1. We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces currently under German command, to the Supreme High Command of the Red Army and at the same time Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
2. The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces and all forces under German command to cease hostilities at 23-01 hours Central European Time on May 8, 1945, to remain in their places , where they are at this time and completely disarm, handing over all their weapons and military equipment to local Allied commanders or officers assigned to representatives of the Allied High Command, not to destroy or cause any damage to ships, ships and aircraft, their engines, hulls and equipment, as well as machines, weapons, apparatus and all military-technical means of warfare in general.
3. The German High Command will immediately allocate the appropriate commanders and ensure that all further orders issued by the Supreme Command of the Red Army and the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces are carried out.
4. This act shall not constitute an obstacle to its replacement by another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations, applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.
5. In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this instrument of surrender, the High Command of the Red Army, as well as the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, will take such punitive measures as or other actions they deem necessary.
6. This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only Russian and English texts are authentic.
On behalf of the German High Command: Keitel, Friedenburg, Stumpf
In the presence of:
By authority
Supreme High Command of the Red Army
Marshal of the Soviet Union
G. ZHUKOVA
By authority
Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces
Air Chief Marshal
The following were also present at the signing as witnesses:
US Strategic Air Forces Commander General
Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, General
DELATRE de TASSIGNY
Foreign policy of the Soviet Union during the Patriotic War. T. III. M., 1947.
STALIN'S ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE, May 9, 1945
Comrades! Compatriots and compatriots!
The great day of victory over Germany has arrived. Nazi Germany, brought to its knees by the Red Army and the troops of our allies, admitted itself defeated and declared unconditional surrender.
On May 7, a preliminary protocol of surrender was signed in the city of Reims. On May 8, representatives of the German High Command, in the presence of representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces and the Supreme Command of the Soviet Forces, signed the final act of surrender in Berlin, the execution of which began at 24 hours of May 8.
Knowing the wolfish behavior of the German bosses, who consider treaties and agreements to be empty pieces of paper, we have no right to take their word for it. However, this morning, German troops, in pursuance of the act of surrender, began to lay down their arms en masse and surrender to our troops. This is no longer an empty piece of paper. This is the actual surrender of the German armed forces. True, one group of German troops in the Czechoslovakia region is still evading surrender. But I hope that the Red Army will be able to bring her to her senses.
Now we can rightfully declare that the historical day of the final defeat of Germany has arrived, the day of the great victory of our people over German imperialism.
The great sacrifices we made in the name of freedom and independence of our Motherland, the innumerable hardships and suffering experienced by our people during the war, the intense work in the rear and at the front, given to the altar of the Fatherland, were not in vain and were crowned with complete victory over the enemy. The centuries-old struggle of the Slavic peoples for their existence and their independence ended in victory over the German invaders and German tyranny.
From now on, the great banner of freedom of the peoples of the world and between peoples will develop over Europe.
Three years ago, Hitler publicly declared that his tasks included the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the separation from it of the Caucasus, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and other regions. He bluntly stated: “We will destroy Russia so that it can never rise again.” This was three years ago. But Hitler’s extravagant ideas were not destined to come true - the course of the war scattered them into dust. In fact, what happened was exactly the opposite of what the Nazis were raving about. Germany is completely defeated. German troops capitulate. The Soviet Union is celebrating victory, although it has no intention of either dismembering or destroying Germany.
Comrades! The Great Patriotic War ended with our complete victory. The period of war in Europe is over. A period of peaceful development began.
Happy victory to you, my dear compatriots and compatriots!
Glory to our heroic Red Army, which defended the independence of our Motherland and won victory over the enemy!
Glory to our great people, the victorious people!
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battle with the enemy and gave their lives for the freedom and happiness of our people!
I. About the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. M., 1947.
Moscow speaks!
ACT OF MILITARY SURRENDER
Signing of the act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces.
1. We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces currently under German command, to the Supreme Command of the Red Army and at the same time Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
2. The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces and all forces under German command to cease hostilities at 23-01 hours Central European Time on May 8, 1945, to remain in their places where they are at this time and completely disarm, handing over all their weapons and military equipment to local allied commanders or officers assigned by representatives of the allied High Command, not to destroy or cause any damage to ships, ships and aircraft, their engines, hulls and equipment, as well as machines, weapons, apparatus and all military-technical means of warfare in general.
3. The German High Command will immediately assign the appropriate commanders and ensure that all further orders issued by the Supreme Command of the Red Army and the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces are carried out.
4. This act shall not be an obstacle to its replacement by another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations, applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.
5. In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this instrument of surrender, the High Command of the Red Army, as well as the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, will take such punitive measures as or other actions they deem necessary.
6. This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only Russian and English texts are authentic.
On behalf of the German High Command:
KEITEL, FRIEDEBURG, STUMPF.
in the presence of:
under the authority of the Supreme High Command of the Red Army
Marshal of the Soviet Union G. ZHUKOVA.
by authority of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces
Air Chief Marshal TEDDERA.
The following were also present at the signing as witnesses:
Commander of US Strategic Air Forces
general SPAATS.
Commander-in-Chief of the French Army
general DELATRE de TASSIGNY.
We handed over the Act of Military Surrender to Germany!
End of audio fragment.
NOTES.
1. The text of the act is given according to the newspaper “Izvestia” dated May 9, 1945, page 1.
2. The text is authentic to the audio recording.
On May 8, 1945, the final Act of Germany's unconditional surrender was signed, and May 9 was declared Victory Day.
In 1945, on May 8, in Karlshorst (a suburb of Berlin) at 22.43 Central European time, the final Act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and its armed forces was signed. It is not by chance that this act is called final, since it was indeed not the first.
From the moment the Soviet troops closed the ring around Berlin, the German military leadership faced the historical question of preserving Germany as such. For obvious reasons, the German generals wanted to capitulate to the Anglo-American troops, continuing the war with the USSR.
To sign the surrender to the allies, the German command sent a special group, and on the night of May 7 in the city of Reims (France) a preliminary act of surrender of Germany was signed. This document stipulated the possibility of continuing the war against the Soviet army.
Here is the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany (May 7, Jodl)
Text
Only this text in English is authoritative.
Act of military surrender
We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, hereby agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces at present under German command, to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and at the same time Soviet High Command.
The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces and all forces under German command to cease hostilities at 23-01 hours Central European Time on May 8th 1945 and to remain in their places where they are located at this time. No ship, vessel or aircraft shall be destroyed and no damage shall be caused to its hull, engines or equipment.
The German High Command will immediately assign the appropriate commanders and ensure that all further orders issued by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and the Soviet High Command are carried out.
This act of military surrender shall not constitute an obstacle to its replacement by another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations, applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.
In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this Instrument of Surrender, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, as well as the Soviet High Command, will take such punitive measures or other actions which they deem necessary.
On behalf of the German High Command: Jodl
In the presence of:
By authority
Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces
V.B. SMITH
By authority
Soviet High Command
SUSLOPAIRS
F. SEVEZ,
Major General of the French Army (Witness)
Wiki
Personally, I don’t see where there is any talk about continuing the war against the Soviet army. Perhaps this was implied.
However, the unconditional condition of the Soviet Union remained the demand for the unconditional surrender of Germany as a fundamental condition for the complete cessation of hostilities. The Soviet leadership considered the signing of the act in Reims to be only an interim document, and was also convinced that the act of surrender of Germany should be signed in the capital of the aggressor country.
At the insistence of the Soviet leadership, the generals and Stalin personally, representatives of the Allies met again in Berlin, and on May 8, 1945 they signed another act of surrender of Germany together with the main winner - the USSR. That is why the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany is called final.
The ceremony of solemn signing of the act was organized in the building of the Berlin Military Engineering School and was chaired by Marshal Zhukov. The final Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany and its armed forces bears the signatures of Field Marshal W. Keitel, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy Admiral Von Friedeburg, and Colonel General of Aviation G. Stumpf. On the Allied side, the Act was signed by G.K. Zhukov and British Marshal A. Tedder.
The act of military surrender of Germany. "Pravda", May 9, 1945 
After the signing of the Act, the German government was dissolved, and the defeated German troops completely laid down their arms. Between May 9 and May 17, Soviet troops captured about 1.5 million German soldiers and officers, as well as 101 generals. The Great Patriotic War ended with the complete victory of the Soviet army and its people.
In the USSR, the signing of the final Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany was announced when it was already May 9, 1945 in Moscow. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in commemoration of the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders, May 9 was declared Victory Day.
http://obs.in.ua/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1529:ukr-world&catid=36:history&Itemid=59
Good explanation about multiple capitulations.
Three days of Victory over Germany
There are several dates left in the history of Europe for the surrender of Germany. MTRK Mir looked into the reasons for the discrepancies.
On May 9, the CIS will celebrate Victory Day. This date remains “exclusive” to the post-Soviet space - in European history, the seventh and eighth of May is considered the day of Germany’s surrender. Time zones, wartime rush and big politics are the three factors that gave rise to this historical confusion.
Beginning in late April, large parts of the German armed forces gradually capitulated to the Allies. On April 29, Army Group C (stationed in Italy) surrendered. On May 2, the garrison of the German capital laid down its arms. This was all part of the plan of the German military leadership led by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz - since it is impossible to capitulate only to the Anglo-American troops, then large military formations should lay down their arms on an “individual” basis. Therefore, on May 4, the German Navy capitulated to Field Marshal Montgomery's Army Group, and the next day German Army Group G surrendered to the American General Devers.
The Germans least of all wanted to capitulate to the Red Army - even in April-May 1945, there were opponents of this idea in the ranks of the German command. On May 5, the commander-in-chief of the Third Reich Navy, Friedeburg, attempted to meet with the command of the American troops and Dwight Eisenhower. However, the latter refused to discuss anything unless the surrender was general and did not affect the Eastern Front. The German command, in turn, did not agree with this condition. As a result, Eisenhower began to put pressure on the commanders-in-chief of the Reich - he regarded what was happening as an attempt to stall for time and threatened to close the roads to the west for German refugees.
As a result, Grand Admiral Dönitz agrees to surrender. It is signed in Reims on May 7, and should come into force on May 8. On the Soviet side, the document was signed by General Susloparov and Colonel Zenkovich, on the French side by General Sevez, and on the German side by General Jodl. After the signing, Susloparov received a telegram from Stalin, in which it was forbidden to sign the document. Moscow was dissatisfied with the capitulation, in which the allies played a leading role, and insisted on a new signing procedure, this time in Berlin.
The Kremlin asks the allies not to publicize the fact of Germany's surrender. However, the information was leaked to the Associated Press and German radio. In the USSR, no news about the surrender on May 7 appeared at all.
A day later, on the night of May 8th, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, the second surrender of German troops was signed - the same one that Georgy Zhukov endorsed from the Soviet side. Its text differed little from the previous document. According to Central European time, the clock was 22:43, and in Moscow it was already morning on May 9th (0:43). This is the reason for the next “split” date. By the way, the citizens of the USSR learned that Germany had capitulated only 22 hours later - at ten o’clock in the evening of the same day.
Later, Moscow agreed with the allies that the surrender in Reims was preliminary. In Soviet historiography, it is practically not mentioned, while in Western European countries the events of May 7 are considered the actual signing of capitulation, and the events in Karlhorst are considered only the ratification of the document.
Those who celebrate Victory Day on May 7th in Western Europe celebrate the surrender in Reims. Those who are closer to May 8 are celebrating the signing of the document from Karlhorst in the Central European time zone. And the ninth of May is still the same capitulation in Karlhorst, but only taking into account Moscow time at the time of signing.
And there is no escape from this polyphony of dates. If only because historical events are like trees: every year they take root deeper and deeper and any attempt to replant them is doomed to failure. In the end, disputes about which day to celebrate the victory over fascism are secondary against the background of the fact that this Victory did take place!
“We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces currently under German command, to the Supreme High Command of the Red Army and at the same time to the Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces and all forces under German command to cease hostilities at 23-01 hours Central European Time on May 8, 1945, to remain in their places where they are at this time and completely disarm, handing over all their weapons and military equipment to local Allied commanders or officers assigned to representatives of the Allied High Command, not to destroy or cause any damage to ships, ships and aircraft, their engines, hulls and equipment, and machines, weapons, apparatus and all military-technical means of warfare in general.
The German High Command will immediately allocate the appropriate commanders and ensure that all further orders issued by the Supreme Command of the Red Army and the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces are carried out.
This act shall not constitute an obstacle to its replacement by another general instrument of surrender concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations, applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.
In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this instrument of surrender, the High Command of the Red Army, as well as the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, will take such punitive measures, or other actions they deem necessary.
This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only Russian and English texts are authentic.
Signed on May 8, 1945 in the city. Berlin.
On behalf of the German High Command: Keitel, Friedenburg, Stumpf"
(from the act of surrender of Nazi Germany)
Clanking tracks, growling engines and leaving behind bluish exhausts, a column of “thirty-fours”, with troops on armor, moved along the cobblestone highway towards the Czech city of Brno, which was to be taken outright.
On the first one, clinging to the brackets with his hands and clanking his teeth on the potholes, sat Dim with a squad of scouts.
“These creepers will kill us even before the battle,” Petka Morozov muttered, nearly falling down for another one.
“Yeah, they’ll kill him,” Volodka Gandzha supported him. - One word, suicide bombers.
At the end of the first ten days of April, the brigade was removed from the boats of the Danube Flotilla and transferred to tanks.
The command was forced to take this extraordinary step by extreme need.
The high tempo achieved by the advancing Red Army had to be maintained by maneuver and fire from large tank formations with landing forces.
But the Sixth Guards Tank Army, Colonel General Kravchenko, did not have this very landing.
Here they once again resorted to the help of the eternal “lifesaver” - the 83rd Marine Brigade.
The soldiers received this news without much enthusiasm.
Their allergy to ground armored vehicles stemmed from personal experience with SAU-76 self-propelled guns. Due to some special bad luck, the Saushkas were hit more often than others, and the next landing on them also suffered.
The meeting of the parties took place in a lush green forest adjacent to the highway, where one of the tank formations of the Guards Army was located.
The paratroopers were picked up in Studebakers.
The first thing they saw at the edge of the forest was several armored vehicles camouflaged with spruce branches, one of which had an accordion playing in a circle of guys in dark blue overalls.
“The tank fell in love with the wedge heel,
He took her for a walk in the forest,
From such a novel,
The whole grove is broken..!”
The accordion player sang famously, and the whole company laughed in unison.
When the first truck appeared, everyone turned their heads towards the column, and the singer became even more imbued with
"So much ardor and fire,
It was in their appearance
There's not even a stump left
Ten miles in circumference!
Wow, they brought the Marines! - the young tanker yelled. - Where are your boxes, lads, did they melt everything?!
- Wipe your snot, boy! - they boomed from the back. - You yourself are a box!
Then the column stood up, followed by the command “to the cars!”
The merry fellows immediately disappeared, the landing party lined up, then the authorities appeared, and two colonels (land and sea) shook hands.
A little later, battalions and companies were distributed among tank units, as well as closer acquaintance.
“Senior Lieutenant Markov,” answered the greeting of Vonlyarsky, who led five of his scouts to the car he indicated, standing next to it was a short, strong man with scars on his face and wearing a leather jacket. On the tank’s turret was the number “213” painted in white, and on the gun barrel there were five stars.
Heads in helmets immediately appeared from the open hatches and another couple of tankers climbed out.
A little later, representatives of the two types of forces, sitting on the grass near the car, smoked cigarettes and terry, which they treated each other to.
- How long have you been at war? - Senior Lieutenant Dima looked appraisingly.
- Since the autumn of '41. And you?
- I've been here since July. The first battle took place near Kyiv. “I have this horse,” he slammed his hand on the track, “the third in a row.”
“He turns out to be lucky,” Dim bit a blade of grass.
- Do you have this for force? - Markov continued, nodding at the shiny handle sticking out of the top of Dim’s boot.
“Sort of,” the sergeant major pulled out a dagger and deftly tossed it in his palm. - I pinned them on the heels of the Krauts. In search.
- So you are scouts? - The senior lieutenant raised his eyebrows high. - They would have said so right away.
Then Markov (he was the company commander), took out a map from the tablet, unfolded it on the grass and told Dim and the paratroopers everything about the march.
“Well, when we turn around to attack, hold on tight to the armor,” he smiled with iron teeth. - If they hit you, get off the tank immediately.
“What, we know how to jump,” muttered Sashka Vishnevsky. They didn't like being hit.
The formation approached the outskirts of Brno, surrounded by flowering gardens, in the morning and immediately deployed into battle formations.
Then “forward!” was heard in the laryngophones, after which the armored armada, clanging its tracks, set off.
Bright flashes immediately flashed towards us from the gardens.
Markov's tank immediately picked up speed and, skillfully maneuvering, rushed towards the center of the defense.
This was followed by a short stop - a shot. Another jerk - a shot, and then an explosion came from the right, and one of the sailors was blown to the ground.
The rest, clinging to the armor, fired as they moved, guided by the flashes.
Before their eyes, the “thirty-four” that had rushed forward flared up like a torch, and burning troops fell from it, which were immediately shot down by point-blank machine guns.
A few more minutes later, having demolished oncoming trees, Markov’s tank flew up onto the parapet of the trench where, spinning, crushed the bunker*, and Dim and the guys, throwing grenades to the sides, fell down. Combat work was in full swing there.
The foreman cut off several stunned Krauts with a machine gun, after which Sashka and Petka were thrown around the corner along the lemonade, and the sailors broke into the branch.
There was a courtyard of a mortar crew, with bodies scattered on the ground and an officer with broken legs trying to crawl to the side.
Meanwhile, two more “thirty-fours” crossed the parapet in front, and when the guys, together with other paratroopers, cleared the trench and jumped out of there, the battle from the gardens moved to the city outskirts...
Having taken off their boots with rotted foot wraps and leaned their backs against the sun-warmed base of the ancient town hall, Dim and Petka and several other guys, cooling down after the battle, contemplated the city spread out before them.
During the battle, having been repeatedly attacked from the ground and air, it was pretty much destroyed and was smoking in fires.
But life went on.
Thousands of residents with belongings emerged from basements and bomb shelters; our equipment, marching columns and convoys walked along the central streets.
- Look, cavalry! - Sashka Vishnevsky opened his eyes wide.
A whole regiment was moving along the paving stones of a nearby square.
In front, under an unfurled banner, is a group of commanders on tall stallions, and behind them, five in a row, in full Cossack uniform and with swords, a dense mass of cavalrymen.
The scouts had heard that General Pliev’s cavalry-mechanized unit took part in the assault on Brno, but this was the first time they had seen the Cossacks.
When the column filled almost the entire square, a song was born over it
Are you waiting, Lizaveta,
Hello from a friend.
You don't sleep until dawn
You're still sad about me.
Let's win
I'll come to you
On a hot warhorse!
A sonorous young voice flew up to the high sky.
Let's win
I'll come to you
On a hot warhorse!
Hundreds more unanimously supported him, and the sailors got goosebumps.
“Great,” one of the guys said feelingly, and the rest, with their mouths open, dug in.
I'll come in the spring
I'll open the gates
I'm with you, you're with me
Inseparable forever.
In sadness and anxiety
Don't stand on the threshold
I'll come back,
When the snow melts!
The second verse of the singer came out, and the horsemen thundered out his last lines in unison.
“Oh, I wish Zhora would come here now,” Petro leaned towards Dim. - I would be glad.
“Nothing, the main thing is that he’s alive,” he responded quietly, continuing to listen.
My dear,
I'm waiting and dreaming
Smile when you meet
I was brave in battle.
Oh, how could I survive
Before the wedding
And hug your beloved...
The song disappeared into the distance, and the sailors were silent for a long time.
- Are we really going to live, guys? - Vasya Nikulin wiped his wet eyes with his sleeve.
- We will definitely live, Vasek! - Dim stood up and slapped his cap on his head. - All. Stop swelling. Let's look for brigade headquarters.
However, it didn’t take long to search.
About ten minutes later, when the group was walking along one of the central streets, looking at the surviving storefronts and reading signs, a motorcycle came around the corner towards them and suddenly braked.
At the wheel sat Sashka Katsnelson, who was now a liaison officer at headquarters, who told him where to go.
The location of the brigade was determined to be a military town abandoned by the Nazis on the northwestern outskirts, where all its battalions and companies were now flocking.
“It’s a bit far,” Dim scratched the back of his head as Sashka rushed off to look for the others. - We need transport.
A little later, having requisitioned a military truck pulled by two bityugs from some civilian “shpak”, the scouts trundled along the city cobblestones with relative comfort.
- But, dear ones! - Petka, who volunteered to be the coachman, smacked his lips at the horses.
Having reported their arrival to the company commander, who, together with several platoon commanders, was compiling a list of losses, Dim and his group received the go-ahead to rest.
Having dumped weapons and ammunition on iron bunks in the last of the empty barracks, the guys quickly washed themselves at the water pump, after which, grabbing their pots, they headed to several field kitchens standing on the parade ground, around which the Red Navy men who had arrived earlier were already crowding.
Having received from the big-faced cook the grub they were owed and a triple portion of “People’s Commissar”, the scouts soon clanked their spoons in unison in the shade of the spreading linden trees near the brick fence.
“Today they feed from the belly,” said Vasya Nikulin, belching satiatedly and licking the spoon.
“Of course,” Vovka Ganja, sipping sweet tea from the lid, wiped away the sweat that had formed on his forehead. - “Chumichki”* received everything before the fight, for the payroll. And now there are many fewer of us.
After that, everyone fell silent, then, after pulling another fifty, they smoked a cigarette and went to bed in the barracks.
When Dim opened his eyes, the evening was blue outside the broken window of the barracks, somewhere far away, an accordion was playing.
On the next bed, with a padded jacket under his head, Leshka Chkheidhe was snoring, a little further away Sashka Vishnevsky, Vasya Nikulin and others.
Shaking his head, driving away the remnants of sleep, Dim sat up, pulled on his boots and headed towards the exit.
On the wide porch, next to the column, Petka was sitting on a mine box.
- Can't sleep? - Dim sat down next to him.
- Yeah.
- Me too.
At the far end of the parade ground there were several staff cars with motorcycles, artillery division cannons and a convoy (they had sentries walking around), and a little to the right there was a fire burning, around which the riders were located.
“And the nights here are bright, like ours in May,” Dim said, looking at the distant edge of the sky.
“Light ones,” Petka echoed. - And the war is coming to an end. I’m sitting here, thinking about how we’ll live in civilian life.
“We’ll be fine,” Dim said confidently. - Personally, I will finish school.
“And I’ll probably plow the land,” Peter smiled. - As before.
Then they once again discussed Dorofeev’s letter from the hospital they had received a week ago.
Zhora reported that he was recovering, but they wanted to commission him, and therefore invited his friends to visit him after the war. Why did you provide a detailed address?
The next morning, all the personnel of the brigade were lined up and a day of rest was announced.
“And then forward again,” said Colonel Smirnov, looking around at the thinned ranks. - Finish off the fascist bastards!
Then there was a funeral for the fallen, there were more than a company of them, a wash, lunch, and putting oneself in order.
Towards evening, Dim and Petka decided to visit acquaintances from the tank regiment, to strengthen the military partnership. Moreover, they had to go further together, and the regiment was located next to the barracks town, in the forest.
They took with them a flask of vodka that they had saved the day before and set off.
At an improvised checkpoint set up on the edge of the area, they found out where Markov’s company was stationed and ten minutes later they found its vehicles in one of the sunny meadows, next to a small lake.
Some of the tankers, wearing only shorts and boots, were scrubbing the gun barrels with banners, a few were washing their uniforms, and the senior lieutenant, with a philosophical look, was reclining on a raincoat near his car.
- Hello commander! - the sailors cheerfully barked and vouched for the lieutenant.
“And you won’t get sick,” he answered, nodding at the raincoat. - Make yourself comfortable
“So, we decided to visit and check that we had a good trip,” Dim said, sitting down next to him, and Petka, sitting opposite him, unfastened the flask from his belt.
“It’s a good thing,” Markov said, looking sideways at her. - So, are there only two of you left?
“Four,” Dim frowned. - One was killed, the other was wounded.
“Well, it’s nothing,” the senior lieutenant sighed. - But in my company they burned two cars, along with their crews. So there is a reason to remember. And he yelled, “Vaska!”
A thin, red-haired sergeant with a pock-marked face quickly trotted from the second car, standing about ten meters away, and, nodding to the sailors, stared questioningly at Markov.
“We have guests,” he said significantly. - Come on, poke around the stash. Yes, more lively.
“Got it,” the sergeant nodded, after which he climbed aboard and disappeared into the turret hatch.
Soon a pork ham, a spongy circle of cheese, bread in foil and a dark bottle appeared in front of the guests.
“Re-mi mar-tin*,” Petka took it in his hand and read it syllable by syllable. - You live well!
“We ran into a German headquarters warehouse,” the sergeant winked at him. - Accidentally.
A little later, having remembered their friends, all four ate with gusto.
Then they drank one more, and after the third they lit a cigarette.
- Do you want an interesting case? - the sergeant sat down cross-legged and took a drag of the goat's leg. - Are you okay with it, Oleg?
“Go ahead,” Markov said dreamily, looking at the tops of the pines. - Let's listen.
“It happened,” Vaska wrinkled his brow, “in the summer of 1943 near Belgorod.”
Petrovich (nodding at the senior lieutenant) then commanded a platoon, and I, as now, was the driver of his tank.
The next offensive was being prepared, and we received orders to conduct reconnaissance in force as a platoon, together with our infantry.
The target was a section of German defense on the bank of the Vorskla, where it was to be probed and firing points identified.
In the morning, at about five o’clock, the infantry climbed onto the armor, a rocket flew into the sky, after which Petrovich shouted “let’s go!”, and we rushed off.
We covered half the distance, hiding in the fog, at top speed, and when it thinned out near the river, the Germans struck from the bank so hard that all the devils felt sick.
Our landing force fell to the ground here and there, Sashka Gamaleya’s tank on the right began to smoke and retreated back, while we, with the second one, rush forward and attack the Fritzes with guns and machine guns.
About ten minutes later, the lieutenant ordered a retreat, I put the gear in reverse and began to crawl back into the lowland overgrown with bushes marked on the left.
There, as luck would have it, there was a swamp, I gave the gas and began to boost it. But where is it? The trucks sank into the bottom silt, threshed idle, and we sat down on the ground clearance.
- Come on, let's go, bitch! - the lieutenant began kicking me in the back with his boot.
Dripping with sweat, I worked the levers, jerking the car left and right, and then they slammed a shell into the turret.
The car shook, steel chips hit us in the faces, after which everything became quiet.
After a couple of minutes, coughing and swearing, we recovered, I, wiping my muzzle from the blood, began to start the engine - to no avail.
“Calm, calm Vasek,” the commander wheezed, they made a second attempt - the result was the same.
“Well, that’s it,” the tower boss* boomed from behind, “now they’ll give us tails.”
And exactly. Soon their T-3* appeared from the German side, firing a couple of shots at us. The armor held up.
Then a tractor appeared next to him, after which both cars rolled towards the lowland.
- So, listen to me! - the lieutenant looked up from the periscope. - Apparently, the Krauts consider us killed. Let's get close and open fire. On my command.
Meanwhile, this scumbag was approaching.
The T-3 was clanging its tracks ahead, the tractor was lagging behind and slightly to the right.
“It would suck if the Panzer came at us from the side and hit us on the side,” the gunner-radio operator worried. - The armor there definitely won’t hold up.
- Everyone be silent! - Petrovich growled. - Wait for the command.
No one came in from the side (the cars stopped ten meters opposite), the turret hatch of the tank opened, and a fascist in a cap sat on the edge, lighting a cigarette.
Three more people slowly got out of the tractor, pulled the tow rope off it and dragged it to the “thirty-four”.
“Sit quietly,” the commander hissed. - Let them strengthen it.
Talking animatedly, the soldiers climbed into the mud, hooked the tug to the eye, after which they returned and one waved his hand to the driver of the tractor.
He turned up the speed (the rope became taut), then increased the speed, and the tank slowly moved forward, freeing itself from the swamp.
And as soon as we were on dry ground, the lieutenant commanded “Fire!”, and the gunner slammed an armor-piercing bullet under the cut of the Panzer’s turret.
It was cracked like a nut, the German immediately caught fire, and in the direction of travel (the tractor was still crawling), I pressed the starter again, and this time it worked.
The tank came to life, the engine roared, Petrovich yelled “push!”, and we jumped onto the tractor like a dog on a bitch.
There was a crunch under the bottom, the car swayed, and a minute later, driving around the unfortunate lowland, we rushed to our own at full speed.
When the Germans came to their senses and began firing cannons at us, it was already too late. The car left the firing sector.
That’s our story,” Vaska finished, reaching for the flask again.
- How, Petrovich, didn’t I “whistle” anything? - he gurgled a quarter of a mug for everyone.
“I guess not,” the senior lieutenant shook his forelock. - Only with a boot, Vasya, it wasn’t me who kicked you, but the tower. This is not good for a Soviet officer.
After these words, the whole company laughed in unison and, moving their mugs, drank to the tankers.
- Well, how did the command evaluate your reconnaissance in force? - exhaling noisily, he snorted Petro vodka on a crust of bread.
“Commander “Zvezdochka”, we all have “Courage”,” the sergeant pointed his finger at one of his medals. - And there was also a note in the army newspaper, but we corrected it.
“Not us, but you,” the commander corrected Vasily again, which caused a new fit of laughter.
And in the high blue light clouds floated above them, somewhere in the forest a cuckoo was counting the years.
At night the brigade was alerted.
The radio operator on duty received a message about the fall of Berlin and the surrender of Nazi Germany.
-...ah-ah-ah!! - the awakened city rejoiced, and thousands of fiery trails flew into the sky.
The long-awaited Victory has arrived. But not for everyone.
Over Moscow, the celebratory salvos had died down for a week, the country was rejoicing and honoring the heroes, and the Marines were fighting the hardest battles near the Czech city of Jaroměřec with a large German group rushing to the west.
Selected, not wanting to surrender to the Russians, Hitler's warriors under the command of Field Marshal Scherer rushed to the Allied zone.
But they were stopped by the twice Red Banner, Order of Suvorov, Novorossiysk-Danube 83rd separate brigade of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet, which was urgently deployed to meet them.
In the end, the fanatics did not pass...
Having shot through all the ammunition during the 24-hour battle, they dumped weapons and equipment into huge heaps and, lifting white rags on sticks, walked in a long column towards their now post-war fate...
However, the silence that reigned over the battlefield did not last long. It was blown up again by indiscriminate firing from all barrels and calibers.
It was Her Majesty the Marine Corps who saluted the Victory.
...At sunset of that unforgettable day, Dim Vonlyarsky, Petya Morozov and several other guys from the reconnaissance company sat comfortably in the corn plantings.
They drank vodka, laughed carefreely and at the same time, interrupting each other, talked about something.
And then, when, having moved away from joy, they calmed down a little and fell silent, Petka suddenly said something strange.
- We will still regret that it’s all over...
66 years ago the last salvos of the Great Patriotic War died down. May 9, 1945 was the day of the great triumph of the people, who stopped the powerful machine of the Wehrmacht and dealt a crushing blow to Nazism. This day was won with blood and sweat, courage and pain. The war left behind millions of crippled destinies and claimed a huge number of human lives. The greatest losses - almost 27 million people - were suffered by the Soviet Union. Only irretrievable losses of the Red Army exceeded 8 million 860 thousand people. That is why May 9 is called “a holiday with tears in our eyes,” in which greatness and sadness, the splendor of orders and the tears of veterans merged.
The past decades have not shaken the status of May 9 as a national and unifying holiday. For 66 years, nothing—neither the change of eras, nor the “parade of sovereignties,” nor calls for a revision of the results of World War II—overshadowed the greatness of the feat of the Soviet people. In Russia they remember this feat and, as before, believe that the state owes an unpaid debt to the memory of those who fell in that war defending their Motherland and who survived.
The allies of the USSR in World War II delayed the opening of the second front for almost three years, but they “overtook” the Soviet Union by a whole day with the declaration of Victory - since then they celebrate this event on May 8, and we on May 9
We have become accustomed to the fact that Victory Day is celebrated on May 9th. Meanwhile, in the West this date is celebrated a day earlier. It would seem that the difference is nonsense - purely procedural or technical. In modern Russian media, there are often even bursts of “new thinking”: isn’t it time to accept Western dating, otherwise it turns out that the whole world is supposedly out of step, only Russia is out of step.
But the fact of the matter is that this “small daily” difference is due to the attempt of the United States and England to accept the separate surrender of Germany at a time when a fierce battle was still going on on the Eastern Front. It is also a consequence of their intentions, in modern terms, to privatize Victory, and in general, it personifies the dishonesty of the allies in relation to the USSR, as the main winner of fascism, which lost more than 26 million people in that war (for comparison: the USA just over 400 thousand people, England - more than 300 thousand people) and destroyed more than 90 percent of the enemy’s combat power (the USA, England and other allies account for less than 10 percent).
It is also worth adding that out of the 1418 days that the USSR fought against fascism, the allies really helped it after the opening of the Second Front for just over 300 days. How did it happen that in this situation they dictated to all of Europe when to celebrate Victory Day?
What happened in Reims?
On May 7, 1945, when Soviet troops were still conducting the bloody Berlin operation, and almost a week remained before the end of the fighting in Czechoslovakia, in the German city of Reims, where the headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the US Expeditionary Forces Eisenhower was located, the allies were preparing a covert strike on the USSR. This is how it is written about it in the diary of the Wehrmacht High Command:
“May 7, 1945. At 1 hour 35 minutes, Grand Admiral Doenitz gives the following order to Field Marshal Kesselring and General Winter, which is also communicated for information to the commander of Army Group Center F. Scherner, the commander of the troops in Austria L. von Rendulic and the commander of the troops South-East A. Leroux: “The task is to withdraw to the west as many troops as possible operating on the Eastern Front, while, if necessary, fighting through the location of Soviet troops. Immediately stop any military operations against the Anglo-American troops and give the order to the troops to surrender to them. The general surrender will be signed today at Eisenhower Headquarters. Eisenhower promised Colonel General Jodl that hostilities would cease on May 9, 1945 at 0:00 a.m. German summer time...”
The fact that the fascists sought to surrender to the Anglo-Americans as “their own” and received preferences from them is half the battle. The Allies considered an equally important task to be able to get ahead of the USSR in announcing Victory to the whole world, thereby beginning to push back the Soviet Union from the results of the defeat of fascism.
On May 7, 1945, at 2.41 a.m., the United States and England arbitrarily accepted the surrender of Germany. On behalf of the Allies, the act of surrender was signed by the American Lieutenant General Smith, on behalf of Germany - by the Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht, and in early May 1945, by a member of the German government headed by Grand Admiral Doenitz after Hitler's suicide, Alfred Jodl.
This surrender was essentially prepared in secret from the USSR high command. Our representative, General Ivan Susloparov, was informed about it when there was no longer any time left to receive instructions from Moscow. This is how the then head of the operational department of the Soviet General Staff, Army General Sergei Shtemenko, recalled it:
“On the evening of May 6, D. Eisenhower’s adjutant flew to the head of the Soviet military mission, General Susloparov. He conveyed the commander-in-chief's invitation to urgently come to his headquarters. D. Eisenhower received I. Susloparov at his residence. The Commander-in-Chief hastened to announce that he had demanded that Jodl surrender to Germany and would not accept any other. The Germans were forced to agree to this. Then the commander-in-chief asked Susloparov to report the text of the surrender to Moscow, obtain approval there and sign it on behalf of the Soviet Union. The signing, according to him, had already been scheduled for 2 hours 30 minutes on May 7, 1945 in the premises of the operations department of the headquarters of the commander-in-chief.
The head of the Soviet military mission had very little time to receive instructions from his government. Without hesitation, he sent a telegram to Moscow about the upcoming act of signing capitulation and the text of the protocol: he asked for instructions. While I. Susloparov’s telegram was reported to its intended destination, several hours passed. It was past midnight in Reims, and the time had come to sign the surrender. No instructions came from Moscow. The position of the head of the Soviet military mission was very difficult. Everything now rested on him. Should I sign on behalf of the Soviet state or refuse?
I. Susloparov understood perfectly well that the maneuver of Hitler’s last to capitulate only to the allies could turn into the greatest misfortune in case of any oversight on his part. He read and reread the text of the surrender and did not find any hidden malicious intent in it. At the same time, pictures of war arose before the general’s eyes, where every minute claimed many human lives.
The head of the Soviet military mission decided to sign the document of surrender. At the same time, providing the opportunity for the Soviet government to influence the subsequent course of events if necessary, he made a note to the document. The note stated that this protocol of military surrender does not exclude in the future the signing of another, more perfect act of surrender of Germany, if any allied government declares it.”
Stalin's reaction
Having learned about the violation of the interests of the USSR in Reims, Stalin urgently contacted the heads of the union states.
Personal and secret messages from Marshal J. Stalin to Prime Minister Mr. W. Churchill and President Mr. Truman:
The Supreme Command of the Red Army is not confident that the order of the German high command on unconditional surrender will be carried out by German troops on the eastern front. Therefore, we fear that if the government of the USSR announces the surrender of Germany today, we will find ourselves in an awkward position and mislead the public opinion of the Soviet Union.
It must be borne in mind that the resistance of German troops on the eastern front is not weakening, and, judging by radio interceptions, a significant group of German troops directly declares their intention to continue resistance and not obey Doenitz’s order to surrender.
Therefore, the Command of the Soviet Forces would like to wait until the surrender of the German troops comes into effect, and thus postpone the Government’s announcement of the German surrender to May 9, at 7 o’clock Moscow time.
Personal and strictly secret message from Mr. Churchill to Marshal Stalin: “ I have just received your message and have also read a letter from General Antonov to General Eisenhower suggesting that the announcement of Germany's surrender be delayed until May 9, 1945. It will not be possible for me to delay my application for 24 hours as you suggest. Moreover, Parliament will demand information about yesterday's signing in Reims and about the official ratification scheduled for today in Berlin…»
On May 8, President Truman sent the USSR Ambassador to the USA A. Gromyko a letter with the following content: “ I will forgive you to inform Marshal Stalin that his message addressed to me was received at the White House at one o'clock in the morning today. However, when the message reached me, preparations had advanced so far that it was impossible to consider postponing my announcement of Germany's surrender.».
In Shtemenko’s memoirs there are lines about how he and the Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, Army General A. Antonov, were summoned to the Kremlin regarding the so-called surrender in Reims:
“In I. Stalin’s office, besides himself, we found members of the government. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as usual, walked slowly along the carpet. His whole appearance expressed extreme displeasure. We noticed the same on the faces of those present. The surrender at Reims was discussed. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief summed up the results, thinking out loud. He noted that the Allies had arranged a unilateral agreement with the Doenitz government. Such an agreement looks more like a bad conspiracy. Apart from General I. Susloparov, none of the USSR government officials were present in Reims. It turns out that there is no capitulation to our country.”
But Stalin found a way out of the situation in order to dictate his will and not show his allies in an unpleasant light. “On May 7, in Berlin,” recalled Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, “the Supreme Commander-in-Chief called me and said:
“Today in the city of Reims the Germans signed an act of unconditional surrender. The Soviet people, and not the allies, bore the brunt of the war on their shoulders, so the surrender must be signed before the Supreme Command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, and not just before the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces.
...We agreed with the allies to consider the signing of the act in Reims as a preliminary protocol of surrender. Tomorrow representatives of the German High Command and representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces will arrive in Berlin. You are appointed as the representative of the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Forces."
However, in the West the war was considered over. On this basis, the United States and England proposed that on May 8 the heads of government of the three powers officially declare victory over Germany. The Soviet government could not agree with this for the reason that fighting on the Soviet-German front was still ongoing.
Complete surrender at Karlshorst
The REAL, OPEN and VOICE surrender of Germany took place under the leadership of Marshal Zhukov on the night of May 8-9(when, by the way, the Victory was already celebrated in the USA and Great Britain).
In the middle of the day on May 8, representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces arrived at the Tempelhof airfield. The High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Force was represented by Eisenhower's deputy, British Air Chief Marshal Arthur William Tedder, the US armed forces by the commander of the Strategic Air Forces, General Karl Spaats, and the French armed forces by the Army Commander-in-Chief, General Jean-Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny.
From the airfield, the Allies arrived at Karlhorst, where it was decided to accept unconditional surrender from the German command. The former Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces, Admiral General of the Fleet G. von Friedeburg, and Colonel General of Aviation Hans Stumpf arrived at the same airfield from the city of Flensburg under the protection of British officers.
Soon, all representatives of the command of the allied forces arrived to the Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union G. Zhukov, to agree on procedural issues. Keitel and his companions were in another building at that time.
At exactly 24 hours on May 8, Zhukov, Tedder, Spaats and de Lattre de Tassigny entered the hall decorated with the national flags of the Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain and France. The ceremony of signing the act was opened by Marshal Zhukov. " We, representatives of the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces... are authorized by the governments of the anti-Hitler coalition to accept the unconditional surrender of Germany from the German military command ", he said solemnly.
Then representatives of the German High Command entered the hall. At the suggestion of the Soviet representative, Keitel handed over to the heads of the Allied delegations a document with which Doenitz authorized the German delegation to sign the act of surrender. The German delegation was then asked whether it had the Act of Unconditional Surrender in its hands and whether it had studied it. The question was repeated in English by Marshal Tedder. After Keitel’s affirmative answer, representatives of the German armed forces, at the sign of Marshal Zhukov, signed an act drawn up in nine copies.
At 0 hours 43 minutes (Moscow time) on May 9 (at 22 hours 43 minutes Central European time on May 8), 1945, the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of the German Armed Forces was completed. The German delegation was asked to leave the hall. Keitel, Friedeburg, Stumpf bowed and left the hall. On behalf of the Soviet Supreme High Command, G. Zhukov cordially congratulated all those present on the long-awaited Victory.
“On May 7, a preliminary protocol of surrender was signed in the city of Reims. On May 8, representatives of the German High Command, in the presence of representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces and the Supreme Command of the Soviet Forces, signed the final act of surrender in Berlin, the execution of which began at 24 hours of May 8. Knowing the wolfish behavior of the German bosses, who consider treaties and agreements to be empty pieces of paper, we have no reason to take their word for it. However, this morning, German troops, in pursuance of the act of surrender, began to lay down their arms en masse and surrender to our troops. This is no longer a piece of paper. This is real surrender..."
The falsification continues
Back in May 1945, by agreement between the governments of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, an agreement was reached to consider the procedure in Reims preliminary. However, in Western historiography, the signing of the surrender of the German armed forces is usually associated with the events in Reims, and the signing of the act of surrender in Berlin is called its “ratification”. Unfortunately, all this is being done with the aim of belittling the decisive contribution of the USSR to achieving Victory over the aggressors. For the same purpose, Victory in Europe Day is celebrated on May 8th.
A lot of speculation can be read in the press about the fate of General Susloparov, “ruined by Stalin.” In fact, he was not subjected to the slightest repression. On May 11, 1945, General Susloparov was summoned to Moscow. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Lieutenant General Ivan Ilyichev, ordered him to write an explanatory note addressed to the Chief of the General Staff, Army General Alexei Antonov.
Susloparov was sincere: “ The complete and unconditional surrender of the German armed forces meant the complete victory of our Red Army and allies over Germany and put an end to the war. This, wittingly or unwittingly, turned my head, since this was exactly the end of the war that not only we, the military people, but all progressive humanity expected».
It would seem that he signed his own death sentence by admitting to a mistake. However, Stalin did not forget about the “at fault” general. The Supreme Commander personally found out that his telegram with a ban on signing anything was late, and did not fail to convey to Antonov that there were no complaints against Susloparov personally. The general was soon appointed head of the Higher Advanced Courses for Command Staff of the Soviet Army. In 1955, Major General of Artillery Ivan Alekseevich Susloparov retired to the reserve for health reasons. He died on December 16, 1974, and was buried at the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
BRIEF INFORMATION
Act of Military Surrender of the German Armed Forces (Karlshorst):
1. We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the German High Command, agree to the unconditional surrender of all our armed forces on land, sea and air, as well as all forces currently under German command, to the Supreme Command of the Red Army and at the same time Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
2. The German High Command will immediately issue orders to all German commanders of land, sea and air forces and all forces under German command to cease hostilities at 23.01 hours Central European Time on May 8, 1945, to remain in their places where they are at this time time, and completely disarm, handing over all their weapons and military equipment to local Allied commanders or officers allocated by representatives of the Allied High Command, not to destroy or cause any damage to ships, ships and aircraft, their engines, hulls and equipment, as well as machinery, weapons , apparatus and all military-technical means of warfare in general.
3. The German High Command will immediately assign the appropriate commanders and ensure that all further orders issued by the Supreme Command of the Red Army and the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces are carried out.
4. This act shall not be an obstacle to its replacement by another general instrument of surrender, concluded by or on behalf of the United Nations, applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.
5. In the event that the German High Command or any armed forces under its command do not act in accordance with this instrument of surrender, the High Command of the Red Army as well as the High Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces will take such punitive measures or other actions they deem necessary.
6. This act is drawn up in Russian, English and German. Only Russian and English texts are authentic.
/Alex Varlamik, based on materials svpressa.ru And topwar.ru /
Zucchini boats with sausages: recipe with step-by-step photos
Sausages and mashed potatoes - a delicious dinner for the whole family
Pickled grapes for the winter without sterilization Pickled grapes for the winter without sterilization
Quick dough for fried pies
Delicious fried pies with potatoes