Victory in Europe Day commemorates the moment when the Allies of World War II formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender on Tuesday, May 8, 1945, marking the official end of all German military operations.
World War II lasted from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945, and remains the deadliest conflict in modern history. It was sparked by Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war, and it ultimately ended with Japan's surrender following the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The war resulted in the deaths of an estimated 70 to 85 million people — soldiers and civilians alike — and witnessed some of the darkest chapters in human history, including the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazi regime.
"...we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..." - Winston Churchill
Valour and Victory: Stories of the Second World War
George Arthur Roberts - the first Black man to join the London Auxiliary Fire Service in 1938.
Mary Morris - a wartime nurse, who documented her experiences in diaries
Tommy Macpherson
John Harrison - who served aboard the Royal Navy’s HMS Belfast
German code used for top-level communication and intelligence.
United Kingdom 2025
The two major theaters of the war were Europe and the Pacific, where fierce battles raged across land, sea, and air. In Europe, Allied forces fought to liberate territories occupied by Nazi Germany and its allies, while in the Pacific, the United States and its allies engaged in brutal island campaigns to stop Japanese expansion. World War II reshaped the global order, leading to the founding of the United Nations and setting the stage for the Cold War that followed.
Several key events led to the defeat of Germany and Italy in Europe, including the Allied landing in Italy in 1943, which opened a southern front and weakened Axis defenses.
At the same time, the Soviet Union launched massive offensives on the Eastern Front, the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 pushed German forces back from the west, and strong partisan resistance in Yugoslavia disrupted Axis control in the Balkans.
Liberation of Europe, 80 Years
(1st row) Road To Paris: Glider at Pegasus Bridge, Sword Beach Landings, Omaha Beach, News Reaches Home, Liberation of Paris
(2nd row) Operation Market Garden: Flying Officer JE Clague, Major RH Cain VC, Private Robert Cojeen, Flood Combat at Elst, Liberation of Eindhoven
Isle of Man – 2024/04/29
The German Instrument of Surrender was the official document that confirmed the unconditional surrender of the remaining German armed forces to the Allies, bringing World War II in Europe to an end.
It was signed at 22:43 CET on May 8, 1945, and came into effect at 23:01 CET that same day.
“With the unconditional surrender, Hitler’s “Thousand-Year Reich” ceased to exist, and the responsibility for the government of the German people was assumed by the four occupying powers—the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and France.” - www.britannica.com
It’s interesting to note that because of the time difference between Moscow local time and CET, Russia and most post-Soviet republics celebrates Victory Day on May 9. In Moscow this is usually celebrated with large military parades. While they are sometimes just a military spectacle, this year, because of the war in Ukraine, it’s also the source of political tensions.
"Your name is unknown. Your deed is immortal." - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Moscow)
Although Germany officially surrendered on May 8, isolated fighting continued. The last shots on the Eastern Front were fired on May 11. The last major battle in Europe began on April 19, 1945, and lasted until May 25, 1945. It was the Battle of Odžak (in Yugoslavia, now Bosnia and Herzegovina), where Yugoslav Partisans defeated the combined forces of Nazi collaborators — the Ustaše and the Chetniks.
Valour and Victory: Stories of the Second World War
Bhanbhagta Gurung - remembered for his bravery under fire in Burma during Operation Longcloth, a feat that earned him the Victoria Cross.
Thomas Peirson Frank - a civil engineer whose rapid-response teams repaired more than 100 breaches in the Thames wall during relentless air raids.
Mahinder Singh Pujji
William Tutte - a codebreaker whose work was key to decrypting the Lorenz cipher
Lilian Bader
United Kingdom 2025
World War II officially ended on September 2, 1945, when Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender.
Today we explored some interesting stamps connected to World War II and Victory in Europe Day. If you'd like to read more about stamps related to holidays, feel free to check out the articles below.
Holidays on Stamps: Independence Day (USA)
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Holidays and Philately: Chinese New Year
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