«Never give up, never despair»
Many states in the world thought on Friday the end of World War II. The British Queen Elizabeth II made a speech.
The best appreciation for the victims of the war was “that countries that were once bitter enemies are now friends”: the British Queen Elizabeth II.
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- Friday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
- In a speech, the Queen recalled the war and its victims.
- The event was also commemorated in many other countries.
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The British Queen Elizabeth II (94) commemorated the end of the Second World War on Friday evening with a speech broadcast on television and on the Internet. “Never give up, never despair,” that was the message of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), said the Queen. On May 8, 1945, the Second World War in Europe ended with the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht.
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“At the beginning the view seemed bleak, the end far away and the exit unclear,” said the monarch. But the belief in doing the right thing carried people through the difficult times. The speech was broadcast at the same time as a radio address by Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, who addressed his nation at the end of the war.
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“Love and care” in the streets
“I vividly remember the cheering scenes that my sister and I witnessed on the Buckingham Palace balcony with our parents and Winston Churchill (then Prime Minister),” continued the Queen. The two young women later mingled with the partying crowd on the streets of London, the Queen told the BBC once. At the time, however, she was also aware that the war would cause further casualties. It was not until August that arms surrendered in the Pacific after Japan surrendered.
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The Queen recalled the many human lives that the “terrible conflict” had claimed. The best appreciation for the sacrifice they made was “that countries that were once bitter enemies are now friends, working side by side for all of us peace, health and prosperity,” said the head of state.
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The Queen retired to the Windsor Castle near London in the coronavirus pandemic with her husband, Prince Philip (98). Events and street festivals to commemorate the end of the war were largely canceled. Nevertheless, the streets are not empty, said Elizabeth II, “they are filled with the” love and care that we feel for one another “. It makes them proud to see what people are willing to do for others.
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Aerobatic team over London
The queen wore a simple light blue dress when speaking. A photo of her father was placed on a desk in front of her. On the other side was the military cap she had worn as a young woman. The then Princess Elizabeth had trained as a truck driver and mechanic in a women’s section of the British Army during the war. According to Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth II is the only living head of state who served in World War II.
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Several aircraft from the Red Arrows aerobatic team flew over the capital London on Friday morning and colored the sky with smoke trails in the colors of the Union Jacks red, blue and white. At 11 a.m. the dead were commemorated across the country with a minute’s silence. Heir to the throne, Prince Charles, laid a wreath at a war memorial in Scotland, where he is currently residing.
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«You can only love this country with a broken heart»
In Germany and other countries around the world, on Friday the end of the Second World War, commemoration of Nazi Germany occurred 75 years ago. In Berlin, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on citizens to defend democracy.
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At the central commemoration in the German capital, Steinmeier also emphasized the special German responsibility for European cohesion. He made it clear that this consequence from German history applies particularly now to the Corona crisis.
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«At that time we were liberated. Today we have to free ourselves, “said Steinmeier, calling new nationalism, hatred, agitation, and” xenophobia and contempt for democracy “.
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German history is a “broken story”. This includes responsibility for millions of murders and millions of sufferings. “It still breaks our hearts today. Therefore: You can only love this country with a broken heart, »said Steinmeier.
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Partner in solving many international problems
Chancellor Angela Merkel phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both would have confirmed the intention to make the relationship constructive. “The memory of the war and its horrors should be kept alive forever,” said the German government. The day had a special symbolism for Russia and Germany, it was said from the Kremlin. “Today Russia and Germany are partners in solving many current international problems.”
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During World War II, Hitler’s Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. With around 27 million deaths, it counted more victims than any other state. Merkel also made phone calls to US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday, according to government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
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The unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht ended the war in Europe unleashed by Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. It cost between 55 and more than 60 million people here and in Asia, depending on the estimate. Among them were around 6 million European Jews who were murdered by the National Socialists in their racial madness.
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(SDA)
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