Off the wire
• Commentary: World speakers' conference conducive to global sustainable development efforts  • Russian UN envoy says bid for female UN chief usurps Eastern Europe's turn  • Roundup: China's propositions applauded at parliamentary speakers' Conference  • Baltimore judge upholds charges against police officers in black man Freddie Gray's death  • Bavaria needs more money for refugees from federal gov't: minister-president  • Serena Williams holds off challenge to enter third round  • Kaka eyes World Cup qualifiers  • UK Yunnan Business Association set up in London  • Roundup: Canadian stock market recovers as healthcare rallies  • Declaration adopted at parliamentary summit, vowing support for sustainable development goals  
You are here: 　 Home

(V-Day) Backgrounder: Military parades to mark victory of world anti-fascist war

Xinhua, September 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

A military parade will be held in Beijing on Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II.

It is the first military parade in China to mark an anniversary of the war and the first with foreign military participation.

Previously, the People's Republic of China has held 14 military parades at Tian'anmen Square since its founding on Oct. 1, 1949, all of them on National Day.

In other nations, dozens of military parades have been held to mark the end of WWII.

Xinhua takes you back to review the major parades around the world.

1945: MOSCOW

On June 24, 1945 a military parade was staged at Red Square in Moscow. At the end of the parade, about 200 veterans walked past holding Nazi military flags upside-down and cast the banners into heaps at the foot of Lenin's mausoleum. It has become one of the best-known moments of the Red Square parades.

After WWII ended, the Soviet Union announced May 9 a public holiday to mark the end of the Great Patriotic War. Since 1996, Russia has staged military parades every year on May 9 at Red Square.

1945: BERLIN

On Sept. 7, 1945, the Soviet Union, the United States, Great Britain and France held a joint military parade in Berlin, the capital of the defeated Nazi Germany.

A total of 5,000 Allied troops took part in the event, with more than 2,000 from the Soviet Union.

1945: NAVAL PARADE ON THE HUDSON

On Oct. 27, 1945, the United States staged a naval parade on the Hudson River in New York City. The event is regarded as one of the biggest naval parades in the history of the United States.

A victory parade was also held on Jan. 12, 1946 in New York City, with the participation of 13,000 officers and troops.

Events are held every year On Dec. 7 in Hawaii to remember the victims of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

2014: D-DAY COMMEMORATION IN FRANCE

On June 6, 2014, France held events, including a performance and a parade, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, also known as the D-Day landings.

World leaders taking part in the ceremony included U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir, Britian's Queen Elizabeth, French President Francois Hollande and Danish Queen Margrethe II.

On Aug. 15, 2014, another military parade was observed in the South of France to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings in Provence, a lesser-known but equally important campaign during WWII.

2015: VICTORY DAY PARADE AT RED SQUARE

On May 9, 2015, Russia celebrated the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-fascist war with a large-scale military parade at Red Square in Moscow.

The parade was the largest one since the fall of the former Soviet Union in 1991 and was attended by about 20 leaders of nations and international organizations with the participation of military units from 10 countries.

China sent its guard of honor of the three services of the People's Liberation Army to take part in the parade. Endi