On May 2, 1945, Germany's defeat at the Battle of Berlin marked the beginning of the fall of the Third Reich – and the end of World War II. But in France, it is the date of May 8, which marks the end of the fighting in Europe, that is celebrated, according to the site Vie Publique.

The Second World War was one of the worst conflicts in history. It has caused more than 62 million deaths, 100 million people from sixty different countries have fought and thousands of buildings have been destroyed, recalls Ouest France. Two camps opposed it: the Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) and the Allies (France, United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Canada, China and many others).

A different ending for each country

The war began on September 1, 1939 and ended on September 2, 1945. So why do we celebrate May 8 in France? This date comes the day after the surrender of Germany, a few days after the Battle of Berlin. The German army signed its surrender on May 7 in Reims, for a cessation of fighting set for May 8, at 23:01 p.m.

On D-Day at the appointed time, the Germans signed a new act of capitulation in Berlin, in the presence of representatives of the allied countries. This date marked the end of the war only in Europe: fighting continued elsewhere, especially in Asia. Japan did not abdicate until August 1945 after the two atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States.



If the France has made May 8 a public holiday, this is not the case for other allied countries. Russia and some countries of the former USSR celebrate this day on May 9, due to the time difference and the delayed cessation of fighting on their territory. It should also be noted that May 8 has not always been a public holiday in France.

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