I was watching the news this morning, and they had a WW2 veteran on the program, but not just any vet. He is the last surviving person to witness the surrender of Germany, and in fact was the soldier that escorted the Germans into Ike's chambers after they signed the surrender documents. His name is Louis Graziano, 100 years old.
Oh wow. That’s really neat. Not many WW2 vets left and my dad served for 26 years in the military and served in the Vietnam War and retired as a major in the USAF. He died on 02/23/21 from leukemia. A few headstones down is a vet who served in WW2 and since then several more are in his section. Sometimes I lay flowers in front of my dads headstone as well as some others especially if they died the same day (not necessarily the same year) as many don’t get visitors. That WW2 vet that died I like to lay a flower or a penny at his headstone. In the next few years like the WW1 vets all of the WW2 vets will be gone and god willing we won’t have a repeat of WW2.
I love hearing how people who survived a very dangerous time then go on to live very long lives in spite of all the effort others took to try to kill them!
Eight years ago today we buried my father on VE Day. I took the time today, May 8th, 2023 to watch this excellent video and remember him. His father and uncle both fought in WW2 in Germany and France. Thank you for helping keep these events and memories alive.
My father-in-law just past in March just before his 93rd birthday. He lived in occupied Holland and was liberated by Canadian troops. He remembers when the war ended...when he woke up and there was nothing but silence. No planes, no vehicle or troop movements, just silence. The day was May 7.
@@painterboy454 You mean the poor occupied dutch which went after the war directly back to their colonies? Some people see really one side of a coin...
@@painterboy454 You started with occupied Holland and not your father -in-law. BTW doesn't matter because the Dutch were busy to grab the colonies back from the Japanese and not your father-in-law, right?
I have the original photograph of the second angle taken with Field Marshall Montgomery and the surrender of North West Germany and Denmark as my Great Uncle was friends with the photographer and as a gift he gave it to him after the war. So cool to have such a special artefact in my family's possession.
submit it to the national archive, german national government or smithsonian. either way don't keep it any more. since current generations are about interested in world war 2 as , zero.
The interpreter (in the main pic between Monty and the German was Captain Derek Knee. He was an intelligence officer. He lived till about 2012. I was fortunate enough to be part of the nursing team that looked after him in his last few years. Dementia had robbed him of his ability to recollect anything. He had French relatives that visited him regularly and his French was wonderful.
Its an amusing photo. The German generals with smart insignia and leather coats and hats. And there is Monty wearing a beret and an untidy battledress. and his interpreter looking like Richard Wattis.😂
On the 9th May my father, serving as a radio mechanic with 139 Wing 2nd Tactical Airforce, was at Achmer aerodrome, near Osnabruck. All the techicians were formed up in front of B25 Mitchell bomber for a photograph. I still have that photograph. Shortly after, in early June, my father was given leave to return to England to marry my mother.
@@henryrollins9177 13.2M hits on Google - the World Health Organisation, World Bank, NIH and very many, many more. Covid knocked nearly 2% off your average of ~68 years for males and ~78 for women. "The biggest factor contributing to this relatively low life expectancy for males is a high mortality rate among working-age males from preventable causes (e.g., alcohol poisoning, stress, smoking, traffic accidents, violent crimes)."
Growing up, VE Day was the start of American Legion starting poppy sales pre Memorial Day at the end of the month. Thank you for keeping history alive with your teaching and excellent presentations.
Interestingly, British poppy sales are focused on Armistice Day: The 1918 armistice that ended the western front slaughter on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Whereas, in New Zealand and Australia, the equivalent commemoration (including poppy sales) is for ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) day on 25th April.
@@amecocoa3829 New Zealand and Australia have sent soldiers etc to every war the Western powers have fought since the Boer War (not necessarily a good thing). I think New Zealand’s casualty rate per population in WWI was the highest of all countries. I’m the first of three generations in my family to not go to war and I am so grateful for that.
The French to Germany at the end of WW1: "surrender in this rail car" The Germans to France in 1940: "Surrender in this rail car and become our puppet" The Allies to Germany in 1945: "Surrender to us three different times, just so you know we're serious".
More like it shows how fragmented the German high command and forces had become. And that the Germans tried to play the Western Allies against the Soviets, with success initially as seen with the 1st surrender. There was no plan to make them surrender 3 times. Just the chaos of the moment.
Maybe everyone was thinking of how WWI ended. General Pershing expressed concerns that the Germans didn't believe they were beaten, and the Allies would have to to do it all again someday. So in 1945 they rammed the point home not once, but three times.
@@michaelpielorz9283 An economic miracle only made possible by American money and the US, UK and France teaming their occupation zones together and letting the Germans have another go at it. If each of those countries had said nice, but we ain't letting you play there would have been 4 Germany's and no economic miracle.
@@michaelpielorz9283 The economic revival of the Western part of Germany was in no small part due to the beneficence of the Western Allies. No shade on the German effort but there is a perfect control group in the East.
Actually he (Doenitz) overated himself after the war. He ordered evacuation of military material and personal and... Civilians if it doesn't disturb military evacuation. Local commandants often disobeyed that and evacuated civilians at same time
@@maciejniedzielski7496 good point, however, soldiers did ultimately become civilians instead of slaves in Russia where they would have been kept until the mid 1950s to die by the scores of thousands. Civilians at the time, were not transported off the Russia, and while suffering in Germany, they were still safer than men under arms. It was a 'tight-rope' act for certain, but, again, saved millions of men.
Well, actually thousands of Germans lost their lives in that evacuation, and later starving to death in western parts of Germany. They actually would have better chance with Soviets, especially civilians.
@@aleksazunjic9672 and yet Germans believed, unequivocally, they would be better off with the Western powers. Hmmm. The Berlin airlift tends to dampen your theory somewhat.
As others have mentioned, there are a bunch of other surrenders next to these three. One of these is the German surrender of the north-west european forces (by general Blaskowitz to Montgomery), which happened in Wageningen, Netherlands, the 6th of May. This video is quite the coincidence for me, as just last night I stayed in the very hotel ('de wereld') where this surrender took place. In fact, this very morning I ate my breakfast in the very same room where they signed the documents.
i am sorry is this a troll comment? what is this talking about? how exactly could germany win the war in 1945 even if "steiner attacked" and how would it go?
I find it telling that Montgomery arranged a press event for the partial surrender while Eisenhower stayed out of the way and merely asked if the Germans if they understood and were prepared to carry out the terms. His communique was also very matter of fact. “The Mission of this Allied Force was fulfilled at 0241, local time, May 7th, 1945, Eisenhower.”
Yeah that's why Eisenhower is so fascinating to me. They called him the "balancer in chief". It seems like he was born to wield power effectively. I wish we cloned him so we could have him serve as president today.
I admire Ike greatly, but this was also (uncharacteristically) a bit of play-acting. As Supreme Allied Commander his place was at the table, not pretending he was standing majestically apart. Monty (like Patton) was a 'prima donna' but a great battlefield commander nonetheless. (UK)
The sheer enormity of WWII amazes me, just taking Monty as an example, his war took him from Belgium, to the defence of the South Coast of Britain, to Alamein, to Tunisia, Sicilly, Italy, back to the UK, back to France, Belgium, Holland and finally, to destiny at Lunebergh Heath; and the same goes for all the other Allied leaders and soldiers, airmen and sailors.
Quite how the Nazis ever thought they could prosecute a frontline over such a huge are has always seemed to typify the breath takingly naive arrogance of those people.
Actually there were FOUR surrenders during that period. The one that's been missed out is Kesselring's command in Italy. Army Group G surrendered on 6 May to Field Marshall Alexander. Kesselring himself surrendered on 9 May but his command had been gone for 3 days by that point.
Five surrenders if you consider the fact that in the Netherlands, the German forces surrendered to General Henry Crerar of the Canadian Army on the 8th of May as well.
That's a local surrender in a local theater. Those happened all across Europe, and in the Pacific too. Or are we going to count Fieldmarshall Paulus surrender at Stalingrad as full surrender too?
Dr. Felton another fabulous history lesson given as only you can! One of the things I love about your videos is the fact that I can use them anytime I hear somebody say this is what happened. Then I can say "well, maybe you're not entirely correct". Please watch this video from someone who is an expert on this. Well done sir!
Some victory: half europe fell into a worst kind of slavery under soviets and their stooges.. your god did not bless the east european people much between 1945 and 1990.
What a show Monty put on - i used to pass his house & Blue Plaque around the corner from Oval Tube station - near the Oval Cricket Ground, when i lived in London.
@@DaliborPerkovic-sw8mhthink they clearly knew what they were doing. Maybe hoped they’d be spared but knew full well the likelihood that they may not be
True. Only Goring knew none of them would get out alive. The others thought they could blame Hitler and lie their way out of a meeting with the hangman.
Dr Felton is the finest military history presenter, researcher, and video maker on you tube today. I've learned more from his short videos than from any longer productions.
My grandfather was stationed on the eastern front. He spent multiple days on a raft that he constructed in order to be captured by an English ship rather than The Red army. His younger brother died in a prison camp in Siberia.
Your grandfather and other Germans were true cowards. They committed all kinds of atrocities and when it was their time to face their victims they waived white flags and hid under the feet of Americans.
@@shanemcdowall It is true that he knew about what was done. Nobody told me this, but of the three brothers that fought in the war the middle one was a true believer. My grandfather however was a socialist. Of the battalion he was in that got sent to attack Moscow he was one of only two or three that made it back. He almost got shot on one occasion for repeatedly “losing” his cigarettes around some prisoners he was guarding. His suffering in no way measures up to the suffering caused by the nazis, but his suffering also happened.
Please keep making videos like this format. The big docus only want buzwords and highlights. The short detailed format combats over simplification without losing people in the weeds
Thank you. Of course everything you do is uncompromising, and I always think it is the best video you've made. But this one is just so thorough and outstanding.
I particularly liked this one Mr. Felton. I watch almost all your vids and I probably would put this one in my top 10% for some reason. Thank you immensely.
_”… and leave them to the tender mercies of the Soviets!”_ If I were a German soldier, the last thing I would want to do would be to surrender to the Soviets.
Civilians weren't keen either. I have a friend who's grandparents fled what became East Germany and surrendered to UK/Commonwealth forces, anything but the Soviets.
@@aleksazunjic9672 600,00 Soviet soldiers surrendered to Germany in the Battle of Kiev 1941 out of those 600,000 more than 200,000 volunteered to serve in Wehrmacht AGAINST the Soviets and the others remaining survived till the end, only to be killed by the Soviets later on when they "liberated" those POW camps because to Soviets surrendering or getting captured meant you are a traitor to the motherland. So in the end, Soviets ultimately killed their own captured men. Your point? Read history and the true history, not the carefully crafted crap fed to us by the Allies.
@@RishabhChoudharry Yeah right 😁Makes you wonder how did Germany lost that war 😁 In reality, out of 600 thousand captured soldiers, 500 thousand were DELIBERATLY starved to death by Germans. When this became known Soviet soldiers were less and less willing to surrender. It became clear that German plan was complete annihilation of Slavs.
@@aleksazunjic9672 There's actually no comparison between the soviets and the germans, the soviets were such deplorable examples of human beings, they didn't only mistreat POWs, they even mistreated every single red army soldier who had had any kind of contact with the other allies.
america deserves credit here, instead of being petty towards germany like we seen in the aftermath of WW1, they decided the same mistakes should not be repeated and instead helped to rebuild germany
The emergence of The Soviet Union as a rival superpower seems to be the primary impetus for the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe. The US wanted strong European allies to form a bulwark against Soviet expansion. It's impossible to know what kind of American financial aid would have materialized for Europe if the Soviet Union wasn't perceived as an existential threat. But rebuilding Europe after WW2 undoubtedly bolstered America's long-term strategic position in Europe. The financial aid wasn't charity, it was an investment.
It was only because of the USSR and that they wanted to become the world's superpower. They didn't care much about Germany, they cared about stopping communism
Also Ike informed the soviets about the surrender knowing full well what they would be in for after the fact. Since it was agreed by the allies before hand that Unconditional Surrender was the plan, he told the soviets. He shouldn't have but it ended the war, and kept our part of the agreement.
The US had successfully crippled its biggest rival (The UK), so was pretty happy to continue its dismantling. Nothing the US ever did in the last 100 years was for anything but it’s own interest.
@@MrGouldilocks My honest guess is that had Russia not been a Communist power (say a republic or a constitutional monarchy set up by the Whites after the Russian Civil War), Germany and Japan would have been punished 3x harder. This is because there would be less motive to pardon or ignore any war criminals and a bigger desire to more aggressively transform these two nations for the future. Plus, a democratic Russia would have likely gotten much more public sympathy from the West for the attrocities that had occurred to its people at the hands of the Nazis, it would not have been forgotten due to a Cold War or have been questioned as propaganda.
Did anyone else notice the significance of the schools in this episode? The German Naval Academy, the French Technical College, and the German Engineering School?
I’ve been to all three sites (or at least within a few hundred yards of the first, which is as close as it’s possible to get with the site being fenced off).
They will never be forgotten, The problem would be in oversimplification and taking the wrong lessons from it. Thats why this channel is so important. Good detail and objectivism in understandable short chunks
@@Eric-kn4yn certainly the cameras that used Zeiss optics were the highest standard. Even in WW1 the British had a deal with Germany to keep supplying them with Zeiss. I'm not sure if they had the same relationship in WW2 though. I've never heard of it. But maybe.
I have an old newspaper saved by my great grandfather dated May 8th 1945 (Australian time) which has the photo of Friedeburg signing the surrender with Montgomery. Makes me think if it had been printed before the Soviet surrender ceremony.
I like the picture right at the end of the two senior German officers, Jodl and Keitel, in captivity eating out of mess tins as they count down the days or hours until their appointments with the hangman.
Thanks Dr Felton, awesome and informative as usual. I appreciate how you keep all of this objective, simply instructing what happened and leaving opinion to the student.
Thanks, Mark Felton, for this concise, while also extensive, summary of the end of WW2, 8/9 May1945.The shooting stopped. Would that the same were true for us here in the USA, where this historical event has gotten lost in the media by the war in out own streets.
My Uncles who were over there, only brought home German rifles and pistols. One of them was released a few days before today 78 years ago. I knew that they saw real action as they only talked about being in England never the War and changed the channel when a war show came on TV
One famous Chinese communist general, Liu bocheng, who was later promoted to Marshal and lived to the 1980s, refused to watch war movies. He said that they reminded him of his subordinates who died in battle.
@@petershen6924 Yes, I always figured they didn't want to be reminded of the war. Too many lost friends and too many bad memories they idk idk their minds.
It's interesting that Eisenhower chose not to sign any of the documents. As the Supreme Commander in the West. his signature was the only one that actually mattered. Certainly, Mcarthur wouldn't have missed that chance.
Ike simply wanted to wrap things up without allowing Germans to deepen divisions among Allies (as they were planning to do) . Surprisingly humble fellow.
Eisenhower understood that Reims was not the final step, the full and final German surrender - though it has often been presented as such by Anglo-Saxon historians after the war. Some of the conditions were typical of an armistice rather than a full surrender - for example, there was no clear demand that the German troops would have to give up their arms and hand themselves over as POWs, only that they end the fighting. Also, it didn't stop the fighting on the remnants of the Eastern front. When Zhukov got word through and pointed out that there needed to be a full and definite surrender, which should take place in Berlin, Ike immediately agreed.
Wehrmacht officiers looks stunning. But, officiers of Waffen SS looks even more than stunning. Better even american officiers today in modern uniforms. That is a fact. And in that case The Third Reich forces really win ww2.
At time 1:58 The Germans gave permission that Allied bombers ( end of April / start of May 1945 ) could drop food on western part of Netherlands This was a Big mission with about 242 Lancasters and about 400 B -17 bombers. Also the Swedish Red Cross shiped food to the Netherlands ( January March 1945 )
An interesting video could be made about the peace treaty between Yugoslavia and Germany. Mostly because there never was such a treaty. Yugoslavia and Germany never officially made peace. Yugoslavia was the only belligerent nation that wasn't present at the Paris peace conference. Neither West nor East Germany ever fixed this, and neither did the reunified Germany. In fact, this is why Germany could easily recognize Croatia's independence in 1991, because they never formally recognized, let alone guaranteed Yugoslavia's territorial integrity. Funny, but this may mean Germany is still at war with Serbia, the successor of Yugoslavia, but nobody cares.
Well, completely wrong. West Germany and Yugoslavia restored diplomatic relations in 1968. In 1973 Tito and Brandt formally agreed that Yugoslavia renounces reparations for war damage, while expelled Germans from Yugoslavia renounce their lost property in Yugoslavia. West Germany of course did recognize full territorial integrity of Yugoslavia (and vice versa) , thus their support for Croatian independence formally destroyed world order that existed after WW2, setting a course for state of affairs we have today. It could be argued that Germany again sowed the seeds of world war, although Germany at that time (and currently) was and is simply vasal state of US, therefore they did not have much liberty in their decisions.
It can be argued that by the time a united Germany came about Yugoslavia had already ceased to be. As for there no being a peace treaty, I don't think there was one with anyone. Because in order to have a peace treaty you have to have a government to negotiate and sign it with. Whereas Germany ceased to be in 1945 and only came about in 2 separate governments years later that where essentially 2 new states. WW1 ended in 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles, a year after the end of hostilities. WW2 just ended with the end of hostilities. And probably not just because there no longer was a German government to negotiate one, after what was seen as the failure of Versailles all the occupying powers and allied nations felt it was unnecessary. And anachronistic. Just like declaring war. Even today, wars just happen without declaration and end without peace treaties. They just start and then end, and people move on.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Nope. At the time Germany recognized independence of Slovenia and Croatia there was still functioning Federal government and Army. It could be said that German action forced the hand of other European countries, although Germany did not act alone (vasal state of US) . Also, there were formal treaties between West Germany and Yugoslavia dealing with WW2.
@@aleksazunjic9672 The Brioni Accord, right? I don't know about any recognition of Yugoslavia's borders having been declared there. It was only about reparations. As for Germany sowing the seeds of a world war, well, that's quite the exaggeration. Slovenia was the first to secede from Yugoslavia, and Germany had little role in that. Croatia's independence was purely Croatia's idea, and while German recognition helped them, in fact they won their independence in armed conflict. If you really want to see the seeds of a world war, those were sown by the US in Kosovo. But I'm pretty sure you see those seeds every day.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Yugoslavia existed until June 2006, when Montenegro left the confederation with Serbia. Since then, Serbia is the recognized successor of Yugoslavia. Also, Germany did not cease to exist in 1945, it just didn't have a national government for a short while. The legal successor of Nazi Germany, the Weimar Republic and Imperial Germany was West Germany. The German reunification was basically West Germany annexing East Germany, and East Germany ceased to exist without any successor state.
I live in Jersey and today is our liberation day 9/05/45 . 77 years ago Jersey was freed from German occupation , today it is a public holiday with parades and selebration
I live in Wageningen with my family. Over here stands the Hotel where the liberation is signed. Its still in use and beautiful.greetings drom The Netherlands.
The only reasons why Dönitz was not hanged is because he was a NAVY man and could distance himself from prisoner transport and the final solution even though officers said he was very much into the mix of it all. For the unrestricted warfare it was lessened due to the fact Allies were conducting their own unrestricted navel warfare in the Atlantic and the Pacific.
And another reason was because he was a superior german leader who aproved unconditional surrender to Allias and Soviets. So, how will looked if they hanged Donitz even later, like Keitel.
Thank you again for the amazing content, Dr. Felton! A video about the "Reichstagsbrand" (Reichstag fire) from 1933 would be something I would quite enjoy.
You are one of the best on TH-cam. Knowledge is crazyyy! But do you have to be obsessed with it to know all of this ? I feel like there gotta be somewhat of an obsession with it
I believe there is a story that, in one of the surrender ceremonies, the German generals entered giving their HH salute. The Allied officer taking the surrender told the interpreter to send them out of the room, and instructed them to enter again, this time giving standard military salutes. Is there any truth to this?
Quite possibly. I've seen videos where German officers give a traditional salute, as opposed to the AH raised arm. In fact, if you look at 5:04, the German officers give a traditional salute, and I'm pretty sure allied demands were that the AH salute would NOT be tolerated, or acceptable, during negotiations or any other situation, so what you have suggested could well be correct.
Interestingly the salute used in the pledge of allegiance in the United States before 1941-2 was the same / very similar to the salute used by the Germans, and the Italians before and during WWII. This was also the salute used by the Spanish under Francisco Franco. As this was the salute believed to be used by the Romans. In the United States it was known as the bellamy salute. Today the most common universal term for it would be the Roman salute. Although most people associate it with The Third Reich more than they do with The United States, Ancient Rome, Fascist Italy, or Spain under Franco.
There were actually 4 German surrenders ending the war in Europe. In addition to the 3 mentioned here, there was an unapproved surrender in Italy on May 2nd, 1945.
Though the war was now over, the year following saw the death of over 1 million, (yes 1,000,000) surrendered German soldiers in U.S. captivity. This crime against humanity was covered up when puppet Eisenhower declared these men as “DISARMED ENEMY COMBATANTS” and not the proper “Prisoners Of War/POWs” classification. Therefore, Eisenhower was not under obligation to treat them as human beings under the terms of the Geneva Convention in which the United States has pledged its word to do so.
"Concerned that it might damage our relationship with the USSR." How naive we were. Patton and Churchill were the only ones who truly understood the Communist menace.
@rajkobjelica4905 Oh? You think the Soviet Union was an ally? They were not. Commies have no moral code. They want power and nothing else. We should've shown them zero deference, accepted German surrender unilaterally, and ensured Germany remained united and free.
Wow, that was some complicated arrangements; very excellent content. However, I will continue to imagine that the surrender was on a single piece of paper with one signature.
I am keen to know about the radio communications involved between the combatants and between the German negotiators and the Doenitz government. How did the sides first make contact? Are there sources?
The British officer escorting the German delegation into Ike's chambers (12:48) and in conversation with Soviet general Suslaparov (13:17) is Maj-Gen Kenneth Strong. He appears in many of these SHAEF 'end of war in Europe' photos. Strong is an important, though understated, character who became Ike's Chief Of Intelligence in North Africa (after Brigadier Mockler-Ferriman was, to Ike's regret, made to carry the Kasserine intelligence can [1]). Strong and Bedell Smith later travelled secretly to Italy to encourage Field Marshall Badoglio to surrender Italian forces to the Allies (which he did) and was subsequently involved in the D-Day NEPTUNE & OVERLORD ops at the highest level. Strong developed a close personal friendship with Ike which continued even when Eisenhower became POTUS. At the very end of the war, William Donovan (and Bedell Smith) offered Strong a senior position in the CIA (was the OSS) along with big resources to run an Intel service. The offer included American citizenship - indeed, the offer was conditional on accepting the new nationality. Gen. Strong had become unpopular with his British colleagues (who thought that he had become far too close and co-operative with the Yanks) and even though he had been warned that his British Army career should be considered terminated at the end of hostilities, Strong politely declined the US offer. The American astonishment and affront that resulted showed that despite the closeness of a military alliance - informal and formal - lasting more than six years, the Americans never really understood how the British saw themselves. [1] "Poor Mock..." Eisenhower recorded in his diary: "... but, someone had to go."
It’s funny how the field Marshall’s and commanders don’t remove their hats when in a tent but most definitely do when indoors ! Monty’s tent is like a house too !
I was watching the news this morning, and they had a WW2 veteran on the program, but not just any vet. He is the last surviving person to witness the surrender of Germany, and in fact was the soldier that escorted the Germans into Ike's chambers after they signed the surrender documents. His name is Louis Graziano, 100 years old.
A hero!!!
I saw the same show gb graziano
Oh wow. That’s really neat. Not many WW2 vets left and my dad served for 26 years in the military and served in the Vietnam War and retired as a major in the USAF. He died on 02/23/21 from leukemia. A few headstones down is a vet who served in WW2 and since then several more are in his section. Sometimes I lay flowers in front of my dads headstone as well as some others especially if they died the same day (not necessarily the same year) as many don’t get visitors. That WW2 vet that died I like to lay a flower or a penny at his headstone. In the next few years like the WW1 vets all of the WW2 vets will be gone and god willing we won’t have a repeat of WW2.
I like that you do that with the flowers
I love hearing how people who survived a very dangerous time then go on to live very long lives in spite of all the effort others took to try to kill them!
Eight years ago today we buried my father on VE Day. I took the time today, May 8th, 2023 to watch this excellent video and remember him. His father and uncle both fought in WW2 in Germany and France. Thank you for helping keep these events and memories alive.
My father-in-law just past in March just before his 93rd birthday. He lived in occupied Holland and was liberated by Canadian troops. He remembers when the war ended...when he woke up and there was nothing but silence. No planes, no vehicle or troop movements, just silence. The day was May 7.
@@painterboy454 You mean the poor occupied dutch which went after the war directly back to their colonies?
Some people see really one side of a coin...
@@mobilant1, he was a child and went and settled in Canada the home of his liberators. Don't be a fool of things you have no knowledge.
Eight years ago today we buried my father in Germany and France.
@@painterboy454 You started with occupied Holland and not your father -in-law. BTW doesn't matter because the Dutch were busy to grab the colonies back from the Japanese and not your father-in-law, right?
I have the original photograph of the second angle taken with Field Marshall Montgomery and the surrender of North West Germany and Denmark as my Great Uncle was friends with the photographer and as a gift he gave it to him after the war. So cool to have such a special artefact in my family's possession.
Post it on r/ww2. I'm sure everyone would find that cool like me
AMAZING!!!
submit it to the national archive, german national government or smithsonian. either way don't keep it any more. since current generations are about interested in world war 2 as , zero.
🏆
I'll buy it for 5 bucks!
The interpreter (in the main pic between Monty and the German was Captain Derek Knee.
He was an intelligence officer. He lived till about 2012. I was fortunate enough to be part of the nursing team that looked after him in his last few years. Dementia had robbed him of his ability to recollect anything. He had French relatives that visited him regularly and his French was wonderful.
Its an amusing photo. The German generals with smart insignia and leather coats and hats. And there is Monty wearing a beret and an untidy battledress. and his interpreter looking like Richard Wattis.😂
On the 9th May my father, serving as a radio mechanic with 139 Wing 2nd Tactical Airforce, was at Achmer aerodrome, near Osnabruck. All the techicians were formed up in front of B25 Mitchell bomber for a photograph. I still have that photograph. Shortly after, in early June, my father was given leave to return to England to marry my mother.
Thanks for remembering, Mark. The generation who celebrated VE Day without fail every year has long left us.
Not in Russia, you should move there to be safe...
@@henryrollins9177 Given the average life expectancy in Russia, you don't have many left...
@@wessexdruid7598 Really? Who told you that? The BBC?
@@henryrollins9177 13.2M hits on Google - the World Health Organisation, World Bank, NIH and very many, many more. Covid knocked nearly 2% off your average of ~68 years for males and ~78 for women.
"The biggest factor contributing to this relatively low life expectancy for males is a high mortality rate among working-age males from preventable causes (e.g., alcohol poisoning, stress, smoking, traffic accidents, violent crimes)."
Thanks Mark! Great and interesting content as always! The highlight of the day!
Dr Felton never disappoints when he releases a video. It would help greatly to donate to help keep the content coming.
Growing up, VE Day was the start of American Legion starting poppy sales pre Memorial Day at the end of the month. Thank you for keeping history alive with your teaching and excellent presentations.
Interestingly, British poppy sales are focused on Armistice Day: The 1918 armistice that ended the western front slaughter on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
@@johndododoe1411 That occasion [11/11] has become Veteran's Day in the US.
Whereas, in New Zealand and Australia, the equivalent commemoration (including poppy sales) is for ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) day on 25th April.
@@bungee7503 I had no idea. Thank you for the education.
@@amecocoa3829 New Zealand and Australia have sent soldiers etc to every war the Western powers have fought since the Boer War (not necessarily a good thing). I think New Zealand’s casualty rate per population in WWI was the highest of all countries. I’m the first of three generations in my family to not go to war and I am so grateful for that.
The French to Germany at the end of WW1: "surrender in this rail car"
The Germans to France in 1940: "Surrender in this rail car and become our puppet"
The Allies to Germany in 1945:
"Surrender to us three different times, just so you know we're serious".
More like it shows how fragmented the German high command and forces had become. And that the Germans tried to play the Western Allies against the Soviets, with success initially as seen with the 1st surrender. There was no plan to make them surrender 3 times. Just the chaos of the moment.
Hitler had the Railcar destroyed,",Just in Case".
Maybe everyone was thinking of how WWI ended. General Pershing expressed concerns that the Germans didn't believe they were beaten, and the Allies would have to to do it all again someday. So in 1945 they rammed the point home not once, but three times.
@@michaelpielorz9283 An economic miracle only made possible by American money and the US, UK and France teaming their occupation zones together and letting the Germans have another go at it. If each of those countries had said nice, but we ain't letting you play there would have been 4 Germany's and no economic miracle.
@@michaelpielorz9283 The economic revival of the Western part of Germany was in no small part due to the beneficence of the Western Allies.
No shade on the German effort but there is a perfect control group in the East.
I never realized how so many Germans owe their lives to Admiral Dönitz
Actually he (Doenitz) overated himself after the war. He ordered evacuation of military material and personal and... Civilians if it doesn't disturb military evacuation. Local commandants often disobeyed that and evacuated civilians at same time
After war Doenitz autocrated himself as Savor of East Prussia
@@maciejniedzielski7496 good point, however, soldiers did ultimately become civilians instead of slaves in Russia where they would have been kept until the mid 1950s to die by the scores of thousands. Civilians at the time, were not transported off the Russia, and while suffering in Germany, they were still safer than men under arms. It was a 'tight-rope' act for certain, but, again, saved millions of men.
Well, actually thousands of Germans lost their lives in that evacuation, and later starving to death in western parts of Germany. They actually would have better chance with Soviets, especially civilians.
@@aleksazunjic9672 and yet Germans believed, unequivocally, they would be better off with the Western powers. Hmmm. The Berlin airlift tends to dampen your theory somewhat.
Thank you Dr. Felton for all of your wonderful content !
Hear! hear!
You are very welcome!
@@John_HemingwayCompare Nazi Germany Vs Nazi Chi Na in your next video
As others have mentioned, there are a bunch of other surrenders next to these three.
One of these is the German surrender of the north-west european forces (by general Blaskowitz to Montgomery), which happened in Wageningen, Netherlands, the 6th of May.
This video is quite the coincidence for me, as just last night I stayed in the very hotel ('de wereld') where this surrender took place. In fact, this very morning I ate my breakfast in the very same room where they signed the documents.
To think if Steiner actually attacked we’d all be speaking German today.
Cross of Iron Steiner?
He did attack eventually. There's great video of Mark Felton on that too
James Coburn did not though
i am sorry is this a troll comment? what is this talking about? how exactly could germany win the war in 1945 even if "steiner attacked" and how would it go?
That'd be cool!
I find it telling that Montgomery arranged a press event for the partial surrender while Eisenhower stayed out of the way and merely asked if the Germans if they understood and were prepared to carry out the terms. His communique was also very matter of fact. “The Mission of this Allied Force was fulfilled at 0241, local time, May 7th, 1945, Eisenhower.”
Yeah that's why Eisenhower is so fascinating to me. They called him the "balancer in chief". It seems like he was born to wield power effectively. I wish we cloned him so we could have him serve as president today.
@@Ihateironyanddumbusernames God, no.
Monty seemed more the ham but i liked when he asked of the Nazi generals who are these people what do they want as if they were annoying salesmen
@@raymondtonns2521; That made me laugh too.
I admire Ike greatly, but this was also (uncharacteristically) a bit of play-acting. As Supreme Allied Commander his place was at the table, not pretending he was standing majestically apart. Monty (like Patton) was a 'prima donna' but a great battlefield commander nonetheless. (UK)
The sheer enormity of WWII amazes me, just taking Monty as an example, his war took him from Belgium, to the defence of the South Coast of Britain, to Alamein, to Tunisia, Sicilly, Italy, back to the UK, back to France, Belgium, Holland and finally, to destiny at Lunebergh Heath; and the same goes for all the other Allied leaders and soldiers, airmen and sailors.
Quite how the Nazis ever thought they could prosecute a frontline over such a huge are has always seemed to typify the breath takingly naive arrogance of those people.
@@AndyJarman Well they did edvance, until the americans arrived.
Nazism, much like the plague, spreads very quickly.
Once again, a GREAT history lesson! Thank you, Dr. Felton!
Actually there were FOUR surrenders during that period.
The one that's been missed out is Kesselring's command in Italy. Army Group G surrendered on 6 May to Field Marshall Alexander. Kesselring himself surrendered on 9 May but his command had been gone for 3 days by that point.
😂 Italy, that's because nobody cared
Five surrenders if you consider the fact that in the Netherlands, the German forces surrendered to General Henry Crerar of the Canadian Army on the 8th of May as well.
Germany surrendered to 6 countries then (Italy, Netherlands, France, Soviets, US, and UK)
That's a local surrender in a local theater. Those happened all across Europe, and in the Pacific too. Or are we going to count Fieldmarshall Paulus surrender at Stalingrad as full surrender too?
@@AutomatedPersonnelUnit_3947a lot of allied servicemen were killed in the Italian campaign. Their families probably cared.
Thanks!
Dr. Felton another fabulous history lesson given as only you can!
One of the things I love about your videos is the fact that I can use them anytime I hear somebody say this is what happened. Then I can say "well, maybe you're not entirely correct". Please watch this video from someone who is an expert on this. Well done sir!
Bless those young men and women who made V.E. Day possible.
Happy VE day
Some victory: half europe fell into a worst kind of slavery under soviets and their stooges.. your god did not bless the east european people much between 1945 and 1990.
does that include Mr. Hitler then?
Would’ve loved to have been a fly
on the wall for that Jodl/Keitel conversation at the end, there.
Another great, complex, comprehensive Mark Felton Production accomplished!
Yet another SUPERB contribution to a litany of superb contributions to history
What a show Monty put on - i used to pass his house & Blue Plaque around the corner from Oval Tube station - near the Oval Cricket Ground, when i lived in London.
Happy VE Day Everyone!!! 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇫🇷🇨🇦
Cringe
And 🇳🇱+🇩🇰, @@vdotme
lol VE Day? Tell that to the *Ukainians!*
Stop living in the Past
@@quan-uo5ws and lbgtqia++cdehijkxyz lol.
Gott mit uns
You know it's UNCONDITIONAL when some of the signers on the document are later executed.
True! They didnt knowed what they were doing. Life mistakes!
@@DaliborPerkovic-sw8mhthink they clearly knew what they were doing. Maybe hoped they’d be spared but knew full well the likelihood that they may not be
The German Naval officer who was there later committed suicide.
True. Only Goring knew none of them would get out alive. The others thought they could blame Hitler and lie their way out of a meeting with the hangman.
My lunchtime history lesson. Thank you, Mark!
Another great educational and superbly narrated episode. Nobody does it like Dr Felton. Loved it. Ty.
Dr. Felton is the finest historian on and off youtube!
Thanks
Yes Dr Feltzie dose it again. Easily the best channel on TH-cam about war history. Spot on Dr Felton.
Thank you for yet another great video! I listen to your War Stories while i work. 8 hours a day, every day :)
Hvala.
As ever, an excellent and informative video! Thanks 👍
Dr Felton is the finest military history presenter, researcher, and video maker on you tube today. I've learned more from his short videos than from any longer productions.
Hail Felton....without him, history lessons are tasteless!!
Another fascinating video mark. By far the best historical channel on TH-cam. Keep them coming
It's sad what The History Channel has become. This has done a far better job
My grandfather was stationed on the eastern front. He spent multiple days on a raft that he constructed in order to be captured by an English ship rather than The Red army. His younger brother died in a prison camp in Siberia.
What a nightmare. I hope he found peace in his life after the war.
Your grandfather and other Germans were true cowards. They committed all kinds of atrocities and when it was their time to face their victims they waived white flags and hid under the feet of Americans.
I'm glad he made it to the British lines. I pity his younger brother.
Your grandfather knew about, and possibly participated in, the atrocities committed by the German Army on the Eastern Front.
@@shanemcdowall It is true that he knew about what was done. Nobody told me this, but of the three brothers that fought in the war the middle one was a true believer. My grandfather however was a socialist. Of the battalion he was in that got sent to attack Moscow he was one of only two or three that made it back. He almost got shot on one occasion for repeatedly “losing” his cigarettes around some prisoners he was guarding. His suffering in no way measures up to the suffering caused by the nazis, but his suffering also happened.
Happy VE-Day! Endless respect to every hero fighting for country
Please keep making videos like this format.
The big docus only want buzwords and highlights.
The short detailed format combats over simplification without losing people in the weeds
Thank you. Of course everything you do is uncompromising, and I always think it is the best video you've made. But this one is just so thorough and outstanding.
I particularly liked this one Mr. Felton. I watch almost all your vids and I probably would put this one in my top 10% for some reason. Thank you immensely.
_”… and leave them to the tender mercies of the Soviets!”_
If I were a German soldier, the last thing I would want to do would be to surrender to the Soviets.
Yep, considering what they did to Soviet POWs early in the war, they got of easily .
Civilians weren't keen either. I have a friend who's grandparents fled what became East Germany and surrendered to UK/Commonwealth forces, anything but the Soviets.
@@aleksazunjic9672 600,00 Soviet soldiers surrendered to Germany in the Battle of Kiev 1941 out of those 600,000 more than 200,000 volunteered to serve in Wehrmacht AGAINST the Soviets and the others remaining survived till the end, only to be killed by the Soviets later on when they "liberated" those POW camps because to Soviets surrendering or getting captured meant you are a traitor to the motherland.
So in the end, Soviets ultimately killed their own captured men.
Your point?
Read history and the true history, not the carefully crafted crap fed to us by the Allies.
@@RishabhChoudharry Yeah right 😁Makes you wonder how did Germany lost that war 😁 In reality, out of 600 thousand captured soldiers, 500 thousand were DELIBERATLY starved to death by Germans. When this became known Soviet soldiers were less and less willing to surrender. It became clear that German plan was complete annihilation of Slavs.
@@aleksazunjic9672 There's actually no comparison between the soviets and the germans, the soviets were such deplorable examples of human beings, they didn't only mistreat POWs, they even mistreated every single red army soldier who had had any kind of contact with the other allies.
You learn something new every day. I knew about the first two surrenders, but not the third. Great stuff Doctor Felton!
america deserves credit here, instead of being petty towards germany like we seen in the aftermath of WW1, they decided the same mistakes should not be repeated and instead helped to rebuild germany
The emergence of The Soviet Union as a rival superpower seems to be the primary impetus for the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe. The US wanted strong European allies to form a bulwark against Soviet expansion.
It's impossible to know what kind of American financial aid would have materialized for Europe if the Soviet Union wasn't perceived as an existential threat. But rebuilding Europe after WW2 undoubtedly bolstered America's long-term strategic position in Europe. The financial aid wasn't charity, it was an investment.
It was only because of the USSR and that they wanted to become the world's superpower. They didn't care much about Germany, they cared about stopping communism
Also Ike informed the soviets about the surrender knowing full well what they would be in for after the fact. Since it was agreed by the allies before hand that Unconditional Surrender was the plan, he told the soviets. He shouldn't have but it ended the war, and kept our part of the agreement.
The US had successfully crippled its biggest rival (The UK), so was pretty happy to continue its dismantling.
Nothing the US ever did in the last 100 years was for anything but it’s own interest.
@@MrGouldilocks My honest guess is that had Russia not been a Communist power (say a republic or a constitutional monarchy set up by the Whites after the Russian Civil War), Germany and Japan would have been punished 3x harder. This is because there would be less motive to pardon or ignore any war criminals and a bigger desire to more aggressively transform these two nations for the future. Plus, a democratic Russia would have likely gotten much more public sympathy from the West for the attrocities that had occurred to its people at the hands of the Nazis, it would not have been forgotten due to a Cold War or have been questioned as propaganda.
Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.
Did anyone else notice the significance of the schools in this episode? The German Naval Academy, the French Technical College, and the German Engineering School?
All your work is informative and immensely enjoyable. Much appreciated.
I’ve been to all three sites (or at least within a few hundred yards of the first, which is as close as it’s possible to get with the site being fenced off).
Top Quality as usual from Dr. Felton, succinct and to the point, as usual.
Thanks Dr. Felton!
FELTON: VERY TIMELY AND EXCELLENT!
It's still incredible to me that we have so much footage of that war, and those events. They will not be forgotten for a long time.
They will never be forgotten,
The problem would be in oversimplification and taking the wrong lessons from it. Thats why this channel is so important. Good detail and objectivism in understandable short chunks
But will anyone ever learn anything?
I think by 1940s cameras had reached a high tech standard. Ànd were mass produced and elec media etc was a mature institution
@@Eric-kn4yn certainly the cameras that used Zeiss optics were the highest standard. Even in WW1 the British had a deal with Germany to keep supplying them with Zeiss. I'm not sure if they had the same relationship in WW2 though. I've never heard of it. But maybe.
No other channel i look forward to posting! Thanks Dr.Felton
Definitely love your videos keep up the great work.
Excellent video Mark!! You always present something new to learn!
I have an old newspaper saved by my great grandfather dated May 8th 1945 (Australian time) which has the photo of Friedeburg signing the surrender with Montgomery. Makes me think if it had been printed before the Soviet surrender ceremony.
Thank you Mark Felton for this great history RIP to all soldiers that have there lives for freedom
Thanks dr felton, you make my love for history insufferable to my friends
LOL that's the best compliment I ever heard.
It's a beautiful thing
That is just wonderful lol
Thank you once again Dr. Felton.
Been waiting for this! Thank you Dr. Felton!
Thank you Dr. Felton.
I like the picture right at the end of the two senior German officers, Jodl and Keitel, in captivity eating out of mess tins as they count down the days or hours until their appointments with the hangman.
Surely they must have known they couldn’t win this war. 🙄
A wonderful introduction by ( Dr Mark Felton) channel...thanks for sharing
If only we could have a tenth of the knowledge Mark has of history.
Thanks Dr Felton, awesome and informative as usual. I appreciate how you keep all of this objective, simply instructing what happened and leaving opinion to the student.
Id caution you, pretty much no one does this. No one is impartial. You likely just agree with his views and do not notice when they're there
Wow - good stuff & exceptionally well-detailed. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
I read in "After the battle magazine" that the house where the peace was signed in Northern Germany was demolished 2 years ago. I regretted that.
Superb Dr Felton and Happy VE-Day!
Thanks, Mark Felton, for this concise, while also extensive, summary of the end of WW2, 8/9 May1945.The shooting stopped. Would that the same were true for us here in the USA, where this historical event has gotten lost in the media by the war in out own streets.
11:44, my grandfather (my mom's dad) looks exactly like Donitz in every detail. That's how I remember him!
My Uncles who were over there, only brought home German rifles and pistols. One of them was released a few days before today 78 years ago. I knew that they saw real action as they only talked about being in England never the War and changed the channel when a war show came on TV
One famous Chinese communist general, Liu bocheng, who was later promoted to Marshal and lived to the 1980s, refused to watch war movies. He said that they reminded him of his subordinates who died in battle.
@@petershen6924 Yes, I always figured they didn't want to be reminded of the war. Too many lost friends and too many bad memories they idk idk their minds.
war isnt pretty, and to be reminded of it isnt something you want to be reminded of. god bless your uncles.
@@mikeohagan2206 Very true the little I have heard it had to be a nightmare you could not wake up from. It had to be the worst for those in the PTO.
It must’ve felt patronizing to see the war sensationalized on TV, by reporters and other personalities who hadn’t gone through it themselves
It's interesting that Eisenhower chose not to sign any of the documents. As the Supreme Commander in the West. his signature was the only one that actually mattered. Certainly, Mcarthur wouldn't have missed that chance.
Ike simply wanted to wrap things up without allowing Germans to deepen divisions among Allies (as they were planning to do) . Surprisingly humble fellow.
Eisenhower understood that Reims was not the final step, the full and final German surrender - though it has often been presented as such by Anglo-Saxon historians after the war. Some of the conditions were typical of an armistice rather than a full surrender - for example, there was no clear demand that the German troops would have to give up their arms and hand themselves over as POWs, only that they end the fighting. Also, it didn't stop the fighting on the remnants of the Eastern front. When Zhukov got word through and pointed out that there needed to be a full and definite surrender, which should take place in Berlin, Ike immediately agreed.
He said that he didn't want to risk shaking hands with a Nazi.
My father was on duty that night at Eisenhower's headquarters. They retyped those papers numerous times.
unbelievably early to this one. And another outstanding end of war piece..
Well one thing you can't deny about the Germans. They wore snappy uniforms. I love those black leather coats.
Hugo Boss was a boss lol
Wehrmacht officiers looks stunning. But, officiers of Waffen SS looks even more than stunning. Better even american officiers today in modern uniforms. That is a fact. And in that case The Third Reich forces really win ww2.
At time 1:58 The Germans gave permission that Allied bombers ( end of April / start of May 1945 ) could drop food on western part of Netherlands
This was a Big mission with about 242 Lancasters and about 400 B -17 bombers.
Also the Swedish Red Cross shiped food to the Netherlands ( January March 1945 )
An interesting video could be made about the peace treaty between Yugoslavia and Germany. Mostly because there never was such a treaty. Yugoslavia and Germany never officially made peace. Yugoslavia was the only belligerent nation that wasn't present at the Paris peace conference. Neither West nor East Germany ever fixed this, and neither did the reunified Germany. In fact, this is why Germany could easily recognize Croatia's independence in 1991, because they never formally recognized, let alone guaranteed Yugoslavia's territorial integrity. Funny, but this may mean Germany is still at war with Serbia, the successor of Yugoslavia, but nobody cares.
Well, completely wrong. West Germany and Yugoslavia restored diplomatic relations in 1968. In 1973 Tito and Brandt formally agreed that Yugoslavia renounces reparations for war damage, while expelled Germans from Yugoslavia renounce their lost property in Yugoslavia. West Germany of course did recognize full territorial integrity of Yugoslavia (and vice versa) , thus their support for Croatian independence formally destroyed world order that existed after WW2, setting a course for state of affairs we have today. It could be argued that Germany again sowed the seeds of world war, although Germany at that time (and currently) was and is simply vasal state of US, therefore they did not have much liberty in their decisions.
It can be argued that by the time a united Germany came about Yugoslavia had already ceased to be. As for there no being a peace treaty, I don't think there was one with anyone. Because in order to have a peace treaty you have to have a government to negotiate and sign it with. Whereas Germany ceased to be in 1945 and only came about in 2 separate governments years later that where essentially 2 new states. WW1 ended in 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles, a year after the end of hostilities. WW2 just ended with the end of hostilities. And probably not just because there no longer was a German government to negotiate one, after what was seen as the failure of Versailles all the occupying powers and allied nations felt it was unnecessary. And anachronistic. Just like declaring war. Even today, wars just happen without declaration and end without peace treaties. They just start and then end, and people move on.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Nope. At the time Germany recognized independence of Slovenia and Croatia there was still functioning Federal government and Army. It could be said that German action forced the hand of other European countries, although Germany did not act alone (vasal state of US) . Also, there were formal treaties between West Germany and Yugoslavia dealing with WW2.
@@aleksazunjic9672 The Brioni Accord, right? I don't know about any recognition of Yugoslavia's borders having been declared there. It was only about reparations. As for Germany sowing the seeds of a world war, well, that's quite the exaggeration. Slovenia was the first to secede from Yugoslavia, and Germany had little role in that. Croatia's independence was purely Croatia's idea, and while German recognition helped them, in fact they won their independence in armed conflict. If you really want to see the seeds of a world war, those were sown by the US in Kosovo. But I'm pretty sure you see those seeds every day.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Yugoslavia existed until June 2006, when Montenegro left the confederation with Serbia. Since then, Serbia is the recognized successor of Yugoslavia. Also, Germany did not cease to exist in 1945, it just didn't have a national government for a short while.
The legal successor of Nazi Germany, the Weimar Republic and Imperial Germany was West Germany. The German reunification was basically West Germany annexing East Germany, and East Germany ceased to exist without any successor state.
Happy VE Day Dr Felton and everyone!! 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇷🇺
I live in Jersey and today is our liberation day 9/05/45 . 77 years ago Jersey was freed from German occupation , today it is a public holiday with parades and selebration
have a pint for me! a yank
I live in Wageningen with my family. Over here stands the Hotel where the liberation is signed. Its still in use and beautiful.greetings drom The Netherlands.
I was hoping for this, very excited.
The only reasons why Dönitz was not hanged is because he was a NAVY man and could distance himself from prisoner transport and the final solution even though officers said he was very much into the mix of it all. For the unrestricted warfare it was lessened due to the fact Allies were conducting their own unrestricted navel warfare in the Atlantic and the Pacific.
And another reason was because he was a superior german leader who aproved unconditional surrender to Allias and Soviets. So, how will looked if they hanged Donitz even later, like Keitel.
Pretty unsavory to kill the men who signed the surrender documents.
@@leviturner3265they were all war criminals doenitz was just extremely lucky
Thank you again for the amazing content, Dr. Felton! A video about the "Reichstagsbrand" (Reichstag fire) from 1933 would be something I would quite enjoy.
Thank You!
You are one of the best on TH-cam. Knowledge is crazyyy! But do you have to be obsessed with it to know all of this ? I feel like there gotta be somewhat of an obsession with it
When an obsession is beneficial we call it a passion
Obsession??? It’s his vocation - he’s an historian.
very interesting footage as usual Mark!
Happy V-E day Mark!!
Thanks Mark. Another excellent video.
I believe there is a story that, in one of the surrender ceremonies, the German generals entered giving their HH salute. The Allied officer taking the surrender told the interpreter to send them out of the room, and instructed them to enter again, this time giving standard military salutes. Is there any truth to this?
Quite possibly. I've seen videos where German officers give a traditional salute, as opposed to the AH raised arm. In fact, if you look at 5:04, the German officers give a traditional salute, and I'm pretty sure allied demands were that the AH salute would NOT be tolerated, or acceptable, during negotiations or any other situation, so what you have suggested could well be correct.
Interestingly the salute used in the pledge of allegiance in the United States before 1941-2 was the same / very similar to the salute used by the Germans, and the Italians before and during WWII. This was also the salute used by the Spanish under Francisco Franco. As this was the salute believed to be used by the Romans.
In the United States it was known as the bellamy salute. Today the most common universal term for it would be the Roman salute. Although most people associate it with The Third Reich more than they do with The United States, Ancient Rome, Fascist Italy, or Spain under Franco.
There were actually 4 German surrenders ending the war in Europe. In addition to the 3 mentioned here, there was an unapproved surrender in Italy on May 2nd, 1945.
great accumulation of historic newsreels. Merci Beaucoup
Though the war was now over, the year following saw the death of over 1 million, (yes 1,000,000) surrendered German soldiers in U.S. captivity.
This crime against humanity was covered up when puppet Eisenhower declared these men as “DISARMED ENEMY COMBATANTS” and not the proper “Prisoners Of War/POWs” classification. Therefore, Eisenhower was not under obligation to treat them as human beings under the terms of the Geneva Convention in which the United States has pledged its word to do so.
Thank you for that great documentary.
"Concerned that it might damage our relationship with the USSR."
How naive we were.
Patton and Churchill were the only ones who truly understood the Communist menace.
Both wrong.
@rajkobjelica4905 Oh?
You think the Soviet Union was an ally?
They were not.
Commies have no moral code. They want power and nothing else.
We should've shown them zero deference, accepted German surrender unilaterally, and ensured Germany remained united and free.
Wow, that was some complicated arrangements; very excellent content. However, I will continue to imagine that the surrender was on a single piece of paper with one signature.
I am keen to know about the radio communications involved between the combatants and between the German negotiators and the Doenitz government. How did the sides first make contact? Are there sources?
The British officer escorting the German delegation into Ike's chambers (12:48) and in conversation with Soviet general Suslaparov (13:17) is Maj-Gen Kenneth Strong. He appears in many of these SHAEF 'end of war in Europe' photos. Strong is an important, though understated, character who became Ike's Chief Of Intelligence in North Africa (after Brigadier Mockler-Ferriman was, to Ike's regret, made to carry the Kasserine intelligence can [1]). Strong and Bedell Smith later travelled secretly to Italy to encourage Field Marshall Badoglio to surrender Italian forces to the Allies (which he did) and was subsequently involved in the D-Day NEPTUNE & OVERLORD ops at the highest level. Strong developed a close personal friendship with Ike which continued even when Eisenhower became POTUS.
At the very end of the war, William Donovan (and Bedell Smith) offered Strong a senior position in the CIA (was the OSS) along with big resources to run an Intel service. The offer included American citizenship - indeed, the offer was conditional on accepting the new nationality. Gen. Strong had become unpopular with his British colleagues (who thought that he had become far too close and co-operative with the Yanks) and even though he had been warned that his British Army career should be considered terminated at the end of hostilities, Strong politely declined the US offer. The American astonishment and affront that resulted showed that despite the closeness of a military alliance - informal and formal - lasting more than six years, the Americans never really understood how the British saw themselves.
[1] "Poor Mock..." Eisenhower recorded in his diary: "... but, someone had to go."
It’s funny how the field Marshall’s and commanders don’t remove their hats when in a tent but most definitely do when indoors ! Monty’s tent is like a house too !