Bidspirit auction | An ashtray documenting the ceremony

An ashtray documenting the ceremony of the unconditional surrender of the High Command of Nazi Germany to the Allied Powers - Capitulation - A cast and engraved brass ashtray featuring in relief the surrender agreement of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II in Reims - ”Surrender - 7-5 REIMS 1945”. Europe, 1940s. The body of the ashtray is a relief depicting the German representatives signing the surrender agreement: Colonel General Gustav Jodl, Chief of the German Staff, and Admiral Karl Dönitz. To the left of General Jodl appears Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg of the German Navy, and to his right Major Wilhelm Oxenius of the German General Staff. At the far left appears Colonel Ivan Zenkovich, and seated with his back turned is General of Artillery Ivan Susloparov, who signed the document on behalf of the Soviet High Command. The signing ceremony took place on May 7, 1945, at 2:41 a.m. According to the surrender document, all German armed forces were obligated to lay down their arms on all fronts. The signing marked the final collapse of Germany after months of total military disintegration, as American, British, and Soviet armies closed in from the west and east. The document stipulated that hostilities would officially cease on May 8, 1945 - an event that became known as Victory in Europe Day. The following day, an additional signing ceremony was required in Berlin at the request of the Soviets, to emphasize their central role in the victory. Together, the two ceremonies symbolize the official end of the war in Europe and the collapse of the Third Reich. 12.5x10.5 cm. Signs of use. Good condition.