History Book: Germany surrenders

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Up next, the WORLD History Book. This week marks the 80th anniversary of the Allies defeat of Hitler in World War II. Enthusiasm for the occasion was subdued as the war with Japan continued.

EICHER: WORLD’s Paul Butler has been combing through radio broadcasts from the time and found some highlights to share.

PAUL BUTLER: On May 1st, 1945, radio services around the world interrupt their regular programming with news from Berlin:

MBS: This afternoon, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz announced the death of Adolf Hitler.

BBC: Here is a news flash. The German radio has just announced that Hitler is dead. I'll repeat that. The German radio has just announced that Hitler is dead.

JOHN THOMPSON: We have just heard the news here over our monitoring service that Adolf Hitler is dead. The announcement…stated that Hitler had personally selected Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor. The admiral came on the radio, reported how sad he and the nation were and said he was taking over, according to the fuhrer's wishes…

On its own, Hitler’s death doesn’t guarantee an end to the war. But the writing is on the wall. Just one week later:

BBC: [CHIMES] This is the BBC home service. We are interrupting programs to make the following announcement.

Germany agrees to unconditional surrender. Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz addresses the German people by radio:

DONITZ: [Speaking German] When I addressed the German nation on May 1...I said that my foremost task was to save the lives of the German people. In order to achieve this goal, I ordered the German High Command...to sign the unconditional surrender for all fronts.

He assures the German people that he is honoring Hitler’s wishes and saving as many lives as he can by ordering the German High Command to sign the surrender agreement.

That same day U.S. President Harry Truman addresses the American people and U-S Allies:

TRUMAN: This is a solemn but a glorious hour. The flags of freedom fly all over Europe for this victory, we join in offering our thanks to the Providence which has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity, our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band.

That high price is not just in munitions and equipment, but human lives. 250,000 Americans died in Europe. More than 600,000 injured…

TRUMAN: Let us not forget, my fellow American, the sorrow and the heartache which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors, neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty we can repay the debt which we owe to our God, to our dead, and to our children. Only by work, by ceaseless devotion to the responsibilities which lie ahead of us.

President Truman ends his address with this proclamation:

TRUMAN: It is fitting that we as a nation give thanks to Almighty God who has strengthened us and given us the victory. Now therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, president of the United States of America, do hereby appoint Sunday, May 13, 1945, to be a day of prayer. I call upon the people of the United States, whatever their faith, to unite in offering joyful thanks to God for the victory we have won, and to pray that he will support us to the end of our present struggle and guide us into the ways of peace.

In London, Winston Churchill reminds the British nation that there is still much to do:

CHURCHILL:We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing, but let us not forget for a moment the toils and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed remains unsubdued The injuries she has inflicted upon Great Britain, the United States and other countries and her detestable cruelties call for justice and retribution, we must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our tasks, both at home and abroad.

King George VI echoes Truman’s call, speaking of the obligation to honor the fallen, and to commit themselves to God in the days ahead.

GEORGE: In the hour of danger we humbly committed our cause into the hand of God and he has been our strength and shield. Let us thank him for his mercies and in this hour of victory commit ourselves and our new task to the guidance that same strong hand.

As reconstruction begins in Europe, Allied attention shifts to bringing an end to the war in the Pacific Theater. And in just over three months, they succeed. Japan surrenders on August 15^th, unconditionally, bringing an end to the war that defined a generation.

That’s this week’s WORLD History Book. I’m Paul Butler.

MUSIC OUT: [V IS FOR VICTORY]

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