Armistice of Compiègne — armistice during First World War between Allies and Germany
The armistice of 11 November 1918 ended World War I fighting between the Entente and Germany, halting over four years of conflict on all fronts.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 11 November 1918, 5:00 a.m. Paris Time
- Came into force
- 11:00 a.m. Paris Time, 11 November 1918
- Deaths on final day
- 2,738 men
- Signed location
- Railroad car, Compiègne Forest, France
- Treaty of Versailles signed
- 28 June 1919
- Prior armistices
- Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
By late 1918, Germany's military position had become untenable. Its allies—Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary—had already concluded armistices. The German government contacted U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to negotiate terms based on his Fourteen Points, seeking an end to the war before total collapse.
At 5:00 a.m. on 11 November 1918, representatives of Germany and the Entente, led by Allied Supreme Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch, signed the armistice in a railroad car in the Compiègne Forest. The agreement came into force at 11:00 a.m., immediately halting combat on land, sea, and in the air along the Western Front.
Germany was required to withdraw forces from west of the Rhine, surrender aircraft, warships, and materiel, and allow Entente occupation of the Rhineland. The armistice was extended three times while peace negotiations continued, culminating in the Treaty of Versailles signed on 28 June 1919 and effective from 10 January 1920.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ferdinand Foch, Woodrow Wilson.
Side B
1 belligerent