The May 8th, 1945 is the date of the victory of the Alliés on the Nazi Germany and the end of the Second world war in Europe. This day is also that of the Massacre of Sétif in Algérie.

Capitulation of Germany

With 02:41 the May 7th 1945, with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces with Rheims, the chief of staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht the Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, sign the German Instrument off Surrender . The combat of the Second world war on the European face ceased officially the May 8th 1945 with 23:01 (THIS), hour of Central Europe, pursuant to the unconditional surrender of the Nazi Germany.

The western journalists spread the news of the capitulation prematurely, thus precipitating the celebrations. The engagements continued however on the face of the east until the Germans again sign an act of capitulation specific with the Soviet to Berlin. It is thus little before midnight, on May 8th that one second unconditional surrender was signed in a villa of Karlshorst in the suburbs is of Berlin. The representatives of the USSR, Great Britain, France and the United States arrived little before midnight. After the marshal Georgi Joukov opened the ceremony, the representatives of the German high command, taken along by the Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, were invited to sign into effect the act of capitulation coming to Central Europe 23:01 time. It will be necessary to await the official capitulation of the Japan the September 2nd 1945 when the Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu sign the articles of the rendering of the Japanese forces on the bridge of the US Missouri in bay of Tokyo so that the Second world war ends.

Bank holiday in France

May 8th was declared bank holiday of commemoration in France the March 20th 1953. The president Charles de Gaulle removes the non-working character of this day by the decree of the April 11th 1959. To place itself in a logic of reconciliation with the Germany, the president Giscard d'Estaing also removes the commemoration of the allied victory in 1975. It is the president François Mitterrand who will restore at the same time this commemoration and this bank holiday on June 1st 1981.

Massacre of Sétif

See also: Massacre of Sétif

This date is also that of the bloody repression of the popular demonstrations which proceeded with Setif and Guelma (Algérie) to claim the Indépendance country and the release of the chief of the Algerian Popular party (PPP), Messali Hadj.

These massacres of Sétif which made several thousands of deaths passed unperceived in the metropolis, focused on the celebration of the capitulation of Germany. The communist newspaper Humanity speaks about it to qualify them riots of sympathizers Nazis .

This event is commemorated each year in Algeria.

External bonds

• May 8th: history of a very political commemoration (Politique.net)
• Fin of the war in Europe (herodote.net)
• bloody Répression in Sétif (herodote.net)
• Sinks May 8th, 1945 in Algeria (LeMonde.fr)

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