November 11 - The Armistice Ends World War I

This Day in History: 11 November 2020

 

11 November 1918

 

102 years ago, today, World War I ended when Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in France. The war had left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives. In addition to this, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation or exposure. The war became known as the 'war to end all wars' because of the great slaughter and destruction it caused. However, the peace treaty that officially ended the conflict, the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, forced punitive terms on Germany that destabilised Europe and laid the groundwork for World War II.

 

The war had been sparked in 1914 when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was shot to death. He had been inspecting his uncle's imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the threat of Serbian nationalists. Had Gavrilo Princip, the murderer, not been buying a sandwich on the same street as where the Archduke's car was being turned around, it could be said that the war would not have happened. The Serbian government was blamed for the attack.

 

Want to find out more about the armistice that ended the First World War? Click here for more information, or here for more about the death of Franz Ferdinand.

October 30 - The Armistice of Mudros

This Day in History: 30 October 2020

 

30 October 1918

 

102 years ago, today, the Armistice of Mudros concluded, ending hostilities in the Middle East between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War One the following day. The treaty also effectively marked the dissolution of a once mighty empire. It was signed between the Ottoman Minister of Marine Affairs, Rauf Bey, and the British Admiral Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe. By its terms, Turkey had to open the Dardanelle and Bosporus straits to Allied warships and its forts to military occupation. They were also forced to demobilise their army, release all prisoners of war and evacuate its Arab provinces.

 

During World War One, the Ottoman Empire initially stayed neutral, but soon formed an alliance with Germany and entered the war on the side of the Central Powers. The Turks subsequently fought successfully to defend the Gallipoli Peninsula against a massive Allied invasion in 1915-1916. However, by 1918, defeat by invading British and Russian forces and an Arab revolt had combined to destroy the Ottoman economy and devastate its land, leaving millions dead and millions more starving. The Ottoman government and several Turkish leaders felt the need to contact the Allies to search for peace.

 

Want to find out more about the Armistice of Mudros? Click here for more information, or here for a video with more about the Ottoman Empire during World War One.