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8 May 1945 - 8 May 2020: the pen of surrender

Pen used by General de Lattre on 8 May 1945, in Berlin, to sign the act of German surrender

Source: Musée de l'Armée, Paris

 

The definitive act of surrender of Nazi Germany was signed on 8 May 1945, at the headquarters of the Soviet Union’s Marshal Zhukov, in Berlin. Generalfeldmarschall Keitel (Chief of the General Staff), Generaladmiral von Friedeburg (German Navy) and Generaloberst Stumpff (Luftwaffe) represented Germany; Marshal Zhukov (Supreme High Command of the Red Army) and Air Chief Marshal Tedder (Deputy Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force) represented the Allies. 

As witnesses, General de Lattre de Tassigny, commander of the French First Army, and General Spaatz, commander of the United States Strategic Air Forces, also had to sign the document. However, when the moment came for them to sign, they realised neither of them had a pen!

General de Lattre de Tassigny therefore borrowed the pen presented here from his chief of staff, Colonel Demetz. Afterwards, the French general had to ask for it back from General Spaatz, who thought he would keep it as a souvenir!