1945 A very busy day
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day. In the ruins of conquered Berlin, German Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitl signed the document to “surrender unconditionally to the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force and simultaneously to the Supreme High Command of the Red Army all forces on land, at sea, and in the air who are at this date under German control.” This officially ended the European phase of the Second World War, though sporadic fighting continued for a few days.
Prague Uprising
One of those places where fighting continued was in Prague, the capital of Czecho-Slovakia, where citizens had risen up against the occupying German forces. Believing that American and Russian armies were near, the Czech partisans began attacking German positions in the city on March 5. Several days of heavy fighting ensued, including tank battles and air attacks, before an agreement allowed the German forces to slip westward to avoid surrendering to the Soviets.
Sétif Massacre
In the French colony of Algeria, during celebrations of the war’s end, fighting broke out between pro-independence natives and French colons (settlers) resulting in the massacre of over 100 French civilians. The military took revenge against Algerian villages believed to be involved and conducted a series of atrocities that resulted in thousands of deaths, souring relations between the French and their Arab and Berber subjects.
Halifax Riot
When news of the end of the war in Europe reached Halifax on May 7, the city was swollen with the presence of over 25,000 servicemen anxious to celebrate. The commanding admiral, Leonard W. Murray, against the advice of his officers, unwisely allowed 9,000 sailors to go ashore, asking them to “be joyful without being destructive or distasteful.” The men found there were no places they could legally drink and began a riot in which liquor stores were looted, shops were vandalized and robbed, streetcars were overturned and burnt and the police attacked. The next morning, the clueless Murray allowed another 9,500 men shore leave with a similar result. Finally, aware of the disorder, the military declared a curfew and herded men back into their barracks. The damage was three men dead (two from alcohol poisoning, and one a possible murder), 363 arrested, 654 businesses damaged and 207 establishments looted.