Armistice of 11 November 1918
Glade of the Armistice, Forest of Compiègne, France
What happened
Marshal Ferdinand Foch and Admiral Rosslyn Wemyss for the Allies, and a German delegation led by Matthias Erzberger. A German delegation met the Allied commanders in Marshal Foch's private railway carriage, hidden deep in the forest of Compiègne. They signed the armistice at about 5 o'clock in the morning. The fighting stopped at 11 o'clock that same morning, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended the fighting of the First World War on land, at sea and in the air. 11 November is still marked as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day in many countries.
What came next
Germany left the lands it had occupied in France and Belgium, and the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919. In 1940 the same carriage was used again for France's armistice with Germany, and it was later destroyed.
Did you know?
Foch chose the quiet forest clearing to keep away journalists and crowds.
Timeline
- 11 November 1918, 5 amThe armistice is signed in the railway carriage.
- 11 November 1918, 11 amThe guns fall silent.
- 28 June 1919The Treaty of Versailles is signed.
- 11 November 1950A replacement carriage is dedicated at the clearing.