Donald Trump has declared May 8 Victory Day for World War II because on this day in 1945, the Nazis surrendered, marking the end of the Second World War in the European theater, a great victory for the Allies — especially America.
Advertisement
While America had yet to defeat genocidal imperial Japan — which would occur by the beginning of September, 1945 — the defeat of the German Nazis and Italian fascists was a pivotal point and the close of the Western arena of conflict in WWII. U.S. soldiers were still battling Japanese troops on the other side of the world, but Americans at home were understandably joyous as they celebrated Victory in Europe or V-E Day. The mass murdering Nazis had lost, and freedom had triumphed.
President Trump posted on Truth Social last week, “Many of our allies and friends are celebrating May 8th as Victory Day, but we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II. I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I.”
In his usual ebullient style, Trump praised the USA: “We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything — That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so! We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
Advertisement
Related: Trump Declares V-E Anniversary ‘Victory Day’ in U.S.
The National WWII Museum explains:
In the Spring of 1945, Allied forces were converging on Germany from East and West. As they crossed into Germany, advancing soldiers encountered fierce resistance, cities devastated by bombing, and horrific evidence of Nazi crimes. Seeing the looming collapse of his regime, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler took his own life on April 30, 1945. Within days, his successors surrendered unconditionally to Allied forces.
On May 7, 1945, the Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, Alfred Jodl, surrendered at General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Allied headquarters in Reims. At the ceremony in which Jodl signed the Act of Military Surrender were representatives of the major Allied powers who also signed: France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
Related: Bing Crosby, the ‘Squarest Guy in Hollywood’
So why isn’t V-E Day May 7? The WWII Museum clarifies that, too:
At Soviet request, another surrender document with few significant changes was signed in Berlin on May 8, 1945, by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, bringing a formal end to nearly six years of bloody fighting in Europe.
Advertisement
U.S. President Harry Truman shared the good news with the American public and designated May 8 as V-E Day.
Today, we should celebrate all the brave American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fought during and won WWII, leaving us a freer world. And we should also dedicate ourselves to the cause of liberty and to fighting tyranny, terrorism, antisemitism, socialism, and all the other war crimes and evil ideologies that contributed to the cause and fuel WWII but did not die with it. The task of defending freedom has been handed on from the “Greatest Generation” to our own generation, and we cannot let them down.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy our cultural and historical content? Please support PJ Media’s work so that we can continue to bring it to you. Join PJ Media VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
