On April 25, 1945, near Torgau on the Elbe River, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front met with units of the 1st U.S. Army. This meeting of the allies led to the division of the remaining German forces into northern and southern groups.

The first contact occurred when an American patrol led by First Lieutenant Albert Koczyba crossed the Elbe and met Soviet soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Gordeev on the eastern bank. On the same day, another American patrol, headed by Second Lieutenant William Robertson, encountered Soviet soldiers led by Lieutenant Alexander Silvashko on a destroyed bridge over the Elbe near Torgau.

On April 26, 1945, the commanders of the 69th U.S. Division and the 58th Guards Division of the Red Army held a meeting in Torgau. It was during this meeting that the famous photograph was taken, showing Robertson and Silvashko shaking hands.