Germany Signs Surrender: WWII in Europe Ends
Generaloberst Alfred Jodl signed the first Instrument of Surrender in a red brick schoolhouse at Reims, yet Moscow immediately protested that the document violated their agreed terms because General Walter Bedell Smith had mistakenly filed away the correct EAC text. This diplomatic blunder forced the Allies to declare the May 7 signing merely a formality and schedule an official ceremony for May 8, ensuring the unconditional surrender of German forces carried full international legitimacy.
May 7, 1945
81 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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