Armistice 1918

The signing of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany in the early morning hours of 11 November 1918 brought an end to World War I’s hostilities and a ceasefire was drawn across the frontlines at 11 a.m. 

The Armistice was a culmination of four years of total war after an autumn of collapsing opposition to the Allies. News of peace came in many forms, from jubilant newspaper coverage and the ringing of bells around the UK, to more straightforward and pragmatic communications on the battlefields. In many ways the end of the war marked a new beginning – one of both celebration and of grief, and a shifting emphasis toward memory and commemoration.

It is estimated that 17 million soldiers and civilians died in the conflict. Many millions more were wounded and suffered terribly from mental trauma. The land was devastated and the scars can still be seen across Europe 100 years on.  

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