Editing Karl Dönitz (section)

===Flensburg Government===
{{Main|Flensburg Government}}
[[File:The Second World War 1939 - 1945- Germany- Personalities BU6711.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Karl Dönitz (centre, in long, dark coat) followed by [[Albert Speer]] (bareheaded) and [[Alfred Jodl]] (on Speer's right) during the arrest of the Flensburg Government by British troops]]

On 4 May, Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, representing Dönitz, [[German surrender at Lüneburg Heath|surrendered all German forces]] in the [[Netherlands]], [[Denmark]], and northwestern Germany to [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] [[Bernard Montgomery]] at [[Lüneburg Heath]] southeast of [[Hamburg]], signaling the end of World War II in northwestern Europe.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

A day later, Dönitz sent Friedeburg to [[General of the Army (United States)|US General]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]'s headquarters in [[Rheims]], France, to negotiate a surrender to the Allies. The [[Chief of Staff]] of OKW, {{lang|de|[[Generaloberst]]}} (Colonel-General) [[Alfred Jodl]], arrived a day later. Dönitz had instructed them to draw out the negotiations for as long as possible so that German troops and refugees could surrender to the Western powers, but when Eisenhower let it be known he would not tolerate their stalling, Dönitz authorised Jodl to sign the instrument of unconditional surrender at 1:30 on the morning of 7 May. Just over an hour later, Jodl signed the documents. The surrender documents included the phrase, "All forces under German control to cease active operations at 23:01 hours Central European Time on 8 May 1945." At Stalin's insistence, on 8 May, shortly before midnight, ({{lang|de|[[Generalfeldmarschall]]}}) [[Wilhelm Keitel]] repeated the signing in Berlin at [[Marshal of the Soviet Union|Marshal]] [[Georgy Zhukov]]'s headquarters, with General [[Carl Spaatz]] of the [[USAAF]] present as Eisenhower's representative. At the time specified, [[end of World War II in Europe|World War II in Europe ended]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Karl Dönitz Announcement of German Capitulation- 8 May 1945 | date=12 December 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tXt0buPbA |access-date=2023-08-16 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Last Wehrmacht Report – 9 May 1945 | date=22 September 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kS4PZlF_BM |access-date=2023-08-16 |language=en}}</ref>

On 23 May, the [[Flensburg Government|Dönitz government]] was dissolved when Dönitz was arrested by an [[RAF Regiment]] task force.{{sfn|Oliver|2002|p=118}} The ''[[Großadmiral]]''{{'s}} ''Kriegsmarine'' flag, which was removed from his headquarters, can be seen at the RAF Regiment Heritage Centre at [[RAF Honington]]. {{lang|de|Generaloberst}} Jodl, {{lang|de|Reichsminister}} Speer and other members were also handed over to troops of the Herefordshire Regiment at Flensburg. His ceremonial baton, awarded to him by Hitler, can be seen in the regimental museum of the [[Kings Shropshire Light Infantry]] in [[Shrewsbury Castle]] and his car pennant in the regimental museum of the [[Herefordshire Light Infantry]].{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}