Victory on the Eastern Front

[Zoya]

Yesterday (May 9th) is the day Victory was acheived on the Eastern Front:

THE 9TH OF MAY, 1945

The victory came early that day.In the midnight officials of the Soviet Supreme Command and those of the Supreme Command of the allied troops--Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, Marshal of the British Air Forces Sir Arthur Tedder,commander of the US strategic air forces General Spaats and the Chief Commander of the French army De Lattre de Tassigny entered a specially prepared hall in Karlhorst in the east of Berlin. Those present from the German side were Field-General Keitel,Colonel-General Stumpf and Admiral of the Navy von Friedeburg. At 17 minutes to one they an act of unconditional surrender. When the German delegation left the hall, Marshal Zhukov recalls, much noise erupted. Congratulations were heard in many languages, there are emraces and handshakes. At ten minutes to one the session was closed. The war ended.

Russia was waiting for the news of this historic event. It came at night. The order of the Supreme Commander to the units of the Red Army and Navy was telegraphed to all Soviet fronts. It informed that Nazi Germany signed surrender and the Great Patriotic War was over. Ivan Salnikov, the then commander of the telegraph and telephone communications company recalls the way that news was hailed by the armies of the Second Belorussian front which took part in the Berlin operation." At 2 o'clock in the morning the order of the Supreme Commander arrived. It said that Nazi Germany signed surrender,the war ended everywhere and we had won. Some 40 men of our company were on the shift on that day. Sergeant Frolchenko recieved the news.We all gathered in the operator's room. He read outloud. Soldiers laughed softly, cried with joy and kissed each other." At night many soldiers were awoken by a shooting. The war had taught them to suspect the worst. But that time the shooting announced the end of the war. People expressed their joy as they could. There were numerous traces of sub-machine gun bullets, anti-missile shells and rocket projectors in the sky. That was the first unorganised Victory Salute. Only in the daytime soldiers calmed down and began talking about their life in near future. Vladimir Gorbunov, for one, says that the news of the end to the war reached him on the banks of River Elbe and till the present day he remembers soldiers twirling their moustache as they talked about the cities and towns they had to pass on their way home.

On the morning of the 9th of May a surrender of Nazi troops began. It lasted for several days. Alexander Malysh who took part in the operation against one of the last Nazi groups - the Courland enemy grouping-recalls that as early as on the 7th of May battles stopped in that section of the front. To the Soviet offer of surrender the Nazis responded that they were waiting for the order of their command.During that pause common human curiosity was displayed on both sides. On the 9th of May the Nazis recieved the order to surrender. Alexander Malysh recalls that one after another batallions,regiments and divisions surrendered. All in all 40,000 men and officers were taken prisoner, including 4 generals.

The 9th of May entered the annals of history as the day of liberating Prague. Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia learnt about the victory at 2 in the morning, at 4 o'clock they were ordered to advance toward Prague. To the present day participants in the Prague operation cherish warm reminiscences of the way they were met by the residents of the city. The commander of the reconnaisance unit Sergei Derro recalls that all the way from the village of Kurort-Garta to Prague Czechs greeted Soviet soldiers chanting: "Long Live the Red Army". Prominent historian Boris Tartakovsky, the then political instructor, also heard those greetings entering Prague. Soviet officers were invited to the first after the liberation concert of the Prague Philharmonic society. The renowned Jan Kubelik conducted Tchaikovski's opera ROMEO AND JULIET. The audience stood up to greet Soviet officers. Divine ceremonies took place in Catholic churches. Boris Tartakovski admitted that for the first time in many years of the war he went to sleep on a snow-white bed in a Prague hotel.

To Russia the news of the victory came at 2.10 Moscow time. The familiar voice of Yuri Levitan who read daily reports from the fronts announced the end to the war. This news was waited for, people did not switch off their radio sets. Yet when the news of the victory finally came it was like a thunderbolt. Those who did not come through that war can hardly imagine what feelings overwhelmed the people who lived up to see the victory. Witnesses to those events admit that they themselves find it difficult to express their feelings in words. Medical nurse Irina Dazhina learnt about the victory in Moscow. "At night" she says, "I was awaken by Levitan's familiar voice.I felt like jumping out of my bed and crying with joy but there I was--still lying in bed motionless. My body suddenly became heavy,I was afraid to stir. There was a lump in my throat and I felt like crying of happiness". Lights in the houses went up,people knocked at their neighbours' door, embraced and went out into streets. Tables were laid outdoors. Voices saying "the war is over" were heard everywhere. The 9th of May has become a national holiday. People could not stay at home on that day. Every person wanted to share his/her joy with someone else. Eyewitnesses say there were no strangers on that day,every person seemed to be familiar.Winners dressed in the uniform could hardly take a breath among all those embraces and kisses of congratulation. People sang war songs,danced and played accordion. At 7 at night Joseph Stalin addressed his compatriots.At 10 at night Victory Salute was fired in Moscow--30 volleys from 1000 guns. The historic day was drawing to a close. No one doubted that a happy life was in store for us all since the nation has paid a high price for it.

Salutes were fired. Survived soldiers returned home. Yet the joy became mixed with the bitterness of the losses. Children of the post-war years say that in their childhood they often heard women crying for those who died in the war. And they remember that bitter crying to the present day.

From The Voice of Russia(THE WAY IT WAS)

I was going to post his yesterday, but I have hurt my back and can barely move Excuse me if someone else has started a smilar thread, I can't sit long enough to check!

[Owen]

RussiaToday : News : Military parade on Red Square - watch the full version!

video here.

RussiaToday : News : Military parade on Red Square - watch the full version!

A Parade on Red Square just as they used to be.

also
http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=131429

[Zoya]

The original Victory Parade, 1945:

YouTube - Soviet Victory Parade of 1945 [Part I]
and
YouTube - Soviet Victory Parade of 1945 [Part II] - Final

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Great footage. Interesting to see the Geman banners being thrown down in color. Only ever seen it in black and white.

[Za Rodinu]

It looks to me like it was colourised...

[Gotthard Heinrici]

It may well have been Za. Which may explain why I've never seen it before.