Elbe Day: U.S. and Soviet Forces Meet to Divide Germany
American and Soviet troops met at the Elbe River near Torgau, Germany, on April 25, 1945, cutting the remnants of the Wehrmacht in two. Second Lieutenant William Robertson of the 69th Infantry Division and Lieutenant Alexander Silvashko of the 58th Guards Division shook hands on the destroyed bridge. The meeting was carefully staged for photographers, though informal contacts had occurred the previous day. The link-up divided Germany into what would become the Western and Soviet occupation zones. Celebrations at the river were genuine: soldiers exchanged souvenirs, shared vodka and chocolate, and posed for photographs that became some of the most enduring images of Allied cooperation. Within two years, these same armies would be adversaries in the Cold War.
April 25, 1945
81 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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