Victory over fascism. How was the initial surrender agreement of Germany signed?

On May 8, 1945, the final act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and its armed forces was signed.

When Soviet troops surrounded Berlin, the military leadership of the Third Reich faced the challenge of protecting what remained of Germany. This could only be possible by refraining from unconditional surrender.

The Soviet Union demanded unconditional surrender as the only condition for ending the war. Stalin considered the agreement signed in Reims to be just a preliminary protocol and was unhappy that the agreement on the surrender of Germany was signed in France, and not in the capital of the occupying power. Especially since the war is still going on.

After the surrender of Germany, the Wehrmacht government was dissolved and the German troops on the Soviet-German front began to lay down their arms. In total, the Red Army captured about 1.5 million soldiers and officers and 101 generals of the enemy under this law. This is how the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people ended.

On May 7 in Reims, the Chief of the Operations Staff of the High Command of the German Army, Colonel-General Jodl signed the Act on the surrender of the German Armed Forces. General Bedell-Smith presided over the ceremony. Then General Ivan Susloparov and the representative of France, Deputy Chief of the National Defense General Staff General Francois Sevez signed as witnesses.

Why was the act of surrender of Germany signed twice?

On the one hand, it was impossible to allow the signing of the act without the participation of the Soviet side. The Allies were ready to end the war as soon as possible and decided not to delay. As a result, the Act was signed, but Article 4 of the document stipulates that "this act does not prevent the signing of another final act at the request of one of the members of the coalition."

The Rheims Act did not sit well with the Soviet leadership for several reasons. First, the Soviet representative signed it only as a witness. Secondly, General Susloparov did not have the right to sign such a document due to his rank. Third, the signing took place not in Berlin, the capital of the fascist state, but in the territories occupied by the allies, which undermined the image of the Soviet Union as the real victor.

What are the differences between the two documents?

The difference between the two documents lies in the content. For example, (https://www.noo-journal.ru/akt-o-kapitulyatsii-germanii.../) the name Red Army High Command was used instead of the Soviet High Command. The article on the protection of military equipment has been added and expanded.

Since both Acts of Surrender began almost simultaneously, the signing of the surrender of the German armed forces is often associated with the Rheims ceremony in Western historical literature. In Karlshorst, the signing of the act of surrender is called its "ratification". The United States, Great Britain, France and some other countries celebrate Victory in World War II Day in Europe on May 8.