Bidspirit auction | A TRANSCRIPT OF THE GERMAN

A TRANSCRIPT OF THE GERMAN INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER, MAY 6, 1945, SIGNED BY KARL DONITZ - A TRANSCRIPT OF THE GERMAN INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER, MAY 6, 1945, SIGNED BY KARL DONITZ On May 7, 1945 at 0241 hours, in SHAEF Headquarters in Reims, France, an effective unconditional surrender of Germany was signed by Walter Bedell Smith on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower), Ivan Susloparov on behalf of the Soviet High Command, French Major-General Fran�ois Sevez as the official witness, and Field Marshal Alfred Jodl representing the German High Command. Thus ended the war in Europe which had claimed tens of millions of soldiers' lives, including those of countless innocent civilians. Offered here is a typed 8 x 10 inch transcript of the complete Instrument of Surrender signed on that day. At bottom it has been signed by the German president at the time, Grossadmiral KARL DONITZ (1891-1980). It was Donitz who gave his approval to Field Marshal Alfred Jodl to sign the agreement, a document he condemned as ”extortion” but which he claimed he agreed to in order to gain time for German soldiers and civilians to flee to comparative safety in the west. Donitz signs in bold blue ink, dating his signature ”5.4.78”. Fine condition. Photo for illustrative purposes only and not included.