When, exactly, did World War II end? The answer depends on where you are from. The war officially ended in the early hours of May 7 1945, when General Jodl signed Germany’s unconditional surrender at the Allied headquarters in Reims, effective from the following day. Thousands took to the streets in London, New York and other cities to celebrate.
However, on May 8 the ceremony was repeated in Berlin in the presence of the Soviet Union’s Marshal Zhukov and representatives of the other Allied countries. Peace reigned from the following day onwards. The Red Army had conquered the German capital, and it was supposed that they would hold symbolic pre-eminence.
