Stunde Null (German: [ˈʃtʊndə ˈnʊl], "Hour Zero") is a term referring to midnight on 8 May 1945 in Germany.[1] It marked the end of World War II in Europe and the start of a new, non-Nazi Germany.[2] It was partly an attempt by Germany to disassociate itself from the Nazis.[2] Denazification was encouraged by the Allied forces occupying Germany.