German Instrument of Surrender, 1945
The German Instrument of Surrender, 1945 refers to the legal instrument of World War II in which the High Command of Nazi Germany surrendered simultaneously to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and to the Soviet High command. The Instrument of Surrender was signed at Rheims, France, at 2:41 hours on 7 May 1945.
The unconditional surrender was signed by Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, on behalf of the High Command and as the representative for Karl Dönitz.
This Instrument of Surrender covered surrender of all German forces on land, sea, and in the air who were at that point of time under the control of the-then German High Command. Pursuant to this Instrument of Surrender, the German High Command issed orders to all forces under its command to cease active operations, at exactly 23:01 hours Central European Time of 8th May 1945. Thus, this Instrument of Surrender legalized unconditional surrender of that all the armed forces under German control, and so officially ending combat in Europe. The Nuremburg Trials and division of Germany into East Germany and West Germany soon followed.