades. Soviet forces didn’t just capture Berlin, but they were also able to get their hands on all of the scientific advances the Germans had made in their quest to build an atomic bomb of their own. Germany had stockpiled Uranium and other nuclear raw materials in the hopes of being successful in that quest. After the war ended both the US and the Soviet Union recruited German scientists and engineers and resettled them in their respective countries. The advance into Berlin wasn’t an easy one. It took 9 days for the Soviets to get into the city of Berlin because of the heavy German defenses around the city. The Soviet army attacked the city from the North, South & East.
In Germany, the defeat of Nazi forces in Hungary to the Soviet Army led Hitler to make a decree to have all of Germany’s infrastructure destroyed so that conquering armies would be able to use any of it. A high ranking Nazi official intervened and stopped this from happening. As the situation worsened, Hitler entered a bunker on January 16, 1945 where he remained for 105 days until his suicide on April 30, 1945. The bunker was located 55 feet beneath the Chancellery. The news of the death of Mussolini and how is body was mutilated by the public, spurred Hitler to commit suicide and have his body burned. On April 30th, Hitler shot himself and his wife (whom he had married only the day before Eva Braun took a Cyanide tablet to kill themselves. Hitler was fearful the cyanide pill he was given wouldn’t work. He gave it to his dog which did in fact work and killed his dog. Later, dental remains were used to positively identify his remains. The German state announced his death in a radio broadcast the next day. With somber drumrolls it was announced: It is reported from the Fuehrer’s headquarters that Adolf Hitler fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism, fell for Germany this afternoon at his operational headquarters in the Reich Chancellery. It was announced by his handpicked successor, Grand Admiral Doenitz. Hitler had it written in his will. When the war ended, he was tried for war crimes at Nuremberg and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The death announcement was a lie – he hadn’t died in battle, he committed suicide. The truth would come out after Germany’s surrender. As news of Hitler’s death was announced throughout the world, people cheered. Global headlines read “Hitler Dead” in bold print. At a press conference, President Harry Truman declared Hitler was in fact dead, but that he didn’t have the details of how he died. On May 5, 1945, the Soviets found 2 charred remains near the bunker. Reports indicate that what was left of the bodies were thrown into a river to prevent Hitler’s burial site from becoming a shrine. The Soviets kept a portion of his skull which showed a bullet hole and a fragment of his jaw which dental records linked to that of Hitler. It wouldn’t be until the year 2000 when Hitler’s jaw and a skull fragment were put on display in Moscow.
On May 7, 1945 General Alfred Jodl of the Wehrmacht signed the terms of unconditional surrender. Jodl would be charged with a variety of war crimes at Nuremberg was executed. The document was signed in Reims, France and went into effect the next day. May 8, 1945 is celebrated at VE Day – this stands for Victory in Europe. VE Day is still commemorated today. The celebrations were joyous. Years and years of war were now over. In London, crowds celebrated in Trafalgar Square and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth went out onto the Balcony of Buckingham Palace with Winston Churchill along with their two daughters, the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret to wave to the more than a million people celebrating in front of the palace.
In Paris, people gathered along the Champs Elysee and at the Arc De Triumphe. Celebrations continued for 2 days.
In the US, flags were still at half mast to mourn FDR. The man who led the country through almost its entirety didn’t live to see its end. President Truman dedicated the victory over Germany to FDR. Celebrations in New York’s time square went into the wee hours of the morning. People waved newspapers, danced in the streets, climbed on top of cars and lamp posts. War in Europe was over, but the war in the Pacific raged on.
