Final days of the war against fascism—from the Daily Worker archives

Final days of the war against fascism—from the Daily Worker archives

By People's World

For the anniversary of the defeat of Hitler and the fall of fascism in Europe, we present highlights from those historic days as they were covered in the pages of the Daily Worker, predecessor of People’s World. From the historic meeting of U.S. and Soviet troops at the Elbe River in late April 1945 to the celebrations of victory after the fall of Berlin, the Daily Worker provided readers in the United States all the most important news of the day from a working class point of view. Along with the elation of victory, you will also see in these selections mourning for the lives lost and hopes for a better world to come through international cooperation. But there was also concern that the unity which had beaten fascism was under threat—from anti-communism, from the “America First” crowd, and from big business industrialists everywhere who had supported the aims of the fascists. The Cold War was already approaching before the guns had even fallen silent....

RED ARMY, YANKS JOIN—HISTORIC JUNCTURE AT TORGAU

Red Armymen swim Elbe, hail ‘Amerikanskis’

April 26, 1945

By Ann Stringer

TORGAU, Germany—Down the street of Torgau came a Russian youth wearing blue shorts and a gray cap with a red hammer and sickle on it. “Bravo Amerikanski!” he yelled. “Bravo comrades!”

He was dripping wet because he had swum the Elbe River to greet us. It was my first glimpse of the Soviet Army.

I had just flown in a Piper Club plane into this historic town where the official juncture of the Americans and Soviets took place. We landed in a clover field, climbed over two roadblocks, and then saw the young Russian running up the street. A little earlier, an American patrol had penetrated to Torgau.

The Elbe River is swarming with Soviet soldiers, stripped to their shorts. They are swimming over to greet us. The Germans blew up all the bridges across the Elbe, but there is a small fleet of shaky boats and canoes. I decided to cross the river in one of them and visit the Russians.

As they saw us coming in our canoe, they rushed down the river bank through the tall, wet grass and began yelling greetings. They helped us drag the canoe up on the bank, and then they all stood rigidly at attention for a moment. One by one, they stepped forward, saluted, shook hands, and stepped back into line.

Then, Lt. Grigori Otenchuku, a veteran of Stalingrad, stepped forward to make a formal speech on behalf of the Soviets.

“A few months ago, German soldiers were nearly in Stalingrad,” he said. “Now, Soviet soldiers are in Berlin and Soviet soldiers are here—all the way across Germany—with the American Allies.”

___ ITALIAN PARTISANS EXECUTE MUSSOLINI

April 30, 1945

ROME—Benito Mussolini, who gambled the destiny of Italy on fascism, has been tried by a People’s Tribunal, executed by a firing squad, and his body is now displayed in a Milan public square…

Put to death with Mussolini on Saturday were 45 of his Fascist henchmen—big shots and small—who had been captured while trying to flee Northern Italy…

A bank clerk, one of the thousands who gathered near the Palazzo Venezia where Mussolini used to strut, said that “it was about time because he was already a corpse and stinking too much.” A shopkeeper said “he deserved what he got,” and a housewife was “sure that the north would not let him escape.” ___

REICHSTAG FALLS, SAYS MAY DAY ORDER

May 1, 1945

MOSCOW—Premier Joseph Stalin announced in a May Day order yesterday that the main part of Berlin had been liberated and that Red Army troops hoisted the red flag over the historic Reichstag in the city’s heart.

Asserting that Germany now stands alone in the world “except for Japan,” and that the war is nearly ended, Stalin announced that in the last four months of battles, the Red Army has killed nearly one million Germans.

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