Figure 1.-- Here we see Parisians celebrating the Armistice. Notice this is a side street, not one of the wide avenues. There were scences like this all over the city. As this was in a residential neigborhood, many children are involved.

The great Allied capitals woke up with news of the Armistice. The Armistice was wildly celebrated throughout the Allied countries (Paris, London, Rome, and the Dominion capitals as well as smaller cities and towns. People took the streets exuding sheer joy, dancing and waving flags. Armistice day would become nationl holidays, still celebrated today under different names. We have no information on Delhi or Tokyo. The situation was a little different in Washington and other American cities. It was affected by a false report (November 7). The celbration was muted in Brussels and Belgrade as they were still occupied by the Germans. The stuation was very different in Berlin, Vienna, Sofia, and Ankara. The German people were dhocked. Ony a few mnnths earlier, they thought they had won the War. But the details of the Armistice were not yet available. The officials resonsible would come to be known in Germany as the November criminals, but at the time there was relief that the War was over. We are not sure about St. Petersburg because the Russian Civil War was already in progress. No country, however, benefitted more from the Allied imposed Armistice than Russia.

The Allies

The great Allied capitals woke up with news of the Armistice. The Armistice was wildly celebrated throughout the Allied countries (Paris, London, Rome, Washington, and the Dominion capitals as well as smaller cities and towns. People took the streets exuding sheer joy, dancing and waving flags. Armistice day would become nationl holidays, still celebrated today under different names. The Manchester Guardian described the celebration in London, "The maroons [rockets] that in the bad nights of the past beat like blows on the drum of fate gave the news to London at eleven o’clock this morning and sounded the overture of rejoicing. The idea of using the maroons came right out of the humorous mind of London, and the once-terrible sound was like a huge Cockney chuckle of delight. The guns boomed over the heavy grey sky, and everybody knew that the last guns had been fired in the home front. Before the sound had died away innumerable people everywhere rushed into the streets from house, factory, and workshop, and children helter-skelter from the schools crying 'The war is over!' In a few minutes all over London the little boys in red with the bugles, who used to send us to bed when the Gothas had gone, were starting out blowing the cheer ‘All clear’ for the war. The maroons that in the bad nights of the past beat like blows on the drum of fate gave the news to London at eleven o’clock this morning and sounded the overture of rejoicing. The idea of using the maroons came right out of the humorous mind of London, and the once-terrible sound was like a huge Cockney chuckle of delight. The guns boomed over the heavy grey sky, and everybody knew that the last guns had been fired in the home front. Bfore the sound had died away innumerable people everywhere rushed into the streets from house, factory, and workshop, and children helter-skelter from the schools crying “The war is over!” In a few minutes all over London the little boys in red with the bugles, who used to send us to bed when the Gothas had gone, were starting out blowing the cheer ‘All clear’ for the war." Paris erupted as soon as the armistice is announced. One French soldier reports, "I was in Paris that afternoon. The excitement in the air was almost delirious. I am convinced that we have never seen -- and never will see again -- such a public outpouring of emotion. The streets were swarming with people, the houses were filled from the cellar to the attics with people at the windows." There wsere celebrations throughout the country, people were intoxicated by a general sense of joy. One report indicates, "Friends and strangers alike held each other in their arms, singing patriotic songs, and we moved about the city like a huge linked chain." In Washington amnd the major cities joyous celevratioin broke out when a falsde report was received (Novenber 7). News of the actual armistice reached the United States on the morning of November 11. Crowds again filled the streets of American cities, but somewhat more dsubdued. One report indicates, "There were few jubilations that Monday, in comparison with wild, fake-armistice day. People had spent their wild hilarity; all realized now what the struggle had meant and cost. We were glad—glad—but it was a gladness that lay deep in our hearts. People were prayerful and tearful; and yet joyous—too grateful for mirth." We have no information on Delhi or Tokyo. The celbration was muted in Brussels and Belgrade becsuse they were still occupied by the Germans.

The Central Powers

The stuation was very different in the capitals of the Central Powers (Berlin, Vienna, Sofia, and Ankara). All were affected by serious food shortages. The German people were shocked. Only a few months earlier, they thought they had won the War. And they were not being fully informed of the extent of the military reversals on the Western Front. And the details of the Armistice were not immediately released. German troops back from the front paraded in Berlin a few days after the Armistice. They were well received by the people of Berlin, still not aware of the severity of the Armistice. The officials involved would come to be known in Germany as the November Criminals, but at the time there was relief that the War was over. The Allies, however, maintained the blockade to enforce compliance, meaning that Germany could still not import food and the terrible shortages continued. The reaction was also affected by the wiff of revolution. The Social Democrats were essentially handed control, but the radical socialisrs (not yet called Communists( wer following the Bolsheik game plan were setting up worker's Soviets--a major dufference was that few soldiers joined the workers. Elements of the Navy had mutinied (the surface fleet), but not the U-boats fleet. The Army remained loyal to the Government to a degree. Their main political orientation was still largely monarchist. The Kaiser, however, had fled to the Netherlands and a republic had been declared. The Allies refused to deal with the General Staff and insisted on a civilian government being established. The Siutuation in Austria-Hungary was even worse. They had all previously agreed to armistices: Bulgaria (September 29), the Ottomans (October 30, Austro-Hungary (November 3). Germany was the final member of the Central Powers to sue for peace. The Aystro-Hungarian Empire was disentegrating and the various national groups moving toward independence. In effect, the Armistice essentially for the Poles, Czechs, Hugarians, southern Slaves (Yugoslavia) was more like independence day than a defeat as was the case in Austria and Germany. The situation in the Ottoman Empire was that the non-Turkic territories were lost and the Armenian Genocide had largely murdered or expelled non-Turkic elements except the Greeks in the West.

Russia

We are not sure about St. Petersburg because the Russian Civil War was already in progress. No country. however, benefitted more from the Allied imposed Armistice than Russia. But a terrible famine was developing as the Whites tried to depose the Bolsheviks. Allied forces were in Ruyssia. The British were in Murmansk and Archangel. The French were in the Ukraine, and the Americabs and Japanese were in Vladisvosostock. But more imprtant Germans had to ???? the Trearty of Brest-Litivsk and the lands the Bolsheviks ceeded to the Germans were up for grabs. As with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, various national grouops were seeking indeopendence.

Sources

Created: 3:04 PM 10/26/2021
Last updated: 3:04 PM 10/26/2021