November 11, 1918, WWI armistice signed by the Allies and Germany comes into effect and World War I hostilities end at 11 am, “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”

The Monday of November 11, 1918, saw an end to months of bloodshed. The world was tired of the horrific and needless loss of life witnessed in the preceding four years. An armistice was signed to end all war affairs on land, sea and air. Both the allies and Germany were the last opposing parties in World War 1 to sign armistices.

What Time Was the Treaty Signed?

The timing seems to have been a critical factor in the truce as it came into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month in the year 1918. The somewhat poetic timing is a fitting mark for the end of World war two. Who won the war, you might ask? The Allies celebrated a landmark win against Germany. Germany did not officially surrender, and the way they left WW1 has a direct impact on the start of WW2. 

The Location

The signing was done at Compiegne, a factor contributing to the Armistice being termed the Armistice of Compiegne. The treaty was signed by the allied supreme commander, French Marshal Ferdinand Foch at 5:45 am. The treaty had intentionally strict requirements of Germany. The allied forces intentionally made the terms harsh to ensure that Germany did not default on the agreement. The terms and conditions of the treaty included the release of Allied prisoners, evacuation of France, preservation of infrastructure, and the return of land that the German had seized years before. However, German prisoners were not to be released.