The Elbe Division was an important event during World War II, between the Soviet Red Army and the Allied forces in the United States. This meeting marked the imminent end of Nazi Germany and had a profound impact on the outcome of the war.
The Elbe Reunion took place on April 25, 1945, near the Elbe River in Germany. At that time, the Soviet Red Army was advancing from the east, while the American Allies were advancing from the west, and both armies advanced into German territory with rapid momentum.
The Soviet Red Army, commanded by Marshal Zhukov, began the Battle of Belarus in August 1944 and advanced westward, liberating Soviet-occupied Poland, Czechoslovakia, and other places. The Soviet Red Army achieved a series of important victories on the Eastern Front, such as the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk, which inflicted heavy losses on Nazi Germany. The Soviet Red Army under Zhukov's leadership, in the process of advancing, constantly weakened the resistance of the German army and greatly narrowed the German defense line.
At the same time, the American Allied forces, commanded by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, adopted the tactics of the Western Front, starting with the landing in Normandy, France, and advancing all the way east. After the landing of the American Allied forces in Normandy, they gradually advanced into German territory after the Battle of the Ardennes and the destruction of German supply lines. The advance of the American Allied forces was extremely fast, forming a flanking trend with the advance of the Soviet Red Army, which put tremendous pressure on the German army.
On April 25, 1945, the outposts of the Soviet Red Army and the vanguard of the Allied forces of the United States met near the Elbe River, which was the first meeting of Soviet and American troops in World War II. The meeting took place in the area of the Elbe bridgehead near the island of Torgau, where units of the 5th Guards Panzer Corps of the Soviet Red Army met units of the US 1st Panzer Division. At that time, tanks of the Soviet Red Army and armored vehicles of the American Allies stopped on the Elbe River and had a friendly exchange and celebration.
The significance of the Elbe meeting was significant. It symbolized the Allied army's gradual gain of the upper hand in the war and marked the imminent end of Nazi Germany. The meeting was a huge psychological blow to German soldiers and civilians, and it also boosted the morale of the Allied forces. In addition, the Elbe Reunion symbolized the cooperation and victory of the two superpowers of the Soviet Union and the United States, laying the foundation for the post-war world order.
After the Elbe division, the Soviet and American forces continued to advance on Berlin, eventually achieving a complete victory on German soil. On May 7, 1945, Germany formally signed the unconditional surrender agreement, ending the fighting in the European theater of World War II.