Liberation Day, Victory Day, V-Day: The end of World War II in Europe and the victory over National Socialism go by many names. In some countries, such as France and Slovakia, it is a public holiday, and in Germany it is a day of remembrance. After twelve years of brutal Nazi rule, nearly six years of war, 60 million people killed and six million Jews systematically murdered, on May 8, Nazi Germany was defeated and the war ended.

The surrender of the perpetrators occurred several times, therefore the end of World War II was celebrated on different days in different countries. Colonel General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces, signed on the night of 6-7 May 1945 in Reims the act of surrender to Western powers. It entered into force on May 8, 1945 at 23:01.

Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin wanted to do this once again in his zone of power. On the evening of May 9, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, head of the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces, signed the act of surrender at Soviet headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst. In this regard, Russia traditionally celebrates Victory Day on May 9. In the Netherlands, the end of the German occupation was celebrated on May 5 as “Bevrijdingsdag”, or Liberation Day, and is celebrated to this day.

Ambivalent warning in Germany

Germany – the nation that prepared for and spread this catastrophic war – had long been looking for a way to deal with May 8. For the German people, the so-called “zero hour” began with the surrender of the Third Reich. At first, no one wanted to look back. This day symbolizes defeat and liberation. For the young postwar republic of Germany, the beginnings were too ambiguous and complicated to deal with.

The newly founded German Democratic Republic (GDR) in east Germany followed the path of the Soviet Union, considering itself an anti-fascist state that was not responsible for the crimes of Nazi Germany. For several years in the GDR, May 8 was even an official holiday.

In West Germany, in the Federal Republic, May 8 brought shame and uncertainty about how to relate to him. Opinions differ. Konrad Adenauer, the first federal chancellor, is said to have pushed for the Basic Law to be passed on the evening of May 8, 1949. The Federal Center for Citizenship Education quotes an excerpt from a meeting where Adenauer said: “Perhaps for us Germans, this is the first happy day since 1933. We want to calculate the time from that date, not from the fall of Germany ”, which meant the seizure of power in Germany by the Nazis.

Richard von Weizsaecker asks Germany to face each other’s mistakes and take responsibility for them, 8.5.1985

President Richard von Weizsaecker is not the first German politician to call May 8 in his historic speech a “liberation day” from the inhumane National Socialist tyranny system. But it is his speech that is remembered; even more so when he called on Germany to face their individual mistakes and take responsibility for them.

In 2020, May 8th has become an extraordinary public holiday, and is also celebrated as a day of remembrance. Even before 2020, and after, much discussion is being held about making this day a permanent public holiday in Germany.

Internal political goals in Russia

In Russia, “Victory Day” is also a day of mourning for many years. During World War II, the Soviet Union lost millions of its citizens and this day must be remembered by them. However, this has changed over the years.

President Vladimir Putin uses this day more and more for internal political purposes. In early 2020, a study by the German Foundation for Science and Political Science found that under Putin, the history of the Soviet Union was increasingly one-sided; so that the current regime appears stronger and escapes as a continuation of the former great power, the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Putin speaking to Russia

For example, under Putin’s rule on May 9, large military parades were reintroduced. In Moscow, visitors can visit the Orthodox Church in the Patriotic Park, where there are frescoes depicting Red Army soldiers up until the recent wars in Georgia and Syria. At a military parade last year a year ago, Putin said: “Russia has consistently defended international law. At the same time, we will vigorously defend our national interests to ensure the security of our country. The brave Russian armed forces, the heirs of the victorious soldiers, are a sure guarantee for this.” Putin promoted the image of a great empire in danger in the spirit and traditions of the Red Army.

This narrative also fits well with the fact that Putin called Ukraine “fascist” not only after the attacks on February 24, but has been talking about it since 2014, thus creating propaganda continuity with the Nazi era. Ingo Mannteufel, a longtime DW expert on Russia, puts this into action: “Putin and Russian state propaganda makes the historic surrender of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945 the main point of reference for the Kremlin’s current political activity.”

Practice before the big military parade

– The Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany was thus instrumentally used to justify the war with Ukraine, which began on February 24. Thus, on May 9, it lost its historical function of commemorating the death and suffering of millions and became a tool of Putin’s aggressive Russian propaganda, stressed Ingo Mannteufel.

Fears of prolongation of war in Ukraine

It’s no surprise that weeks of speculation that Putin might use the May 9 holiday this year to intensify propaganda in the war with Ukraine again. Scholars such as CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter were concerned about his announcement of a general mobilization that would allow him to recruit tens of thousands of new troops.

Ukrainian intelligence warned that Russia might be planning a military parade in Mariupol, which was largely taken over by Russian troops.

In this way, May 9 can be a propaganda tool, not just a memorial day. Ukraine, but also Russia, is trying to oppose it, at least in Western countries. They called for events and rallies to be held in Berlin to commemorate this day responsibly and to defend peace.

The Museum in Karlshorst is also planning commemorative events: a church service and a “Call for Peace”. They were organized at the place of signing the deed of surrender in the last hours of May 8, 1945. A few days ago, the museum decided to change the name of the current “German-Russian Museum”. Now only the Ukrainian flag flies in front of the museum.

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