The German Instrument of Surrender, which took effect in Berlin-Karlshorst, was a key moment marking the conclusion of World War II in Europe. On that day, General Alfred Jodl, Chief of the Operations Staff of the Wehrmacht, signed the unconditional surrender on behalf of the German High Command. The signing took place in a former German army garage that was converted for the occasion, where Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov was one of the prominent Allied figures present. The ceremony also included representatives from the United States, Great Britain, and France, symbolizing a united front among the Allies against the Axis powers.

The evening before the signing, Jodl communicated through radio that the German military had accepted the terms laid out by the Allies, which demanded total surrender. The surrender agreement came after several days of intense fighting, the capture of Berlin by Soviet forces, and the overall collapse of Nazi Germany after Adolf Hitler's suicide just days prior. This led to a complex scenario where the Allies consolidated their position in Europe and prepared for the challenges facing post-war reconstruction.

The signing was initially met with celebrations among the Allied nations as it effectively marked the end of the war in Europe, a conflict that had raged since 1939. World leaders were already making plans for the division of Germany and the establishment of order in Europe moving forward. The formal nature of the signing and its implication of unconditional surrender posed a stark contrast to the previous hostilities and offered a moment of reflection on the sacrifices made during the war. The surrender also laid the groundwork for subsequent discussions at the Potsdam Conference regarding the future of post-war Europe.