Germany surrendered in World War II with two key surrender events:
- On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender document at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in Reims, France. This surrender was accepted by the Western Allies and was announced publicly. It was set to take effect on May 8 at 23:01 Central European Time (CET).
- The Soviet Union did not recognize the Reims surrender as the final act. Therefore, a second and final surrender act was signed on May 8, 1945, in Berlin at the seat of the Soviet Military Administration. This document, signed by the highest-ranking German representative Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel and representatives from the Allies (Soviet, British, and American), took effect around midnight on May 8-9 CET. This marked the official and final legal surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies, leading to the end of World War II in Europe.
Victory in Europe (V-E) Day is celebrated on May 8, 1945, to mark Germany's surrender and the end of the war in Europe.
