What is V-E Day?

May 8th is known as V-E Day and stands for "Victory in Europe" Day; this holiday celebrates the conclusion of World War II in Europe in 1945. The victory for the Allies came with the surrender of German military forces.

The Italian military had surrendered 10 days prior to the capitulation of the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, had committed suicide on April 30th, 1945. The political mantle fell to Hitler's appointee, Karl Donitz, who, nine days later, instructed Generals Alfred Jodl and Franz Böhme, as well as Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, to unconditionally surrender all German military forces to the Allies.