unconditional surrender
Complete, termless yielding
Unconditional surrender is the complete capitulation of a defeated party without any negotiated terms or guarantees.
The victor dictates all conditions; the vanquished accepts whatever follows.
The phrase became prominent in World War II when the Allies demanded unconditional surrender from the Axis powers: Germany's unconditional surrender ended the war in Europe.
In broader use, it describes any total capitulation: The CEO's resignation was an unconditional surrender to the board.
- capitulationComplete yielding to demands
- white flagSignal of capitulation
- lay down armsAgree to stop fighting
- checkmateInescapable capture position
- routOverwhelming one-sided victory
VE Day · defeat · relinquishment · bitter end · total war · yielding · resignation · Allied victory · ceasefire · demilitarization · Tokyo Trials · disarmament · V-J Day · Emperor Hirohito · division of Germany · war crimes trials · rubberstamp · reparations
- wartimerationing, war economy, war bonds, war effort, evacuations
- surrendercapitulate, capitulating, capitulation, give up, giving up
- postwar GermanyWest Germany, East Germany, divided Germany, Iron Curtain, Federal Republic
- Surrenderscapitulation, white flag, laying down arms, Appomattox, giving up
- war diplomacytruce, peace treaty, peace deal, armistice, ceasefire
- War Endingspeace treaty, armistice, ceasefire agreement, capitulation, truce
unconditional surrendernegotiated settlement
Agreement reached through dialogue
armistice · peace treaty · terms of surrender · ceasefire agreement · diplomatic resolution
unconditional surrendertotal victory
Winning in every respect
stalemate · defiance · guerrilla warfare · strategic withdrawal · fighting retreat
unconditional surrenderpower-sharing agreement
Pact distributing governmental authority
unconditional, surrender, condition, conditional, conditionally, conditions, conditioned, conditioning, conditioner