On September 7, 1945, a parade of allied troops took place in Berlin.

He emphasized the role that the unification of ideologically heterogeneous states played in the defeat of the Third Reich and its supporters.

At the same time, the parade became one of the last large-scale events of the countries - members of the anti-Hitler coalition, which were held together.

Preparing for the parade

On May 4, 1945, immediately after the liberation of Berlin from the Nazis, Soviet troops marched in a solemn march across the square at the Brandenburg Gate.

And on June 24, 1945, Hitler's banners were thrown at the foundation of the Mausoleum of V.I.

Lenin during the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow.

The Second World War was drawing to a close, and Marshal Georgy Zhukov had the idea to hold a parade of allied troops in Berlin.

The military leader believed that such an event would have a powerful ideological impact on both the German population and the Western Allies.

Joseph Stalin fully approved Zhukov's plan.

Then the idea was brought to the attention of the commanders-in-chief of the Allied forces.

They also supported her.

The venue for the event was the section of the Charlottenburg highway (now - June 17 street) in Berlin's Tiergarten park - from the Victory Column to the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, and the date was set for September 7, 1945.

"The official decision to hold the parade was made on August 30, 1945 at a meeting of the allied commandant's office in Berlin," Alexander Mikhailov, a specialist in the history of the Victory Museum, told RT.

  • Allied Forces Victory Parade on September 7, 1945.

    Soviet servicemen on the spectator tribune.

  • © Waralbum.ru

However, in the course of discussions between the Western military leaders of the future parade with the political leaders of their countries, there was a hitch.

Georgy Zhukov stressed in his memoirs that, according to the original agreements, the parade was to be received by the commanders-in-chief of the troops of the Soviet Union, the United States, Great Britain and France.

However, when the preparation of the parade reached its decisive stage, the commanders-in-chief of the Western allies announced that for various reasons they would not be able to arrive in Berlin, having appointed authorized generals to take part in the event instead.

The events were reported to Moscow.

“They want to belittle the political significance of the parade of the troops of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Wait, they are not going to do tricks like that yet.

Do not pay attention to the refusal of the commanders-in-chief and accept the parade yourself, especially since you have more rights to this than they do, ”Zhukov quoted Stalin in his memoirs.

Allied Forces Parade

As planned, the parade took place on September 7, 1945.

It was attended by the Soviet units that stormed Berlin, as well as the American, British and French units stationed in the western occupation sectors of the city.

“Having traveled around the troops, which were built for the solemn march, I made a speech in which the historical merits of the Soviet troops and the Allied Expeditionary Forces were noted.

Our infantry, tankmen and artillerymen marched in impeccable formation.

Tanks and self-propelled artillery made an especially impressive impression.

Of the allied forces, the British troops distinguished themselves with the best drill training, ”Zhukov wrote in his memoirs.

After the Soviet marshal drove around the units lined up to participate in the parade, the ceremonial passage of the troops began.

The parade was commanded by the English General Eric Nares.

The commanding staff of the Western Allied armies at the parade were also represented by the commander of the 3rd American Army, General George Patton, the deputy commander-in-chief of the British occupation forces, General Brian Robertson, the commander of the French occupation forces in Germany and on the Rhine, General of the Army Marie-Pierre Koenig, and other high-ranking military personnel.

A group of US congressmen also arrived at the parade.

The first in the area to march was the Soviet consolidated regiment of the 248th Infantry Division of the 9th Infantry Corps of the 5th Shock Guards Army, which distinguished itself during the assault on the capital of the Third Reich.

The Soviet soldiers were followed by the French - the combined regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, which included Alpine riflemen, colonial troops and partisans.

The combined regiment of the 131st British Infantry Brigade marched behind the French, and units of the 82nd US Airborne Division closed the solemn procession.

  • Allied Forces Victory Parade on September 7, 1945.

    Consolidated regiment of the 248th Infantry Division on the Charlottenburg highway (now 17 June Street) in Berlin's Tiergarten park.

    The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Lenev, Hero of the Soviet Union.

  • © Waralbum.ru

Following the columns of infantry, allied armored vehicles drove into the square.

24 A34 Comet medium cruiser tanks, three dozen Sexton self-propelled guns and Daimler Mk II armored vehicles from the British 7th Panzer Division, six medium tanks, 24 armored personnel carriers and 24 armored vehicles of the French Armed Forces, as well as 32 American light tanks M24 Chaffee and 16 armored vehicles М8 Greyhound.

“The main highlight of the parade that took place that day was the demonstration of the new Soviet heavy tank IS-3 in the amount of 52 pieces.

Marshal Zhukov recalled that they made a very strong impression on the allies.

According to legend, at the sight of heavy Soviet tanks, Western officers even began to get nervous, "Mikhailov noted.

After passing the technique, the military bands performed the anthems of their countries.

The parade of the Allied forces was watched by about 20 thousand German spectators.

  • Soviet tanks at the parade on September 7, 1945 in Berlin

  • © Imperial War Museums / Wikipedia

The September parade was the last major military event of the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition.

“The September 7 parade symbolized, firstly, the very fact of the end of World War II: the aggression emanated from Berlin - and the war was“ closed ”in Berlin.

Secondly, the event became the final point in the activities of the anti-Hitler coalition and a reminder that, despite different ideologies and interests, the alliance between the West and the USSR nevertheless took place and all its participants made their contribution to the victory, "he said in an interview with RT Deputy Director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State Pedagogical University Vladimir Shapovalov.

According to him, allied relations within the framework of the anti-Hitler coalition have seriously transformed the world order - thanks to them, the Yalta-Potsdam system and the UN were created.

“Unfortunately, in the future, the selfish interests of the West turned out to be prevailing, and it was not possible to maintain good partnership,” the expert noted.

Shapovalov also called it symbolic that, despite attempts to lower the status of the parade by Western states, the USSR was still represented by Marshal Zhukov.

“It was a hard-won victory for our country.

And the parade became another reminder of who took Berlin and made the greatest contribution to the defeat of Nazism, ”the expert summed up.