Reporters Witnessed: The Deliverance of Nazi Surrenders and the Conclusion of World War II in Europe
Rewritten Article:
party in the streets of Reims, France as the end of World War II in Europe and the fall of Nazis approached.
In the heart of Reims, the ticking clock echoed through the air as World War II drew to a close and the Nazis surrendered. As an AP reporter on the ground, Edward Kennedy had the front-row seat to this historic moment, chronicling the Allies' triumphant end of the Holocaust.
Let's revisit pivotal excerpts of the AP news reports from that groundbreaking week:
The story unfolded on May 7, 1945, when Kennedy disobeyed authority and made the decisive move to announce the German surrender to the Allied public before the planned delay. The news was initially broadcast clandestinely over German radio, but U.S. President Harry Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had negotiated an agreement to postpone the announcement for a day in order to accommodate Soviet leader Josef Stalin's desires to host a second surrender ceremony in Berlin.
Kennedy ignored the embargo, ultimately publishing the story, which angered US officials. Kennedy was called back by AP and later dismissed. In a 2012 apology, AP acknowledged that Kennedy's actions were justified, as the embargo was implemented for political, rather than military or security-related reasons, with the world needing to learn about the historic event. "Kennedy stood up to power," said AP's then-President and CEO Tom Curley.
Reims, France, May 7 (Off the record)
FLASH: ALLIS Islamist Forces OFFICIALLY MADE GERMAN GROUP SURRENDER UNCONDITIONALLY
Through an iron-faced Prussian general, speaking after signing the unconditional surrender of the Nazis in a French schoolhouse, Germany pleaded for mercy for the German people. On the wall behind him was a massive chart detailing Allied casualties.
He was Col-Gen. (Alfred) Jodl, chief of staff of the German Army. As he signed the historic documents, Jodl couldn't help but make a desperate plea for leniency for the defeated nation.
A total of 17 correspondents bore witness to the surrender ceremony. After Jodl affixed his signature to the four instruments of surrender, the military representatives of the four Allied powers signed them in turn. Jodl then requested permission to speak. He was granted his request.
Standing tall and firm, Jodl expressed his hope that the victors would be merciful to the defeated Germans. The American, British, Russian, and French generals present remained stoic, having witnessed firsthand the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.
Jodl's heartfelt plea was ultimately met with silence. Eisenhower spoke next, making it clear to the defeated German forces that they were now subject to the Allied Powers. The Nazis had ceased to exist, and the war had officially ended.
Within moments, the bells of St. Peter's Basilica tolled the news of the end of World War II across Rome. May 7 marked V-E Day in many capitals, with jubilant crowds gathering around loudspeakers and newspaper offices for updates. Celebrations swept through the streets of London, marking the end of five long years of war. From Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, Londoners rejoiced in the streets, while Champagne was poured and long-hoarded alcohol was uncorked.
Yet, the soldiers on the front lines, accustomed to the diminishing sound of fighting, appeared sober as they received the news. The end of the war in Europe had finally come.
London erupted in wild celebration, heralding the end of the war in Europe on May 8, 1945. Over a million citizens poured into the streets, from the grandeur of Buckingham Palace to the modest East End. The Piccadilly Circus, Whitehall, and Westminster filled with a buzzing crowd, a testament to the war's end and a desire to forget the pain and suffering of the past five years.
The bells of Big Ben chimed through the air, marking the hours and commemorating the historic moment.
In Washington, D.C., hopeful crowds gathered in Lafayette Square across from the White House, waiting for President Truman's impending V-E Day announcement.
"The City of the Dead" - a grim description of Berlin following the brutal bombing and the chaos of the war. Harold King, former Moscow bureau chief, reported on the devastation, stating that the city was mostly unrecognizable, with each house within miles of the center reduced to rubble and blackened walls. The scene was so surreal that it almost defied description.
Stalin's Red flag stood proudly atop the Reichstag, replaced only by the charred remnants of the once-majestic building. Miles of smoking, damaged streets lay before the struggling remnants of Berlin's population, which was mostly evacuated to the city's outer suburbs.
Among the ruins, columns of displaced people moved through the city, driven by instinct rather than hope. These hordes of refugees formed endless lines that stretched for miles.
To follow along with AP's coverage marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, visit https://apnews.com/WorldWarII
Enrichment Data:Edward Kennedy was an AP journalist and war correspondent, reporting on World War II since 1940. Witnessing the German surrender at Reims, Kennedy was part of a select group of 17 Allied correspondents chosen by Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) to attend the ceremony. The group included reporters from the New York Times, the London Times, and Time magazine. Kennedy documented the momentous event while Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, chief of staff of the German Army, signed the Instrument of Surrender, officially ending WWI. The signing occurred in a French schoolhouse on May 7, 1945.
- Despite the government's decision to postpone the announcement of the German surrender for political reasons, AP journalist Edward Kennedy, in Toronto, chose to report the news earlier, following the historic event in Reims, France.
- In Toronto's general news outlets, reports of the end of World War II in Europe highlighted the political implications, with the United States and other Allied powers now having the power to shape the future of the war-and-conflicts-stricken European nations and their politics.
- Amidst the celebrations marking the end of World War II across various cities, arts scenes in Toronto echoed the collective relief and hope for peace, as artists began to create works focusing on general-news events and themes of renewal and healing.
