Video: 'Capitulation Allemande à Reims Rheims German Surrender'

(Monday, May 7, 1945, 2:41 a.m. Central European Summer Time; on the Western Front of World War II) — Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, today at a little red schoolhouse that is the headquarters of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, effective May 9, 1945, at 12:01 a.m. CEST/May 8, 1945, 6:01 p.m. Eastern War Time.

The surrender, which brought the war in Europe to a formal end after five years, eight months and six days of bloodshed and destruction, was signed for Germany by Col. Gen. Gustav Jodl, the new Chief of Staff of the German Army.

Video: 'Blitzkrieg to the Bomb' (May 7, 1945, at 1:01:13)