ON THIS DAY
1 May 1945: Germany announces Hitler is dead. Adolf Hitler has been killed at the Reich Chancery in Berlin, according to Hamburg radio. At 2230 local time a newsreader announced that reports from the Fuhrer’s headquarters said Hitler had “fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany”. It said he had appointed Grand Admiral Doenitz as his successor. There followed an announcement by Admiral Doenitz in which he called on the German people to mourn their Fuhrer who, he said, died the death of a hero in the capital of the Reich. Reports from Washington say US officials are suspicious of the announcement and are certainly not celebrating as yet. They fear the timing of Doenitz’s appointment may mean that Hitler is not dead but trying to escape or go underground. In London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill would not make a statement to the Commons about the war situation in Europe except to say it was “definitely more satisfactory than it was this time five years ago”. Admiral Doenitz, famous for his U-boat victories in the first three years of the war, vowed to continue the battle against the Soviets and their western Allies. “The British and the Americans do not fight for the interests of their own people but for the spreading of Bolshevism,” he said. As new head of state and supreme commander of the Wehrmacht – the German armed forces – he demanded discipline and obedience and urged German soldiers, “Do your duty. The life of our people is at stake.” There is now speculation in the British press as to whether the weakened German forces will follow Doenitz or Heinrich Himmler, head of the home army, the Volkssturm, the SS and the Gestapo. He has made peace overtures to the Allies in recent days in meetings with Count Folke Bernadotte, a nephew of the King of Sweden, but so far these have come to nothing. (Source: BBC)
7 May 1945: Germany signs unconditional surrender. Germany has signed an unconditional surrender bringing to an end six years of war in Europe, according to reports from France. This evening the Ministry of Information has confirmed that an official statement declaring the end of the war, will be made simultaneously in London, Washington and Moscow tomorrow. The day has been declared a national holiday to mark Victory in Europe Day (VE Day). The following day (9 May) will also be a national holiday. The BBC’s Thomas Cadett watched the official signing at a schoolhouse in Reims, northeastern France, which serves as the advance headquarters of the supreme commander in Europe, General Dwight D Eisenhower. He said the signing, which took place in the early hours of this morning, was carried out “on a cold and businesslike basis.” Afterwards, he said General Gustav Jodl, of Germany, spoke briefly, saying the Germans had given themselves up “for better or worse into the victors’ hands”. The document was signed by General Bedell Smith for the Allied commander, General Ivan Susloparov for Russia and General Francois Sevez for France. It seems General Eisenhower tried to delay the release of the details of the surrender because of the difficulty of arranging a simultaneous declaration in London, Washington and Moscow. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the Soviet leader Marshal Joseph Stalin and United States President Harry S Truman have now agreed to make the official announcement of the end of the war at 1500 BST tomorrow. Mr Churchill will broadcast his announcement from the Cabinet room at 10 Downing Street. It was from this same room that previous Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced Britain was at war with Germany on 3 September 1939. Until today the German surrender has been piecemeal. The German 1st and 19th Armies have capitulated in the south. The 25th Army has surrendered in the western Netherlands and Denmark has been celebrating its first day of freedom from occupation. Earlier today, German forces in Norway also surrend