Editing Winston Churchill (section)

====VE Day (Victory in Europe Day)====
[[File:Winston Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall in London as they celebrate VE Day, 8 May 1945. H41849.jpg|thumb|Churchill waving the [[Victory sign]] to the crowd in [[Whitehall]] on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war with Germany had been won, 8 May 1945.]]
On 7 May 1945 at the SHAEF headquarters in [[Reims]] [[end of World War II in Europe|the Allies accepted Germany's surrender]]. The next day was [[Victory in Europe Day]] (VE Day) when Churchill broadcast to the nation that Germany had surrendered and that a final ceasefire would come into effect at one minute past midnight that night.{{sfn|Hermiston|2016|pp=353–354}} Churchill went to [[Buckingham Palace]] where he appeared on the balcony with the Royal Family before a huge crowd of celebrating citizens. He went from the palace to [[Whitehall]] where he addressed another large crowd: "God bless you all. This is your victory. In our long history, we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best".{{sfn|Hermiston|2016|p=355}}

He asked Bevin to come forward and share the applause. Bevin said: "No, Winston, this is your day", and proceeded to conduct the people in the singing of "[[For He's a Jolly Good Fellow]]".{{sfn|Hermiston|2016|p=355}} In the evening, Churchill made another broadcast correctly asserting that the defeat of Japan would follow in the coming months.{{sfn|Hermiston|2016|p=356}}

Later in the month France attempted to put down a nationalist uprising in the [[Syria]]. Churchill intervened and on 31 May gave de Gaulle an ultimatum to desist, but this was ignored. In what became known as the [[Levant Crisis]], British forces from [[Emirate of Transjordan|Transjordan]] were mobilised to restore order. The French, outnumbered, had no option but to return to their bases. De Gaulle felt humiliated, and a diplomatic row broke out{{snd}}Churchill reportedly told a colleague that de Gaulle was "a great danger to peace and for Great Britain".{{sfn|Fenby|2011|pp=42–47}}