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11 November (Armistice Day)
World War I is often referred to as “the war to end all wars.” It was the first global conflict in history, involving 38 nations or 70 percent of the world’s population, and lasted from 1914 to 1918. It was fought between two groups of nations called the Allies and the Central Powers. For four years and 106 days, human civilization experienced an unprecedented military upheaval. On November 11, 1918, an armistice ended the war in Western Europe - but it did not mean an immediate return to peace.
By the fall of 1918, Germany and its allies were exhausted. Their armies were defeated, and their hungry citizens began to rebel. As early as September 29, German general and strategist Erich Ludendorff decided that a cessation of hostilities must be sought. The need became more urgent as Germany’s allies began to withdraw from the war.
The German government approached the United States with a request for an armistice. They hoped it would be based on the “Fourteen Points” that US President Woodrow Wilson had laid out in January 1918 as a basis for “peace without victory”. By October, however, with their troops bloodily engaged on the Western Front, American attitudes had hardened.
In fact, the armistice was negotiated not by the Allied governments but by their commander-in-chief, Marshal Ferdinand Foch. The terms suggested by Foch made it impossible for…