What action on November 11, 1918, brought World War I to an end?
1 Answer
On November 11th, at 5:00 AM, the German delegation at Compiegne agreed to the terms set by the Allied commander; the Armistice (effectively a German surrender) was to take effect in six hours.
Explanation:
In the last three months of the First World War, it was becoming increasingly clear to the German government (essentially the High Command of the German Army) that they were losing the war.
On August 8th at Amiens, an offensive spearheaded by the Australian and Canadian Corps ripped open the German front-lines; and a whole series of defeats followed on the Western Front. The Canadian Corps, in particular, crunched through every defence line Germany had (particularly all the layers of the vaunted Hindenburg Line) in the next two months, clearing the way for a general advance all along the entire Front.
It was also clear that the Americans had finally come into the fray as 1st and then 2nd US Armies took their place in mid-August and October. The potential threat that Germany had feared was now becoming real.
Elsewhere, Germany was fast losing its allies -- Bulgaria (September 29th), Turkey (October 30th) and Austria (November 3rd). It was also clear the German population at home was growing restless and feared another winter on lean rations and bad news.
On October 8th, Germany signaled its willingness to negotiate an armistice. The Generals soon handed power back to the civilians (with dire consequences later -- allowing the 'stabbed in the back' myth to arise). On October 29th, influenced by the Communists, a series of strikes and mutinies began, and a new Socialist government took power.
A set of negotiators met with the representatives of the Allied Commander (Marshal Foch of France) on November 7th in a railway carriage at Compiegne; and by the early morning of the 11th acceded to all the principal Allied demands. The Armistice took effect six hours later.
