May 8 1945 – World War II Officially Ends in Europe, Leading to Massive “V-E Day” Celebrations
After nearly six years at war, Europe was finally able to breathe a collective sigh of relief on May 8, 1945. Less than a day after the German Army submitted to an unconditional surrender at Reims, France, millions of people gathered in cities all over the world to celebrate the defeat of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. With more than 16 million soldiers and at least 23 million citizens killed in Europe alone — approximately 1 of every 10 people — World War II had taken a tremendous toll. Following the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, it seemed as if the Nazi war machine would be nearly unstoppable for almost four years. In battle after battle, Hitler’s soldiers vanquished every foe in front of them in every direction. Early in 1943, the Soviets began to roll the Germans back along the Eastern Front after the Battle of Stalingrad, benefitting from superior manpower and shorter supply lines, not to mention the foolishness of Hitler’s battle plans. When Operation Overlord hit the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, the Nazi forces confronted massive armies advancing from three directions — Allied victory in North Africa allowed them to push resources into Italy, threatening to blow Benito Mussolini’s fragile military apart.