the real story behind the day the Armistice was signed

On Monday, November 11, 1918, the first world conflict in history ended at dawn. Since then, France has commemorated Armistice Day. A look back at this historic day.

The end of a conflict. The Armistice of November 11 was signed in 1918. This day marked the end of the First World War, which left more than 18 million dead.

At 5 a.m., representatives of the allied forces and the German government met in Rethondes (Oise). In a clearing in the Compiègne forest, a French general staff dining car had been hastily refitted and transported. A place chosen for its isolation, in order to keep journalists away.

Among the victors, Marshal Foch and Admiral Wemyss were present for France and Great Britain. Facing them, Germany had sent a politician, Matthias Erzberger, rather than a soldier.

thirty-four articles for peace

In total, ten people were there. The exchanges were described as polite, but frosty. Rather than negotiate, the allies imposed their conditions, the economic, military and territorial harshness of which was seen as the prelude to the 1939-1945 war. In a hurry to put an end to it, the Germans had their minds occupied by the troubles which shook their country, after the abdication of Emperor William II two days earlier.

The text circulated from hand to hand for twenty minutes, before Foch, supreme commander of the allied forces, signed it. The first of the thirty-four ratified articles stipulated the “cessation of hostilities, on land and in the air, six hours after the signing of the armistice.” On the battlefields, this took note at 11 a.m. sharp.

Victims until the end

But, until the last minute, soldiers fell. At 10:59 a.m., the American Henry Gunther was cut down by a burst of machine gun fire. He was the last killed on the Western Front.

In the French camp, it was Augustin Trébuchon who suffered this sad fate, shot in the head. On his military record, as on that of the other soldiers who fell on November 11, the date of his death was brought back to the day before. Because, officially, no one died on Armistice Day.