By Michael Gryboski, Editor Thursday, May 08, 2025

People worldwide will celebrate the 80th anniversary of when Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied Forces in World War II on Thursday.

Known as Victory in Europe Day, May 8 marks the date that Germany surrendered to Western powers after Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders died by suicide.

While the date did not mark the end of the global conflict — the Japanese Empire continued to fight until it surrendered a few months later — for many, it was a significant step forward to victory.

“It was just a big letting off (of) steam and a massive relief for so many people,’’ said Dan Ellin, a historian at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom, as reported by The Independent.

“But then, of course, for others, there wasn’t an awful lot to celebrate. For thousands of people, the victory was tinged with a sadness because for them, their loved ones were not going to come home.”

The road to victory was a tough one, complete with major battles and lengthy campaigns across Europe, from Northern France to the Mediterranean to deep within Russian territory.

Here are seven critical victories for the Allied forces over the Axis powers in World War II.

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By Michael Gryboski, Editor Thursday, May 08, 2025

1. The Battle of Stalingrad – Aug. 23, 1942 to February/March 1943

As part of its invasion of the Soviet Union, the German Army was ordered to seize control of the major city of Stalingrad, which is modern-day Volgograd, Russia.

However, Red Army forces flooded the city and gave the Germans fiercer-than-expected resistance, with the Axis forces bogged down in constant urban warfare.

Ultimately, because of attrition and a brutal winter, the Germans and their Romanian allies were weakened and then surrounded when Soviet forces successfully encircled them.

Up to an estimated 2 million soldiers and civilians were killed in the battle, with around 100,000 German soldiers eventually surrendering. Although the German Army officially capitulated on Feb. 2, sporadic smaller-scale fighting continued into March.

“The loss at Stalingrad was the first failure of the war to be publicly acknowledged by Hitler. It put Hitler and the Axis powers on the defensive and boosted Russian confidence as it continued to do battle,” explained History.com.

“In the end, many historians believe the Battle at Stalingrad marked a major turning point in the conflict. It was the beginning of the march toward victory for the Allied forces of Russia, Britain, France and the United States.”