The Victory issue of the French Le Monde Illustre from May 12, 1945. Four days after Nazi Germany signed the surrender agreement with the Allies. Many photographs accompanying the great days of the victory declaration and the end of the greatest war in human history.
On the title page, a hand waving the flags of the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union and the word “Victoire!”. In the inner pages, extensive articles on the end of World War II opening with the headline: “This day has come” – “France which we thought was dead, here it is more alive than ever… It turns with confidence to its allies… It knows very well that it could do nothing without their help…”. Following are quotes from speeches delivered by Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin at the outbreak of the war about their intention to fight the Nazi devil to the last drop of blood, until the mission is completed, and how their words came true. There is an extensive article on the rise of the Nazi party’s power starting in the 1920s, Hitler’s rise to power and a description of the crimes committed by Nazi Germany during its years of rule – the clear declarations of genocide it intended to commit and the way it carried out the plan. There is a detailed timeline from 1938 until the end of the war describing the developments on all fronts, until the day Nazi Germany signed the surrender agreement on May 7, 1945. There are also several articles on the Allied generals who led the war, accompanied by photographs from the days of the liberation of Paris, rare photographs from the war on the North African front, and more.
The second part of the issue describes the destruction that Hitler sowed in Europe in accordance with his declarations at the beginning of the war. Here is a horrifying photograph of the corpses of the victims in Bergen-Belsen, and the headline: “They signed for these crimes, they will have to pay!”, and more.
In the middle of the issue appears a large two-page color poster “Homage to Our Dead” – a multi-flag “remembrance” rally for the fallen in World War II, and more.
48 p. 37 cm. Complete issue. Minor tears to spine. Good condition.