Chapter 222 Volume 6, Chapter 32, The Surrender of Germany

On April 22, Hitler decided to make a final stand in Berlin. On April 29, he committed suicide in the underground bunker. Himmler begged for peace. On April 25, I spoke with President Truman on the phone and Stalin sent a cordial letter. Telegram Himmler's death May 4 Germans surrender to Field Marshal Montgomery May 7 General Instrument of Surrender signed in Reims Luftwaffe finished Escort Convoy to Russia President Truman's Telegram and My Reply Mrs. Churchill My Warning in the Victory of Stalin's Telegram in Moscow. By mid-April it was evident that Hitler's Germany would soon be completely crushed.The attacking armies marched straight in, and the distance between each other was shrinking day by day.Hitler had wondered where to make his last stand.As late as April 20, he still wanted to leave Berlin and go to the southern fortress in the Bavarian Alps.On this day he called a meeting of the main Nazi leaders.When the German East and West lines were in danger of being cut in half by the advance of the Allied vanguard, he agreed to establish two separate headquarters.Admiral Dönitz will be in charge of the military and civil administration in the north, especially responsible for bringing about two million refugees from the east back to Germany.In the south General Kesselring would command the remaining German forces.These measures were put into effect as soon as Berlin fell.

Two days later, on April 22, Hitler made the final and decisive decision to remain in Berlin until the last day.The capital was soon completely surrounded by the Russians, and the Führer lost all power to control the situation.The only thing left for him to do is how to arrange his own death in the ruins of the dangerous city.He announced to the Nazi leaders who remained with him that he was going to die in Berlin.Both Göring and Himmler had left since the meeting of the twentieth, preoccupied with how to proceed with peace negotiations.Goering, who had gone to the south, thought that since Hitler had decided to stay in Berlin, he had actually abdicated, so he asked for confirmation that he should officially exercise the power of heir to the head of state, but the answer he got was to immediately remove him from all positions.

The final scene in Hitler's headquarters has been described in great detail elsewhere.Among the leading figures of his ruling group, the only ones who stayed with him to the end were Goebbels and Bormann.Russian troops were engaged in street fighting in Berlin.Hitler made his will early in the morning on April 29.The day began with the usual routine in the underground bomb shelter beneath the prime minister's residence.News of Mussolini's death came.The timing came by such callous coincidence.On the thirtieth, Hitler quietly ate lunch with his entourage, shook hands with those present after the meal, and then retired to his own dormitory to rest.At half-past three, a shot was heard, and his entourage entered his room and found him lying on a sofa with a revolver by his side.He aimed the gun at his own mouth.Eva Braun died beside him.During the last few days he married her in secret.She was poisoned to death.Their bodies were cremated in the courtyard.Hitler's funeral pyre, accompanied by the louder and louder Russian guns, constituted the grim end of the Third Reich.

The remaining chiefs hold a final meeting.They made a last-minute attempt to negotiate with the Russians, but Zhukov demanded an unconditional surrender.Borman tried to charge across the Russian front and has since disappeared.nowhere.Goebbels poisoned six of his children, then ordered Nazi vanguard guards to shoot himself and his wife.The rest of Hitler's headquarters fell into Russian hands. That evening Admiral Dönitz received a telegram from his headquarters in Holstein: The Führer has appointed you, Herr Reich Admiral, as his successor in place of former Reich Marshal Göring.A written appointment is now en route.You should take all measures that the situation requires immediately.

Borman chaos begins.Doenitz once had contact with Himmler. He originally thought that if Berlin fell, Himmler would be appointed as Hitler's successor, but now the highest responsibility suddenly fell on him without notice. He was faced with the task of deploying the surrender. Himmler had been urged for months to reach out personally to the Western Allies in the hope of negotiating a separate surrender.A general named Schellenberg of the Nazi SS once suggested to him that he could ask Count Bernadotte, the president of the Swedish Red Cross who often had the opportunity to visit Berlin, as an intermediary.First in February, then in April, when Bernadotte was in the German capital, there had been secret meetings between him and Himmler.But this one Nazi leader felt he couldn't shake off his allegiance to Hitler and couldn't do anything about it.It was not until April 22, when the head of state announced that he would stand to the end in Berlin, that he acted.

Early on the morning of April 25, London received a telegram from Sir Victor Mallett, British Minister to Sweden.He reported that at eleven o'clock in the evening on April 24, he and his American colleague, Mr. Hershel Johnson, had been invited to meet with the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Boschmann.The purpose of this meeting was to meet Count Bernadotte, who had an urgent mission.Bernadotte told them that Himmler was now on the Eastern Front and asked to meet him in North Germany as soon as possible.Bernadotte suggested a meeting in Lübeck so that they had already met the night before.Himmler was calm and methodical despite his fatigue and acknowledgment that Germany was finished.Hitler, he said, was terminally ill and probably dead, or he would be dead in a few days.Himmler added that while the Führer was still active, he could not do what he was proposing now, but since Hitler was finished, he had full powers to act.So he asked if the Swedish government would arrange for him to meet with General Eisenhower to negotiate a conditional surrender on the entire Western Front.Bernadotte said there was no need for this, that he could simply order his troops to surrender; and in any case he would not convey the request unless surrender to Norway and Denmark also included.If this can be done, then perhaps there will be a need for an interview as well, because arrangements may be made about how and to whom the Germans should disarm.Himmler then said that he was ready to order the German troops in Denmark and Norway to surrender to the Anglo-American or Swedish forces.Asked what he planned to do if Western allies rejected his request.Himmler replied that he commanded the Eastern Front and died on the battlefield.Himmler said he would rather the Western Allies enter Mecklenburg first than Russia in order to save civilians.

Count Bernadotte concluded by saying that General Schellenberg, currently at Flensburg near the Danish border, was eager for news and was sure that any news would be passed on to Himmler immediately.Two ministers commented that Himmler's refusal to capitulate on the Eastern Front appeared to be a final attempt to sow trouble between the Western Allies and Russia.Obviously the Nazis should surrender to all the Allies at the same time.The Swedish minister conceded that this might be the case, but pointed out that if Germany laid down its arms across the western front, as well as its troops in Norway and Denmark, it would be of great help to all allies, including Russia, and would lead to an earlier general surrender .He thought that Bernadotte's intelligence should be passed on to the British and American governments anyway.As far as his own government is concerned, we are completely free to tell the Soviets, because the Swedes would never, and would not, be seen as sowing discord among the allies.The only reason why the Swedish government could not directly inform the Soviets was that Himmler had agreed that his information would only be provided to Western countries. 【１】

[1] Count Bernadotte's "Closing" from page 54 onwards gives a slightly different account of this episode. On the morning of April 25th, when I received the news, I summoned the War Cabinet.Our response is contained in my telegram to President Truman: You must have received the report of the Bernadotte-Himmler talks from your ambassador from Stockholm a few hours ago.I immediately convened a meeting of the War Cabinet, and they agreed that we should immediately send the following telegram to Marshal Stalin, with a copy to you via the usual channels.We would like to ask you to send separate telegrams to Marshal Stalin and us with the same intention at your discretion.Although Himmler was clearly speaking for the German state, as anyone could, the answer should have come to him through the Swedish government.In principle, this matter is a common matter for the three major powers, because none of the three of us can negotiate alone.It does not, however, remove the power of General Eisenhower or Field Marshal Alexander to accept partial surrender, should such a thing arise.

In view of the importance of this German summation and our experience of being suspicious by the Russians in the case of the crossword [1], I thought it appropriate to record our attitude in detail. [1] See Chapter 26 "Soviet Suspicion". I spoke to the President on the phone that night and dictated the following memo for the next Cabinet meeting: At 8:10 p.m. I spoke with the President.When I asked to speak to him, he didn't know anything about what was going on in Stockholm other than to ask me what my business was.So I told him about the important news from Stockholm.He has not received any report from the American ambassador over there.So I read the full text of Mallett's call to him.I also told him that we firmly believe that surrender must be unconditional and must be offered to the three powers at the same time.He wholeheartedly agrees with that.Then I read to him the telegram I had sent to Marshal Stalin on the basis of the cabinet decision, and he also fully agreed.He asked me to read it again, which I did, so that he could immediately send a similar telegram to the Russians.In addition, I told him the main contents of the short essay I was going to annex to our telegram to Stalin.

An hour and a half before this conversation, I had already sent Stalin a copy of the telegram and the short text attached to the front of the telegram, so he should have received both written contents by this time. 2. He told me again that he hoped to see me soon.I replied that we were about to telegraph him our proposal for a meeting, preferably here.I told him again that we enthusiastically embraced his leadership on Poland.These plus the polite words make up the content of our whole conversation. Churchill April 25, 1945 Here is the text of a short text attached to the telegram to Stalin:

Prime Minister to Marshal Stalin April 25, 1945 The President of the United States has also been informed of the news.As far as the British government is concerned, there is no doubt that it is necessary to surrender unconditionally to all three of us at the same time.We believe that Himmler should be told that the German army, both individually and in units, should surrender everywhere to the Allied forces or to the local representatives of the Allied forces.Unless this is done, so long as the Allied forces continue to meet resistance on all sides and on all fronts, they must strike with all their might His reply was one of the kindest I've ever received from him. Marshal Stalin to Prime Minister April 27, 1945 I thank you for your call of April 25 regarding Himmler's intention to surrender on the Western Front. I think the demand you propose to Himmler for unconditional surrender on all fronts, including the Soviet one, is the only correct demand.I know you well, and I have no doubt that you will.I implore you to act in the spirit of your proposal, while the Red Army will continue to siege Berlin in the interest of our common cause. I should tell you that I have sent a similar reply to President Truman who asked me the same question. I reply as follows: Prime Minister to Marshal Stalin April 27, 1945 It gives me great pleasure to know that you have no doubts in the course of action I will take, and will always take, with regard to your honorable country and yourself.The British and I are convinced that the Americans in this matter will also act on the lines you favor, and all three of us will continue to keep each other fully informed. Count Bernadotte passed on our request to Himmler.Nothing more was heard about this Nazi leader until May 21 when he was arrested by a British surveillance post in Bremenforte.He was undetected in disguise, but his credentials aroused the suspicion of the sentries, and he was taken to a barracks near Second Army headquarters.That's when he confessed to the commander who he was.They put him under armed custody, stripped him of his clothes, and had him searched for drugs by a doctor.In the final stages of the interrogation, he bit open a vial containing cyanide, which he had apparently kept hidden in his mouth for hours. He died almost immediately, just after eleven o'clock on Wednesday night, May 23rd. On the North West side, the drama ended less touchingly.On May 2 came news of the surrender in Italy.On the same day our troops reached Lübeck on the Baltic coast, where we joined forces with the Russians and cut off all German forces in Denmark and Norway.On the third day we entered Hamburg without resistance, and the defenders surrendered unconditionally.A German delegation came to Montgomery's headquarters on the Lüneburg heath.The delegation was led by Doenitz's emissary, Admiral Friedberg, who sought a surrender agreement that included German forces in the north against Russian forces.The matter was rejected as it was beyond the purview of an army group commander, who could only deal with matters within his own line. The next day, after Friedberg received new instructions from his superiors, he signed the surrender of all German forces in northwestern Germany, the Netherlands, the islands, Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark. In a telegram to Mr. Eden of San Francisco on May 5th I told him: In the north Eisenhower sent an American corps with great ingenuity to help Montgomery, who was advancing on Lübeck.That got him there twelve hours ahead of schedule.The British embassy in Stockholm, Naval Takemiya, reported that, according to Swedish intelligence, the Russians had dropped paratroopers a few miles south of Copenhagen and that there had been Communist activity there.We are verifying.It now appears that there were only two paratroopers at the time.At present we are airlifting a medium-sized pinch force to Copenhagen, and the rest of Denmark is from now on quickly occupied by our fast-advancing armored columns. So taking into account the joyous mood of the Danes, the despondent submission of the capitulating Germans, and the so-called like-minded tendencies of the surrendered German soldiers, I think we will have a head start over our Soviet friends here too. By this time you must have heard the great news that all of Northwest Germany, Holland and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery with men and ships.In terms of people alone, it must be more than one million.Thus 2,500,000 Germans surrendered to our British commander in three consecutive days.It is a very satisfying event in our military history.Ike is always great.We must match him in sportsmanship. Friedberg then came to Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims.General Jodl was there with him on May 6th.They were buying time so that as many soldiers and refugees as possible could get away from the Russians and come to the side of the Western Allies; at the same time trying to make a separate surrender on the Western Front.Eisenhower set a time limit and insisted on a general capitulation.Jodl reported to Dönitz: General Eisenhower insisted that we sign today.Otherwise, the Allied fronts would be closed to those who wanted to make individual surrenders.I don't see any other way. Failure to sign is chaos.I ask you to grant me by radio immediately the full authority to sign the instrument of surrender. The instrument of total and unconditional surrender was signed at 2:41 a.m. on May 7th by Lieutenant General Biddle Smith and General Jodl in the presence of French and Russian officers.All fighting therefore ceased at midnight on May 8th.The official ratification ceremony by the German High Command was held in Berlin on the early morning of May 9 under the arrangement of the Russians.Air Force General Ted on behalf of Eisenhower, Field Marshal Zhukov on behalf of the Russians, and Field Marshal Keitel on behalf of Germany signed separately. The final destruction of the German Army has already been talked about; the end of Hitler's other fighting arms has yet to be narrated.During the preceding autumn the German Air Force had, through excellent organization, greatly increased the number of fighters at the expense of the production of long-range bombers.Our strategic bombing forces it to be on the defensive, and 70 percent of its fighters must be used for homeland defense.More in quantity but less effective, mainly due to the lack of fuel we have raided on their refineries.Their main task is to prevent this.Germany's high-performance jet fighters disturbed us for a while, but the threat was moderated by our vigorous raids on their production centers and their airfields.Throughout January and February our bombers continued their raids, and in the latter months we bombarded Dresden heavily, then the traffic center of the German Eastern Front.The enemy's air force gradually became disorganized.As our armies advanced, the airfields of the Luftwaffe were squeezed more and more into an ever-shrinking area, making them the best possible targets for us. Regarding the policy of bombing industrial areas, I think it is time to reconsider.Victory is near, and we must plan ahead.If what we have to manage is a total ruin, I wrote on April 1st, our supplies and those of our allies will be greatly lacking.We must take care that our attacks only damage the enemy's direct combat efforts, and not our own.Hitler had a different idea. He wanted to destroy factories and utilities of all kinds, but the capable Speer and the German generals would not listen to his orders.On April 6th our Chiefs of Staff directed Bomber Command that no great or additional advantage could be expected from an attack on the remaining industrial centers because it would not be possible to receive sufficient support until the fighting ceased. Effect.Continuing the bombing in front of our troops will inevitably keep the Russians safe in the future, but the Anglo-American aircraft are doing many other useful jobs.The advancing army was supported by the air; Holland was saved from famine; our freed prisoners and wounded were sent home. In measuring the contribution of strategic air power to victory, it should be remembered that this was the first time it was used to its full potential in warfare.We must learn from hard-won experience.Success depends on making correct inferences from a large body of intelligence.And this intelligence is often specialized and highly technical, involving all aspects of the enemy's national life, many of which must be collected in peacetime.We have indeed underestimated the great potential of German industry, and the vast resources she has gained from her occupied parts of Europe.Thanks to well-organized relief measures, rigorous police activity, and inherent discipline and bravery, the Germans had more staying power than we thought possible.Although the results of the first few years fell short of our objectives, we nevertheless obliged the enemy to have an elaborate, growing and ultimately insufficient air defense system which consumed a large part of their total combat effort, Before the end of the war, we and the United States developed striking forces so powerful that they played a major role in the economic collapse of Germany.The fraternal countries of the British Commonwealth, Canada in particular, made great efforts in the Imperial training program, training a total of 200,000 pilots, and in 1945, British Bomber Command's combat pilots About half of them are from overseas. Beginning on April 16, the final Russian offensive provoked the Luftwaffe to make a last-ditch effort, but a few days later the vast Berlin airport, complete with many planes, had fallen into Soviet hands, so that the Luftwaffe was like it Like our army, it was split in two.The disintegration spread quickly.It failed to recover and collapsed.Part of its headquarters fled south from Berlin, and for a few days attempted to move from a madhouse near Munich.From there they dispersed and fled to Austria.In a remote mountain village in Tyrol, about a hundred of the more senior officers, including Göring himself, were captured by the Americans.Retribution finally came. Feats on land and in the air tended to overshadow no lesser victories at sea.The Anglo-American side relied on the activities of the transatlantic convoys throughout the European campaign.We can therefore refer to the situation of the U-boats right up to its end.In spite of staggering losses they continued their attacks, but with less and less success, and the passage of our shipping was not hindered.Even after the autumn of 1944, they were forced to abandon the base of the Bay of Biscay, but they did not despair.The snorkeled submarines now in service, through which they can ventilate through a tube when submerged underwater to charge their accumulators, are but one of the new types of submarines to be adopted for naval warfare according to the Dönitz plan.He was looking forward to the appearance of this new type of ship, which was then being built in large numbers.The first of these is already on trial.Germany's real success rested on their early entry into service in large numbers.Their high submerged speeds presented us with new problems that threatened us and, as Dönitz predicted, would revolutionize German submarine warfare.His plan failed mainly because the special materials needed to build these submarines were scarce, so their designs had to be changed frequently.But ordinary submarine parts were still being manufactured scattered throughout Germany and then assembled in bomb-proof shelters in some of the ports, and despite heavy and constant bombing by Allied bombers, the Germans lost the Far more submarines were built here than in any single month of the war.Thanks to astonishing efforts, in spite of all losses, some sixty or seventy submarines continued to operate almost to the end.Their achievements were modest, but there was hope that the naval battle would remain stalemate.This innovative submarine never saw a role in World War II.It was originally planned to become 350 ships in 1945, but before the surrender, only a few ships were put into service.Such a weapon falling into the hands of the Soviets would be one of the future dangers. The final phase of our offensive was anchored in German coastal waters and at the outlet of the Baltic Sea, so the Allied Air Forces attacked Kiel, Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg, destroying many submarines anchored in the ports.Yet when Dönitz ordered the submarines to surrender, there were at least forty-nine still at sea.In addition, more than a hundred surrendered in the harbor, and about two hundred and twenty others were scuttled or destroyed by their crews.Such is the tenacity of German combat and the indomitable spirit of submarine servicemen. Here we may recall the total losses of German U-boats throughout the war, recorded in a previous volume. [1] During the sixty-eight months of war, the German submarines lost a total of 781 submarines.During most of this period, the enemy is in an active position.After 1942, the situation was reversed, the number of destroyed German submarines increased, while our losses decreased.At last count, of the 632 submarines known to have been sunk by the Allies at sea, 500 were destroyed by Britain or by navies under British command. [1] Seven pages of the second volume (translator of the page number of the original book). The number of ships sunk by German submarines alone was 11 million tons in World War I, and 14.5 million tons in World War II.If we add losses from other causes, the two totals will be 12.75 million tons and 21.5 million tons.Among them, the British accounted for more than 60% in the First World War and more than half in the Second World War. The German fleet met a more passive fate.Large ships have long been blocked in the Baltic.In Gdynia, the battlecruiser Gneiseno, now a wreck, fell into Russian hands.American bombers sank Köln at Wilhelmshaven on March 39, British bombers sank Scheer in the harbor of Kiel on April 9, and Swinerming on April 16. De, sank her sister ship Luzov.Two old battleships, Schleswig Holstein and Schlessien, were scuttled.Only skiffs, midgets and submarines along the coast fought to the end.When the British entered Kiel on May 3, there was hardly a building in that great naval port that had not been bombarded.The cruisers Hipper and Emden, badly damaged by bombs, lay aground there alone and desolately.Only a few minesweepers and small merchant ships floated on the water.In the Danish harbours lay the cruisers Prinz Eugen, Nuremberg and Leipzig.These and about fifteen destroyers, plus twelve torpedo boats, made up the remaining German fleet. The assistance of the Allies to Russia should be recorded and not forgotten.Initial convoy losses were significant, but in 1944 and 1945, when the convoys sailed only during the cloudy winter months, losses were minor. Ninety-one merchant ships were sunk on the Arctic routes throughout the war, 7.8 percent of those carrying cargo to foreign countries and 3.8 percent of those returning.Only fifty-five of these ships were escorted by convoys. The armed merchant fleet lost 829 lives in this difficult work, and the Royal Navy paid a heavier price.Two cruisers and seventeen other warships were sunk, and 1,840 officers and men were killed. The 40 transport convoys to Russia transported a huge amount of supplies worth 428 million pounds, including 5,000 tanks and more than 7,000 planes shipped from Britain alone.The approximate figures are as follows: (The former is the quantity of delivered goods, the latter is the quantity of lost goods on the road) 1941 300,000 tons 10,000 tons 1942 1,350,000 tons 270,000 tons 1943 450,000 tons (no data) 1944 1,250,000 tons 10,000 tons 1945 657,000 tons 10,000 tons Total 4,000,000 tons 300,000 tons This is how we lived up to our word, despite the many vehement words of the Soviet leaders and their rough treatment of our rescued sailors. In the moment of overwhelming triumph, I am deeply aware of the difficulties and dangers ahead, but here at least there can be a moment of joy.The President sent me a congratulatory message and warmly expressed how his administration valued our contribution to the victory. I reply as follows: Prime Minister to President Truman May 9, 1945 Your call is valued by the whole nation of England, and will be regarded as a fighting honour, by all armed forces of all races everywhere, to which His Majesty belongs.This was more particularly the case with the whole armies fighting side by side in France and Germany under General Eisenhower, and in Italy under Field Marshal Alexander.On all battlefields, the men of our two countries are comrades in arms, in the air, on the seas, and in the straits.Of all our victorious armies in Europe, we fought as one.Looking at the staffs of General Eisenhower and Field Marshal Alexander, anyone would have thought they were a national organization, certainly a group of people with the same noble purpose.Field Marshal Montgomery's 21st Army Group and its brave Canadian Army, both in our glorious landing last June, and in all the battles it fought, at the most crucial turning point of operations, or at It played its part in the defense of the northern flank, or in the height of the northward advance. Everyone is working together to fight together. A few days ago you telegraphed to Field Marshal Alexander, and under him, commanding the Army's frontline operations in Italy is your valiant General Mark Clark. Let me tell you what General Eisenhower meant to us.In him we find a figure who put the unity of the Allied armies above all nationalist ideas.In his headquarters, unity and strategy reign supreme.Unity was such that British and American armies could mingle at the front, and large numbers of troops could be transferred from one headquarters to the other without slight difficulty.Never before has the principle of alliance been enforced and maintained to such a high degree among the great races.In the name of the British Empire and the Commonwealth, I offer to you our admiration for General Eisenhower's firm, visionary, and aboveboard character and qualities. I must also express the feeling that the British have for all the acts of valor and generosity of America under President Roosevelt, since his death in battle, and by you, Mr. President, so steadfast continue to implement.They will forever strike at the heartstrings of Britons living all over the world. I trust that the affections and ties which have been aroused by the two world wars through which we have lived together in harmony and in nobility of thought will grow closer in the future. At this time my wife was in Moscow, so I asked her to deliver my telegram there. Prime Minister to Mrs Churchill (in Moscow) May 8, 1945 Tomorrow Wednesday, it would be a good thing if you broadcast to the Russian people as the Kremlin sees fit.If so, you can read to them the following telegram from me, subject to our embassy's consent, of course: Prime Minister to Marshal Stalin, to the Red Army and to the Russian people.On behalf of the British people, I congratulate you heartily on your brilliant victory in driving the invaders from your homeland and defeating the Nazi tyrant.I firmly believe that the future of mankind depends on friendship and mutual understanding between the British and Russian peoples.Here in our island homeland today, we miss you all often, and wish you happiness and prosperity from the bottom of our hearts.And after we have walked together through the valley of all sacrifices and sufferings, we should also be able to walk together on the sunny road of victory and peace in the spirit of faithful comrades-in-arms and mutual sympathy.I ask my wife to convey this kindness and admiration to all of you. Please tell me how you dealt with it afterwards.Miss you so much.temperature. In the midst of this general atmosphere of goodwill Stalin responded. Marshal Stalin to Prime Minister May 10, 1945 Message from the People of the Soviet Union to the Armed Forces and People of Great Britain I extend my personal congratulations to you, the heroic British Armed Forces and the people of the whole of Britain, and my heartfelt congratulations on your great victory over our common enemy, German imperialism.This historic victory was achieved by Soviet, British and American forces fighting together to liberate Europe. I believe that the friendly relations developed between our two countries during the war will further develop smoothly and happily after the war. I have instructed our ambassadors in London to convey to you all my congratulations on our victory and best wishes. The unconditional surrender of our enemies is the signal of the greatest outburst of joy in the history of mankind.The Second World War was indeed fought to the bitter end in Europe.Now the vanquished and the victor alike feel an indescribable relief.But for us in Great Britain and the British Empire, from the first day of fighting alone to the last, the implications of risking our existence for the final result are implications that even our strongest and bravest allies cannot fully understand. experience.Tired, weary, poor, but going on, and now triumphant, we have one majestic moment. We thank God for his noblest favors in the sense that we have done our duty. In these days of raucous jubilation, when I am invited to address the nation, I have carried the burdens of our island nation for almost five full years, and yet few seem to be as heavily burdened with so many worries as I am .After I traced the varied experiences of our fortunes, I struck a melancholy note which may well be recorded here. I said: I wish I could tell you this evening that all our trials and troubles are over.那麼我也真能愉快地結束我五年來的服務，而且如果你們認為不再需要我，而我應該退歸林下，我當然欣然從命。但是，相反地，我要警告你們，像我當初在接受這五年任務時一樣當時誰也不知道會拖得這麼長久還有許多事情要做，而且你們必須準備為偉大事業在身心方面再作努力，作進一步犧牲，如果你們不想回到惰性、暈頭轉向和怯懦畏葸、胸無大志的老一套的話。你們應該保持清醒和警惕，無論如何絕不可稍有鬆懈。節日的歡慶儘管是人類精神上所必需的，然而應該使每一個男女都能以迅速恢復的精力，更大的勁頭回到他們應當做的工作上去，並且在公共事務方面還應該要繼續保持他們的見解和留心觀察。 在歐洲大陸上，在勝利後的歲月中，我們還得確保我們因參戰的單純而光榮的目的不致遭到擯棄或被漠視，而且自由、民主和解放這些字眼不要被歪曲而失去我們所理解的真實意義。如果不受法律和正義的統治，如果竟由極權的或警察的政府來取代德國侵略者，那麼懲罰希特勒分子一夥的罪行便沒有多大用處了。我們不為自己謀求什麼，但是我們必須確保我們為之而戰鬥的那些主張能在和平會議桌上得到事實上和文字上的承認，尤其重要的是，我們必須努力使聯合國正在舊金山創立的世界組織不致成為一個空名，不致成為強者的盾牌和對弱者的嘲弄。勝利者在興高采烈之時正應該捫心自問，並且要使自己的高尚行為無愧於他們所掌握的這樣龐大的武力。 我們切不可忘記除了上述種種之外，日本儘管受到襲擾和日見衰敗，但仍在窺測方向，她還是一個有一億人口的民族，他們的戰士是不怕死的。今天晚上我還不能告訴你們，要經過多少時間和費多少力氣才能迫使日本人從他們的可恨陰謀和殘暴行為中改邪歸正。我們，像中國一樣地堅持這麼長久而無所畏懼，我們本身曾受到他們的可怕的傷害，而且由於我們和美國有著光榮的盟誼和兄弟般的忠誠關係，我們必須在世界的那一邊不畏縮、不失誤地站在他們一邊打這一場大戰。我們要記住，澳大利亞和新西蘭以及加拿大過去和現在都直接處在這個兇惡國家的威脅之下。在我們的黑暗時期裡，這些自治領都曾援助過我們，我們絕不可使有關他們的安全和前途的任何任務半途而廢。我在五年前，一開始就對你們說了一些艱苦的事情，你們不曾退縮。如果我不仍舊高呼著：前進，不畏縮，不動搖，不屈不撓，直到全部任務完成，全世界都變得安全和乾淨，我將不配接受你們的信任和寬容。