Figure 1.--Here French Boy Scouts waving French, American, British anf French flags celebrate the Armistice on Nivember 11. They are in front of the gilded bronze equestrian sculpture of Joan of Arc in Paris.

With the Kaiser gone and a new civilian Government in power, the situation changed. Germans officers at Compiègne were out of touch and were unsure what to think. The German delefation was shown Paris newspapers o inform them that the Kaiser had abdicated (November 10). Finally they received word that Kaiser Wilhelm II had abdicated and instructions from the new government that they should sign the armistice. Erzberger, the authorized representative of the Reich government, was instructed to sign by President Ebert. The German cabinet had earlier received a message from Hindenburg, requesting that the armistice be signed even if the Allies refuse to accept German requests for revisions. Agreement was reeched at Compiègne 5:00 a.m. (November 11). It was schedulded to go into force that night. There was no total agreement on the Armistice, General Pershing wanted to fight on to Berlin. But he had no say in the latter. Marshal Foch sent word to Allied commanders that “Hostilities will be stopped on the entire front beginning at 11 o'clock, November 11 (French hour). The Allied troops will not go beyond the line reached at that hour on that date until further orders.” The war on the Western Front had finally come to an end. Though the Compiègne Armistice was only one of several armistices signed in 1918, it is the armistice of November 11 that became the lasting global legacy of ending the War. The gun fell silent after more than 4 years of horrendous fighting at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (November 11, 1918). There had been over 8.5 million soldiers killed and 21.2 million wounded in what came to be called the Great War. 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 national holidays, still celebrated today under different names. We have no information on Delhi or Tokyo. 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 Germans were shocked. Ony a few monnths earlier, they thought they had won the War. The officials resonsible would come to be known in Germany as the November criminals. We are not sure about St. Petersburg necause the Russian Civil War was already in progress. No country. however, benefitted more from the Allied imposed Armistice than Russia.

Signing

With the Kaiser gone and a new civilian Government in power, the situation changed. Germans officers at Compiègne were out of touch and were unsure what to think. The German delefation was shown Paris newspapers o inform them that the Kaiser had abdicated (November 10). Finally they received word that Kaiser Wilhelm II had abdicated and instructions from the new government that they should sign the armistice. Erzberger, the authorized representative of the Reich government, was instructed to sign by President Ebert. The German cabinet had earlier received a message from Hindenburg, requesting that the armistice be signed even if the Allies refuse to accept German requests for revisions. Agreement was reeched at Compiègne 5:00 a.m. (November 11). It was schedulded to go into force that night. There was no total agreement on the Armistice, General Pershing wanted to fight on to Berlin. But he had no say in the latter. Marshal Foch sent word to Allied commanders that “Hostilities will be stopped on the entire front beginning at 11 o'clock, November 11 (French hour). The Allied troops will not go beyond the line reached at that hour on that date until further orders.” The war on the Western Front had finally come to an end. Though the Compiègne Armistice was only one of several armistices signed in 1918, it is the armistice of November 11 that became the lasting global legacy of ending the War. The gun fell silent after more than 4 years of horrendous fighting at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (November 11, 1918). There had been over 8.5 million soldiers killed and 21.2 million wounded in what came to be called the Great War.

Reaction

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 Germans were dhicked. Ony a few mnnths earlier, they thought they had won the War. But the details of the Aremidstice were not yet available. The olfficials 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.

Sources

Created: 4:29 AM 9/2/2021
Last updated: 4:29 AM 9/2/2021