Armistice Day: November 11
Armistice day is observed in France.
Armistice day is the day that is celebrated every year keeping in mind the symbolic end of the first world war which falls on the first of November in the year 1918. It also commemorates the armistice that is signed between Germany and the allies at Rethondes in France. This was for the cessation of the hostilities on the western front. This took effect from about eleven in the morning. It is also the eleventh hour of the eleventh day which also falls on the eleventh month. This date was officially marked as a day to end the war and reflect the cease fire in the western front.
The hostilities still continued on in the other regions especially in certain parts of this old Ottoman empire and also across the earlier Russian empire. This date is also declared as a national holiday for many allied nations. This was to commemorate all those members of armed forces who have been killed during the war. Italy is one country with an exception where this end of war day is commemorated on the fourth of November which also happens to be the day of armistice of the villa giusti. In Poland this Armistice Day is called as national day and is also celebrated and is a public holiday.
Armistice Day History
Once the world war two ended then the name of this holiday was changed slowly to Veterans Day in the United States of America. It has also been changed to Remembrance Day in those countries that are under the British common wealth of the nations. In France this Armistice Day remains a holiday. In Belgium too it is seen as an official holiday. In Flanders fields this day is referred to as the day of peace. A two whole minute moment of silence is observed in many parts of the world at eleven in the morning. This is done as a sign of respect for all those twenty million people who have died in the world war.
The term armistice only means a cessation of the hostilities. This is as a prelude to the peace negotiations. When it comes to this context of the world war one then armistice is referred to when it comes to the agreement of the allies and the Germans to make sure that the war ended on the eleventh of November in the year 1918. This however is not the only means of the armistice of this war.
There was a battle that was brought to end in the year 1917. When the Germans did agree on this armistice to be on the eleventh of November. Bulgaria did not agree and called it off on the thirtieth of September in the same year. Turkey and Austria with Hungary concluded their armistice within a few days one after another on the thirtieth of October and on the third of November respectively in the same year of 1918.
Both these countries were totally exhausted and hence could no longer continue to go on with this war. At the end of all this we come to the most significant of this armistice that was signed at about five in the morning on the eleventh of November in the year 1918. This came in to effect a little later about six hours after it was signed and hence was at eleven on the same day. By initiating an armistice negotiation on the fourth of October in the year 1918 the Germans did direct a peace feeler towards the government of the United States of America.
The details of the settlement when accepted by both, was sent on to the supreme war council and this was on the fifth of November. The armistice was then signed on the eleventh of November in a carriage. The armistice was run for about thirty days and then had to be regularly renewed till the treaty was signed which was a formal peace treaty.
The Germans were also warned that there would be a resumption of the hostilities within about forty eight hours in case they did not follow the terms of this armistice. These terms of this armistice without any other possibility were seen as punitive with in Germany. This country was not in such a condition that it could resume the hostilities and hence had to accept the conditions that were put forward in the armistice.
Armistice Day Traditions and Activities
The day is marked with parades and visitation of graves of soldiers who fought during the war.
Other interesting posts:
- France Observes Armistice Day
- Paraguay Commemorates Chaco Armistice Day
- Canada Observes Remembrance Day
- Remembrance Day Observed in Bermuda
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