By Alex Wodzicki
Remembrance Day, which we celebrated this Wednesday, is one of Canada’s most important holidays. It commemorates the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War on November 11th, 1918; the 2,300,000 Canadians who have served in the armed forces and the 118,000 who have died throughout our history.
The History of Remembrance Day
The holiday was first observed in Canada (And the rest of the commonwealth) in 1919 as Armistice Day. Originally, it was celebrated on the Monday of the Week of November the 11th, until in 1931, when it was renamed remembrance day and was moved permanently to November 11th every year. Remembrance/Armistice day is celebrated around the globe, from the Commonwealth countries to France, Belgium, Poland and South Africa. The United States celebrated Armistice day until 1954, when it was renamed Veterans day, although it is still celebrated on November 11th. Australia and New Zealand celebrate ANZAC day on April 25th, which commemorates the Australia New Zealand Army Corps landing at Gallipoli on April 25th 1915.
The Armistices That Ended the First World War
The most famous armistice of the First World War is of course the armistice with Germany that ended it, which was signed on November 11th 1918. However, this final armistice was preceded by treaties with all the other Central Powers, beginning with the Armistice of Salonica with Bulgaria (Signed September 24th, 1918), and followed by the Armistice of Mudros with the Ottoman Empire (Signed October 30th, 1918) and the Armistice of Villa Giusti with Austria-Hungary (Signed November 3rd, 1918). The surrender of the other Central Powers, alongside the Allies’ successful Hundred Days Offensive (Which actually lasted 95 days- from August 8th to November 11th 1918) convinced the German high command that their military position was hopeless and led them to seek peace terms from the Allies. Negotiations, led by Matthias Erzberger, began on November 8th in the Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch’s private train carriage, parked in the Forest of Compiègne. The terms of the Armistice were a preview of the infamous treaty of Versailles and included German withdrawal behind the Rhine, surrender of military material, the occupation of the Rhineland and the continuation of the Allied naval blockade. It was signed at 5am Paris time (6am in Germany) and came into effect six hours later: on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, a date that lives on 102 years later.