LONDON — Even if the end of World War II in Europe spawned one of the most joyous days the continent ever lived, Thursday's 80th anniversary of V-E Day is haunted as much by the specter of current-day conflict as it celebrates the defeat of ultimate evil.
Hitler's Nazi Germany had finally surrendered after a half-decade of invading other European powers and propagating racial hatred that led to genocide, the Holocaust and the murdering of millions.
Thousands celebrate the announcement of Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allies in World War II, on May 7, 1945, at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on VE Day.
That surrender and the explosion of hope for a better life is being celebrated with parades in London and Paris and towns across Europe while even the leaders of erstwhile mortal enemies France and Germany are bonding again.
Germany's new foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, paid tribute to "the enormous sacrifices of the Allies" in helping his country win its freedom from the Nazis and said that millions of people were "disenfranchised and tormented by the Nazi regime."
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"Hardly any day has shaped our history as much as May 8, 1945," he said in a statement. "Our historical responsibility for this breach of civilization and the commemoration of the millions of victims of the Second World War unleashed by Nazi Germany gives us a mandate to resolutely defend peace and freedom in Europe today."
Gloomy outlook
His comments underscore that former European enemies may thrive — to the extent that the 27-nation European Union even won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize — but that the outlook has turned gloomy over the past year.
Bodies continue to pile up in Ukraine, where Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion started the worst war on the continent since 1945. The rise of the hard right in several EU member states is putting the founding democratic principles of the bloc under increasing pressure.
"The time of Europe's carefree comfort, joyous unconcern is over. Today is the time of European mobilization around our fundamental values and our security," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a Dutch memorial event in the lead-up to the celebrations.
It makes this unlikely stretch of peace in Europe anything but a given.
And even NATO, that trans-Atlantic military alliance that assured peace in Europe under the U.S. nuclear umbrella and its military clout, is under internal strain rarely seen since its inception.
U.S. contributions to the war effort
The United States was instrumental in turning the tide of the war in Europe, invading along with Allies the D-Day beaches in France's Normandy on June 6, 1944 in what proved to be the tipping point of the war in Europe that inexorably led to the invasion of Germany and the defeat of Hitler.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump proclaimed Thursday as a day for the United States to celebrate victory in World War II, insisting the country should better recognize its essential role in the war.
"We are going to start celebrating our victories again!" he said.
The war did drag on beyond Europe especially in the Pacific against Japan, but even Taiwan joined in marking the day for the first time — and highlighting current-day threats. Instead of Russia, it was centering on China, its immediate rival. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.
"Military aggression against another country is an unjust crime that is bound to fail," Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said.
He added that both Taiwan and Europe were "now facing the threat of a new authoritarian bloc."
Images are projected onto the Queen Elizabeth Tower, in the Houses of Parliament, including the British World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill, whose statue is in the foreground, during the V-E Day 80th anniversary events in London, May 6.
European celebrations
Commemorations have been going all week through Europe, and Britain has taken a lead. Here too, the current-day plight of Ukraine in its fight against Russia took center stage.
"The idea that this was all just history and it doesn't matter now somehow, is completely wrong," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. "Those values of freedom and democracy matter today."
In London later Thursday, a service will be held in Westminster Abbey and a concert, for 10,000 members of the public, at Horse Guards Parade. In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to oversee a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.
And in Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz will again highlight how Germany has remodeled itself into a beacon of European democracy by laying a wreath at the central memorial for the victims of war and tyranny.
And, symbolically, Russia and President Vladimir Putin will be totally out of lockstep with the rest of Europe, celebrating its Victory Day one day later with a huge military parade on Red Square in central Moscow to mark the massive Soviet contribution to defeat Nazi Germany.
30 iconic posters from World War II
30 iconic posters from World War II
Propaganda can be a powerful weapon, capable of arousing passions, unifying communities, stirring up fear, or changing minds no bullet or bomb can do. During World War II, Allied and Axis forces used propaganda posters to spread their messages around the world.
searched Getty Archives to find 30 iconic posters from World War II that highlight their power and enduring style. They hail from the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Vichy France. Some of the posters fueled patriotism, faith in the nation, and a belief in the righteousness of the war effort to protect national values and virtues.
Many aimed to boost morale and deliver a message of shared sacrifice. Duty meant scraping together money to invest in a United States war bond or digging a victory garden to feed the family. Every citizen had a job to do.
War could be glorified, with posters showing might and muscle as well as confidence and courage. Soldiers were handsome and fearless, guns were sturdy, and legions of airplanes overhead were formidable. But many were dark reminders of battlefield losses, sinister images of a lurking enemy, or the perils of careless talk or a slit of light breaching a blackout. Some reached out to particular audiences such as women, encouraging them to step out and test out new roles. Those invitations to change would mark the dawn of modern feminism. More than a few had messages that are familiar and popular today, whether they are calls to conserve fuel, travel lightly, or grow food locally on rooftops and in empty lots.
Propaganda posters from all sides were an extraordinary art form that used basic colors and simple words to reach the broadest audience.
The icons survive. Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter are still employed today. The works remain stirring and powerful, even as we may hope the brutality and cruelty of such a war remain a thing of the past.
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'Buy More War Bonds and Stamps’
In this poster, circa 1942, a powerful fist punches through the image of a swastika, urging Americans to “Buy More War Bonds and Stamps.†The United States to help finance the war effort.
’We’re Building Things Up!’
This for Germany’s Nazi Party declares with a muscular man posing against a set of stone blocks etched with the words “Work,†“Freedom,†and “Bread.†He looks down upon two older, weaker rivals .
‘I Want You’
One of the most lasting and iconic symbols of U.S. patriotism is Uncle Sam, clad in red, white, and blue with piercing eyes and a pointing finger in this recruitment poster. , a magazine illustrator, . First produced in World War I, the poster was adapted for use in World War II.
‘Keep Calm and Carry On’
The slogan was printed on posters by the British government to be distributed in the event of a German invasion. As that did not happen, the poster was never officially used in public, and following the war, copies were believed destroyed in the recycling effort. Decades later, a handful of the posters were found. Today the saying is the basis of popular memes from humorous to political.
‘Come into the Factories’
The “Come into the Factories†poster encouraged women in Britain to fill critical jobs such as manufacturing as the men went off to fight. were often aimed at those who had never worked outside the home.
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‘Adolf Hitler ist der Sieg!’
This German poster of the Nazi leader posed behind a chair declares, “Adolf Hitler is Victory.†The portrait was created by German artist .
Japanese air force poster
Japanese war propaganda posters sought to glorify the nation’s military might. This shows countless airplanes flying over a globe decorated with Japan’s historic sun symbols.
‘Avenge Pearl Harbor’
This dramatic call to arms asks Americans to take action following the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy on Dec. 7, 1941. With raising his fist at warplanes overhead, the appeal marked in the war, when Americans became motivated to spurn isolationism and join the cause.
‘Defend Your Country’
Uncle Sam is rolling up his sleeves, flexing his muscles and clenching his fist in this U.S. Army Ҡrecruitment poster. Simple and bright, it presents a sense of confidence and strength.
‘We Can Do It’
Rosie the Riveter declaring “We Can Do It†is one of the most recognizable U.S. icons to emerge from World War II. Yet the poster was only displayed . It was decades later when emerged that the image enjoyed widespread popularity, showing that women could perform jobs traditionally held by men.
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‘Is YOUR Trip Necessary?’
The poster of the bright-eyed, eager faces of troops gathered in front of a train was used by the U.S. government’s Office of Defense Transportation to remind civilians that the railroad was needed in the war effort. By 1943, the government restricted leisure use of automobiles and busses to conserve fuel and rubber, leaving just trains for traveling long distances. , who made the image, is credited with designing advertising images for Kool cigarettes, Morton Salt, and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum.
‘Keep Us Flying!’
“Keep Us Flying! Buy War Bonds" by an unidentified artist portrays Lt. , a Tuskegee Airman. Black men who registered for the draft served in segregated units like the Tuskegee Airmen of the . It was highly decorated for bravery and distinguished service.
‘This is Nazi Brutality’
The U.S. poster “This is Nazi Brutality,†showing a hooded prisoner in chains, tells the story of the Czech village of , where all the men were shot and the women and children sent to camps in retaliation for the assassination of SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Initial German intelligence indicated the villagers had helped the resistance, but eventually, there was no evidence they were involved. The poster was created by Lithuanian-born American artist , known for his portrayals of social and political topics.
‘B±ô²¹³¦°ì´Ç³Ü³Ù!’
This German poster reads, or “The Enemy sees your Light—Blackout!†The dark and threatening imagery shows a skeleton flinging a bomb from an airplane, with lit windows in a building below. , and German citizens were asked to cover their windows at night to make targets difficult for bombers to find. The poster was designed by German propaganda artist
‘Meeting over Berlin’
Celebrating the alliance of the Soviet Union and Great Britain, pilots from each nation shake hands from their cockpits as they drop bombs over Berlin in this “Meeting over Berlin†propaganda poster that declares “This handshake will not be healthy for the Germans.â€
The poster was created by , the name used by three artists—Porfirii Nikitich Krylov, Mikhail Vasil’evich Kupriianov, and Nikolai Aleksandrovich Sokolov—who collaborated for many years on cartoons, book illustrations, and poster designs. Their work was widely published and honored by the Soviet government.
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‘UNITED we are strong’
Glorifying the power of Allied forces, flags from each of the Allied nations are wrapped around the powerful cannons in the poster “UNITED we are strong. UNITED we will win.†fled Nazi persecution of the Jews and immigrated to the United States from Vienna in 1938. He returned to Europe as a U.S. soldier and learned that his family had been deported and died.
‘Become a Nurse’
The poster “Become a Nurse†was produced by the U.S. Public Health Service, encouraging women to become military nurses. The nation had a shortage of nurses during the war, and in 1943, Congress established the . Almost 120,000 women trained with the Corps and served in military hospitals and other facilities.
‘Doing all you can, brother?’
A handsome blond, blue-eyed soldier, his head wrapped in a bloody bandage, asks, “Doing all you can, brother?†in this U.S. government poster advertising war bonds. During World War II, that came in denominations as small as $25, were sold at a discount, and matured in 10 years. Commercial illustrator was commissioned by the government to create the poster and given a Citation for Distinguished Service for the work.
‘Of Course I Can!’
A bright-eyed young woman in a kitchen apron clutches jars of preserves and vegetables as she declares, “Of Course I Can. I'm as patriotic as can be—And ration points won't worry me!†Her cheerful face was part of the government’s campaign that encouraged Americans to can food to cope with shortages and rationing. was a commercial illustrator whose work appeared in newspaper and magazine advertising.
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‘Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them’
The ominous shadow of a Nazi swastika darkens this poster of three children playing with a doll, a toy airplane, and a makeshift American flag. The depiction of their innocence was used in the exhortation to help fund the war effort by purchasing war bonds, with the words “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them.†served as a combat artist who traveled on U.S. military aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean and witnessed the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, in 1944.
“Ecco i Liberatoriâ€
In this Italian poster, America’s Statue of Liberty, with the face of a grinning skull, presides over destroyed buildings in flames. The phrase “Ecco i Liberatori!†or “Here are the liberators!†was on the barbarity of U.S. forces by the Italian government.
‘W²¹´Ú´Ú±ð²Ô-³§³§â€™
This German recruitment poster portrays a helmeted soldier in profile, staring into the distance, with the words “Waffen-SS†and “Eintritt Nach Vollendetem 17 Lebensjahr,†meaning recruits must be at least 17 years old. The was the military arm of the feared SS elite security force in Nazi Germany and included Adolf Hitler’s bodyguards and battalions that ran concentration camps.
‘Buy War Bonds’
Looking more like a watercolor painting than propaganda, the “Buy War Bonds†poster shows a flag-bearing Uncle Sam in the clouds, directing troops brandishing bayonets. The godly image conveys a sense of the divine virtue of the Allied effort against Axis forces.
“She’s a WOWâ€
created several posters during World War II celebrating Women Ordnance Workers, or WOWs, who made military materials such as weapons and munitions. The motivational poster shows a beautiful woman tackling a traditionally male job with the line “She’s a WOW.â€
‘When You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler!’
The “When You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler!†poster calls upon Americans to and conserve fuel for military use. It was created by who designed well-known advertising for Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Winchester Rifles, and the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.
‘He’s Watching You’
The menacing eyes of a helmeted enemy soldier dominate this U.S. government poster that reads “He’s Watching †cautioning Americans that spies could lurk anywhere. A of the public by the government’s Office of Facts and Figures in 1942 determined that many viewers misinterpreted the poster, with some mistaking the German helmet for the Liberty Bell. The Office of War Information was created later that year to oversee poster production and control messaging.
‘FOOD IS A WEAPON’
The U.S. Office of War Information poster declaring was part of a campaign to trim food waste amid shortages and rationing. The admonition to “Eat It All†also reminded Americans of the need to stay healthy and strong as the war raged.
‘Plant a Victory Garden’
“Plant a Victory Garden†shows a soldier and a gardener chatting over a white picket fence with the words “I see we’re fighting the war together.†Americans grew their own vegetables and fruits in as commercial crops and transportation were taken up by the war effort, and food rationing was imposed. The victory garden campaign was employed to remind Americans they could pitch in and show patriotism in their own yard. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden on the lawn of the White House.
‘Freedom Shall Prevail’
The “Freedom Shall Prevail†poster shows uniformed soldiers from Allied countries, their flags forming a “V†for victory. The poster reminds viewers of the far-flung members of the Allied front, such as New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia, and South Africa. It was a creation of William Little an artist commissioned by Great Britain's Ministry of Information during World War II.
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