Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official end of World War II in Europe in the Eastern Front, with the last known shots fired on 11 May.
Victory in Europe Day
- VE Day
- V-E Day
- National holiday (8 May):
- European Union
- Observances (8 May):
- Norway
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
International
Annual
8 May 1945
Russia and some former Soviet countries celebrate on 9 May, as Germany's unconditional surrender entered into force at 23:01 on 8 May Central European Summer Time; this corresponded with 00:01 on 9 May in Moscow Time.
Several countries observe public holidays on the day each year, also called Victory Over Fascism Day, Liberation Day, or Victory Day. In the UK it is often abbreviated to VE Day, a term which existed as early as September 1944,[1] in anticipation of victory.
: In Belgium, the commemoration of the termination of World War II since 1974 has been part of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 (Dutch: Wapenstilstandsdag), an annual national holiday. Every year on this day, a truce-ceremony is held in the presence of the king at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Congress Column in Brussels. It was first intended to commemorate the victims of the First World War and subsequently those of World War II and all other wars worldwide.
Belgium
: Since the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the Czech Republic has officially recognized 8 May as Victory Day (Den vítězství) Liberation Day (Den osvobození).[31][32] In recent years the liberation of Plzeň by American forces has been commemorated on 5 May.[33][34][35] From 1948 to 1993, the Czechoslovak Republic celebrated 9 May, which was marked with a military parade of the Czechoslovak People's Army (ČSLA) on Letná every five years.[36][37]
Czech Republic
: 9 May is Europe Day which celebrates "peace and unity in Europe", on the anniversary of the 1950 Schuman Declaration.[38]
European Union
Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania officially commemorate 8 May, but do not commemorate 9 May since it marked the Soviet occupation in 1944 for these states.[39] Despite this, the local Russian communities still informally celebrate 9 May. Russian diplomats, other representatives from the Commonwealth of Independent States, and local politicians of Russian origin usually take part.[40][41]
Media related to VE Day at Wikimedia Commons