The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was an agreement between the Allies of World War I and Germany to cease hostilities on the Western Front. This significant event marked the end of the Great War, which had begun in July 1914.
By late 1918, the German Empire was facing multiple crises. The failure of the Spring Offensive in March 1918, coupled with the entry of the United States into the war, significantly weakened Germany's military position. Internally, Germany was dealing with economic collapse, political instability, and the impact of the Spanish Flu. These factors, combined with military defeats, led to increasing pressure for peace within Germany.
The armistice negotiations began in early November 1918. On November 5, a delegation from Germany, led by Matthias Erzberger, met with French Marshal Ferdinand Foch in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne, France. The terms of the armistice were harsh:
These terms were essentially a prelude to the punitive measures that would be formalized in the Treaty of Versailles.
The armistice was signed at 5:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, and was set to come into effect at 11:00 a.m. that same day, giving rise to the phrase "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month." Although the fighting officially stopped at this time, there were reports of fighting continuing in some areas due to delays in communication of the ceasefire.
The armistice did not officially end the war; it was an agreement to suspend hostilities. The formal end to the war came with the Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919. However, the Armistice of 11 November 1918 is often considered the practical end of World War I due to its immediate impact on stopping the fighting.
The terms of the armistice were seen as humiliating by many in Germany, contributing to the political and economic instability that followed, setting the stage for the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, and eventually World War II.
The signing of the Armistice is commemorated worldwide as Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, or Veterans Day, where people honor those who died in the service of their countries in all wars, not just World War I.