A historic 75th anniversary is coming up that few even realize today. April 25, 1945 was the day that the Eastern Front met the Western Front in World War II. The Americans were waiting at the Elbe River in Germany, and when the Red Army reached the shore on the other side, they jumped into boats to cross over and meet the Americans. That meeting meant that the German forces had essentially been split into two.
Meanwhile the jubilation among the troops would have made you believe that the war was already won. The soldiers embraced each other, and exchanged buttons, stars and patches from each other’s uniforms. Officers exchanged their service weapons.
After the war, as relations between the former allies soured and descended into Cold War, Elbe Day became a powerful symbol of unity between the East and the West, reminding people that even the fiercest enemies are capable of peace and friendship.
Read about Elbe Day and what it meant at Amusing Planet.