This day in history, May 8 1945

[Stubble]

Radio station Flensburg: Speech by Grand Admiral Dönitz on the surrender of the German Reich, May 8, 1945

German men and women! In my speech on May 1, in which I informed the German people of the death of the Führer and my appointment as his successor, I described it as my first task to save the lives of German people. In order to achieve this goal, on the night of May 6 to 7, I ordered the Wehrmacht Supreme Command to declare unconditional surrender of all fighting forces on all battlefields.

On May 8, at 11 p.m., the weapons are silent. The soldiers of the German Wehrmacht, who have proven their worth in countless battles, take the bitter road to captivity and thus make the final sacrifice for the lives of women and children and for the future of our people. … We have to face the facts clearly. The foundations on which the German Reich was built have fallen apart. The unity of state and party no longer exists. The party has resigned from the scene of its effectiveness.

With the occupation of Germany the power lies with the occupying powers. It is in their hands whether or not I and the government appointed by me can operate. If through my official activity I can benefit and help our fatherland, I will remain in office until the will of the German people can be expressed in the appointment of a head of state, or if the occupying powers make it impossible for me to continue my official duties. For only the love for Germany and the duty hold me on my difficult post. …

We all have a difficult road ahead. We must go it in the dignity, courage and discipline that demands the memory of our fallen from us. We must go it with the will to push all of our work and performance without which we cannot provide for our livelihood. We want to walk it in the unity and justice without which we can not overcome the misery of the coming time. We can hope that our children will have a free and secure existence in a peaceful Europe. I do not want to stay behind you on this thorny path. If it is my duty to remain in office, I will try to help you as much as I can.

If it is my duty to leave, then this step too should be a service to people and Reich.

[InuYasha]

The day when Germany surrender. Although it considered as the V-E Day, the German Reich was still existed after May 8. Government went to Flensburg and Dönitz was de-facto leader of Germany until May 23.

Keitel also had no legal authority to sign such a document as "unconditional surrender", and isolated pockets of resistance continued throughout May, such as Crete, or the Courland pocket.

The real end date of the war is May 23, 1945 for Europe.

[InuYasha]

Almost 80 years ago, WWII ended. There was a lot of lies, hysteria and exaggeration. Now we have to admit that it was a largely artificial conflict that could have been avoided if there had been political will. Japan, and to some extent Germany, were pushed into the conflict.

Of course, this does not diminish the heroism and courage of the Soviet people on the Eastern Front, as well as Germans, British, Americans and all war participants from all countries.
But it would have been better if they had not had a reason to show this heroism. It would have been better if all the dead had remained alive - and worked peacefully, without any heroic deeds.
For the Russians, and for the Germans, and for the British and the French, both world wars were terrible tragedies. There was no benefit from these wars - neither for the first, nor for the second, nor for the third, nor for the fourth. War in the modern world cannot have real winners. Industrial warfare is not the conflicts of the Middle Ages, which brought benefits to countries in the form of new land and resources - in the form of peasants, slaves and gold.
We all - were among the losers.

Only the Germans and Italians with the Japanese were CLEARLY losers, and the Russians with the English and the French, and even the Americans, had the illusion of victory. A very expensive illusion of a Pyrrhic victory...