Reconstruction of Cologne, Germany. Aerial views of Cologne, Germany in 1930, before its destruction in World War II. Shows pre-war Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollerm Bridge on the Rhine river. Various buildings in Cologne including train station. Scene change to Fuhrer Adolf Hitler speaking. Aerial and street views of damaged bridges and buildings in Cologne after World War II. Destroyed sewer pipes, piles of rubble in Cologne. American Military Government men, also known as "MG" lined up in streets, in uniform, wearing soldier helmets. They salute. The U.S. flag is raised. Signs behind men read, ""Militarregierungsamt" and "military government" Close up faces of MG soldiers. Large groups of civilians crossing the newly named McNair bridge. Sign reads, "Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair Bridge Designed by 1067 Eng. Const. Gp". A U.S. military government officer wearing a lip microphone addresses a crowd of civilians. Close-up views of German civilians as they listen. Truck equipped with horn-loaded PA speakers amplifies speech. German men, women, and children are deloused using DDT, which is sprayed in power form into their clothing. A German man with a SS blood type tattoo under his left arms is examined. The tattoo identifies him as a former Nazi German SS soldier. Germans in line to be interviewed for new military government positions. A man stopping and examining papers of a German citizen. Germans civilians at interview table being questioned. They sign the interview papers using a fingerprint. The first German police force of Cologne, Germany following World War II. They are given arm bands reading, "MG-Police." The former head of the Prussian Senate on camera, identified as one who fought the Nazis.
Ruins along Unter den Linden boulevard in Berlin after World War II. A reflection of bomb damage in water. View of the Unter den Linden Avenue and heavily damaged Neue Wache (Unter den Linden 4, 10117 Berlin, Germany). Russian signs in front of the Neue Wache. German civilians pull a wooden cart along Unter den Linden. A statue which has been protected by bricks. Bomb damaged Humboldt University of Berlin nearby. People and soldiers walk past the Berlin State Library (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 8, Berlin, Germany). View of the Victory Column. A British flag near the Siegessäule or Victory Column (Großer Stern, 10557 Berlin, Germany).
United States 3rd Army Division soldier shoots at German snipers in Cologne, Germany during World War II. Street sign at Subbelrather Straße (Subbelrather Street) in Ehrenfeld borough, Cologne. Soldiers ride a Jeep and walk on foot near St. Rochus Church (Rochusstraße 98, 50827 Köln, Germany). The ruins of St. Rochus Church. A skyline view of Cologne, Germany.
President Harry S. Truman broadcasts to the nation from a desk in the White House, Washington, DC. on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, announcing that Germany has surrendered to end World War 2, in Europe. He expresses his regret that the late President Franklin Roosevelt had not lived to see the day. Truman calls it a "solemn but glorious hour" and offers thanks to the "providence that has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity and into light."
From a U.S. Army training film. Actor portrayals for a number of the scenes. African American porter or waiter on moving railroad train carrying drinks on a tray. Story line depicts a young man named Mike traveling in a railroad train. He looks at the countryside through the windows of a moving train passing by open areas of American countryside. Quick views of farms and factories, city skyscrapers, many workers outside a factory at shift change, farmer reaping wheat harvest with reaper pulled by team of horses; smoke from factory chimneys and smokestacks; miners working in underground mine (likely coal mine). Pedestrians on busy city streets. African American family entering a church door and being greeted by clergy. Racially integrated group of children of mixed races including African American, Asian American, and white boys playing baseball. View of a cowboy rounding up livestock on a ranch; various church signs and church buildings of different religions; fishermen at work. Mike walking along a street listens to a man giving a provoking speech to a street crowd. The man talks of separation among American citizens on the basis of religion, color and origin. An African American man in the crowd shakes his head in disgust listening to the speech. Another man from among the street crowd discusses with Mike the similarity between the provoking man and the Nazis. A Nazi official delivers a provocative speech to the crowd consisting of people from all sections of society in Germany. The speaker speaks about segregation of the minorities like Jews, Catholics, Free Masons and outsiders from Germans. A Nazi German soldier dresses up, his family suffering from lack of food. Actors portraying the Nazi leaders Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering and others. Large troops of Nazi Germans soldiers provoked by Nazi leaders. Actual footage of a nazi rally at the Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg. Actors portraying the smashing of political parties other than Nazis. The country was divided into number of minority groups. People of groups other than Germans being tortured. Jews and Catholics beaten by Nazi soldiers. (World War II period).
A huge crowd in Piccadilly Circus, London assembled at night to celebrate the V-E Day. People celebrate the victory of Allied Forces over Germany in World War II. American soldiers and British civilians drink from bottle and dance on streets. signs on a building read: "Buy Savings Stamps"and "Support yir Savings Group." Allied servicemen and British civilian women dance in a circle. After dark near end of film, some celebrants set a bonfire.
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