The unconditional surrender of the German Third Reich was signed in the early morning hours of Monday, May 7, 1945, at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force in Reims. The document states that the German High Command hereby surrenders unconditionally to the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command, and orders German forces to cease active operations at 2301 hours Central European time on 8 May.

Germany signed the instrument of unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945, but the surrender became effective at 23:01 Central European Time on May 8. Reuters explains that this timing difference is why Europe commemorates V-E Day on May 8, while Russia marks Victory Day on May 9.

Germany’s unconditional surrender was signed at Reims on May 7, 1945, and a second signing took place in Berlin on May 8. The surrender took effect at 11:01 pm Central European Time on May 8, which is the moment commonly associated with the end of the war in Europe and with V-E Day.

This document records the unconditional surrender of German armed forces. It specifies that German forces will cease active operations at 2301 hours Central European time on 8 May 1945 and remain in their positions, reflecting the surrender signed at Reims on May 7, 1945.

The Avalon Project reproduces the texts of multiple surrender instruments, including local and general surrenders. The list includes the "Act of Military Surrender Signed at Rheims at 0241 on the 7th day of May, 1945" and the later Berlin document. Other entries are "Instrument of Local Surrender of German and Other Forces Under the Command or Control of the German Commander-In-Chief Southwest; April 29, 1945" and "Instrument of Surrender of all German Armed Forces in Holland, in Northwest Germany Including all Islands, and in Denmark; May 4, 1945." These show that several surrender instruments were signed in late April and early May 1945, culminating in the general act at Reims on 7 May.

On May 7, 1945, at Reims, France, the Germans signed an unconditional surrender of all their armed forces. The surrender took effect on May 8, 1945, which the Allies declared Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, commemorating the end of World War II in Europe.

In the early morning hours of May 7 the unconditional surrender of the entire German Wehrmacht was agreed in Reims. It went into effect on all fronts on May 8, 1945 at 23.01 Central European Time. On May 9 around 0.45 a.m. German commanders signed the surrender document dated May 8.

On May 7, 1945, the Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, Alfred Jodl, surrendered at General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Allied headquarters in Reims. At Soviet request, another surrender document with few significant changes was signed in Berlin on May 8, 1945, by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, bringing a formal end to nearly six years of bloody fighting in Europe. Truman designated May 8 as V-E Day and most of the Western Allies followed suit.

V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945, is the day the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, marking the end of World War II in Europe. The German surrender was signed at the headquarters of Allied forces in Reims, France, on May 7, 1945, and a slightly modified final document was signed in Berlin on May 8.

Discussing the German capitulation, Britannica writes: “In the early hours of May 7, 1945, at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces to the Allies.” It adds that “a second, formal surrender ceremony was held in Berlin on the night of May 8–9, when Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signed similar documents before representatives of the Soviet High Command” and notes that “May 8 subsequently became known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) in the Western Allies, while the Soviet Union celebrated Victory Day on May 9.”

Britannica’s overview of the war’s end states that German forces in Italy and northwest Europe capitulated in late April and early May, and that "the unconditional surrender of all German forces was signed at SHAEF headquarters in Reims, France, on May 7, 1945, by Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl, chief of staff of the German army." It notes that a second signing took place: "At Soviet insistence, a second surrender ceremony was held in Berlin on May 8, at which Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signed on behalf of the German armed forces." On commemoration, the article states that May 8, 1945, is celebrated as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day in Western countries, while "the Soviet Union and some of its successor states celebrate May 9 as Victory Day because of the time difference."

VE Day – or Victory in Europe Day – is celebrated on 8 May and marks the day during World War Two when fighting against Nazi Germany in Europe came to an end. On 7 May 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies in Reims, France, and the following day, 8 May, was declared VE Day to celebrate the official acceptance of this surrender.

The German Instrument of Surrender orders German forces to cease all active operations at 2301 hours Central European time on 8 May and to remain in the positions occupied at that time. Shortly after midnight on May 7, Jodl signed the Instrument of Surrender and effectively ended the war in Europe.

Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies on 7 May 1945 at Reims, France, bringing an end to the war in Europe. The following day, 8 May 1945, was declared Victory in Europe (VE) Day in Britain and marked with national celebrations as the country commemorated the formal acceptance of Germany's surrender.

8 May 1945 – Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) – is a day etched in the memory of everyone who witnessed it. After nearly six years of war Germany officially surrendered on 7 May 1945 and the conflict was finally over. The unconditional surrender came after Adolf Hitler took his own life on 30 April and was authorised by his successor Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz.

The official U.S. military video description states: "German General Alfred Jodl signs an unconditional surrender to the Western Allies in a red brick schoolhouse in Reims, France, May 7, 1945." It adds: "This brief instrument of unconditional military surrender was followed by a formal signing of the definitive Act of Military Surrender in Berlin two days later that included Soviet military leadership and required German service members to disarm themselves, disband, and enter captivity." This description underscores that the Reims document was an unconditional military surrender, with a more formal Berlin ceremony on 8–9 May.

Imperial War Museums explains that "On 7 May 1945, in the French city of Reims, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender on behalf of the German High Command." It goes on: "The surrender was to take effect at 23.01 hours on 8 May. The following day, 8 May, was declared Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), marking the formal end of the war in Europe." The article also notes a second ceremony: "At the insistence of the Soviet Union, a second surrender ceremony took place in Berlin late on 8 May, which in Moscow was already the early hours of 9 May," explaining why different countries commemorate either 8 or 9 May.

The U.S. Army historical piece states: "On May 7, 1945, German Gen. Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces at Allied headquarters in Reims, France." It explains that "The surrender took effect the following day, May 8, which became known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day." The article further notes that a second signing took place in Berlin but emphasizes that for the Western Allies "May 8 is recognized as the official end of the war in Europe."

Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official cessation of all German military operations. The act of military surrender was first signed at 02:41 on 7 May at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in Reims.

The article states that the German Instrument of Surrender "was the legal document that effected the unconditional surrender of the remaining German armed forces in World War II." It describes the first signing: "On 7 May 1945, at SHAEF headquarters in Reims, France, Colonel General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender of all German forces to the Allies." It also notes a second ceremony: "A slightly modified version of the original text was signed on 8 May in Berlin, at the instigation of the Soviet Union." On commemoration, it explains that in Western Europe and the U.S., "8 May is celebrated as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day)," while in the Soviet Union and several post-Soviet states, "9 May is celebrated as Victory Day."

On the sequence of capitulations the article states: “At 02:41 on the morning of 7 May, at SHAEF headquarters in Reims, France, the chief-of-staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, General Alfred Jodl, signed an unconditional surrender document for all German forces to the Allies.” It continues: “On 8 May, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signed the German Instrument of Surrender, an unconditional surrender to the Allies, in Karlshorst, Berlin.” Regarding commemoration, it notes: “This is celebrated as Victory in Europe Day, while in Russia, 9 May is celebrated as Victory Day.”

The exhibition description notes: “On 8 May 1945 World War II ended in Europe with the surrender of the German Wehrmacht in Berlin-Karlshorst.” It explains that in the building, now the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst, “the representatives of the Allied forces gathered. Facing them, the German supreme commanders of the army, navy and air force had to sign the surrender document in a simple ceremony.”

The main surrender was signed at Reims on May 7, 1945, and a second, ceremonial/more formal signing followed in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8–9. The capitulation is described in many official histories as unconditional, and V-E Day is commonly commemorated on May 8 in Western Europe because the surrender took effect at 23:01 Central European Time on May 8.

The article contrasts the city’s surrender with the later national capitulation: “Most visitors to Berlin know the house in Karlshorst—the site where Germany's highest military commanders signed the final act of surrender on the 8th of May, 1945.” It adds that “it would take six more days—until May 8—for Europe to breathe again,” linking the 2 May surrender of Berlin to the 8 May all-German surrender.

In the narration of this historical film about the Karlshorst site, the speaker states: “On May 8, 1945, the supreme commanders of the German Wehrmacht signed the unconditional surrender before representatives of the Allies in this former officer's mess hall in Berlin-Karlshorst. It marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.” The video shows the signing room and period footage from the ceremony.