The Armistice (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
The end of the First World War- Timeline & Summary
The First World War had a devastating impact on Europe. Historians estimate that the conflict caused around 8.5 million military deaths and around 13 million civilian casualties. In France, in the 18 to 30 age group, there were 15 women for every man in 1919 due to the higher number of male deaths. Britain also suffered heavy losses. Around 750,000 British soldiers died in the First World War.
A significant amount of trench warfare occurred in Belgium and France. This is known as the Western Front. The use of artillery and offensive mining caused mass destruction of the landscape. The conflict destroyed hundreds of factories, railways and roads. This created significant economic problems for France. The levels of destruction made some leaders of Europe seek revenge against Germany at the end of the war.
What was the armistice?
One of the first actions of Germany’s Weimar government was to surrender to the Allies
The government had little choice but to bring an end to the First World War
Germany was experiencing civil unrest and their economy was collapsing
An armistice is when both sides agree to stop fighting while a peace treaty is negotiated
The armistice to end the First World War was signed on 11th November 1918 at 11 am
Representatives of France, Great Britain and Germany signed the armistice
Main terms of the armistice
The armistice only ensured temporary peace until a formal peace treaty was signed
The Allies and Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles around six months after the armistice
The armistice needed to:
Immediately end the conflict
Remove the risk of Germany restarting the conflict
Term of the armistice | Impact |
|---|---|
The end of all fighting at 11 am | Every fighting nation had a clear deadline on when the war was ending |
Germany to give up 2,500 heavy guns, 2,500 field guns, 25,000 machine guns, 1,700 aeroplanes and all submarines and warships | Germany lacked the technology to restart fighting with the Allies |
The release of all French, British and Italian prisoners of war | Captured soldiers could return to their families |
Germany to remove all troops from the West of the Rhine including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Alsace-Lorraine within 14 days | Allied troops could monitor and confine the German army to Germany. Allowing 14 days for this to happen gave Germany enough time to move their troops |
Exam Tip
In AQA Conflict & Tension: The Inter-War Years, 1918–1939, it is unlikely that you will have a question solely based on the armistice. However, it is important to know how the Allies ended the First World War and how this influenced the Treaty of Versailles.
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