Yesterday (8 May) was the conclusion of WW II in 1945. To be honest, the government itself held on for around seven additional days, but the war ended there on 8 May 1945.
Celebrated? No. There's nothing said except a couple of lines on TV, or a brief commentary via newspapers.
For most who were alive at the time....they were like five to ten years old, and the memory is a pretty harsh reality.
In general terms....the war had been over since the very end of 1944. Some might even argue that the Battle of Kiev (Nov-Dec 1943) was the point where 'all was lost' for the German Army.
If you walk around Germany.....virtually every village and town has a memorial for the men who were lost. The small village I live in....notes their names. It had a direct impact on the village for several decades.
As for most Germans knowing about the 'end'? I kinda doubt that this 'message' got out....they simply noticed the bombing had stopped. Over the week after the 'shutdown'....the word got out. I would imagine most felt some relief. For some, they had been in a decade-long pause....waiting for the end of the Nazis, the war, and the pains involved.
1 comment:
The war ended, however the killings and forced labour camps - extermination camp continued unabated well into the ‘70 behind the Iron Curtain. Nationalization, collectivization, all good he compensation imposed on the Axis countries continued for years -11 years for “Sovroms” pillaging and destroying about 10 percent more f the population
Post a Comment