The fighting stopped in November 1918, but leaders still had to agree on borders, payments and how to stop another war.
On 11 November 1918, Germany signed an armistice, an agreement to stop fighting. The war was over, but the peace terms were not yet decided. Governments had to settle who would control disputed land, who would pay for war damage and how to prevent another attack.
The war began in 1914 after Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed. Rivalries and alliances turned the crisis into a wider war. Britain and France fought Germany and Austria-Hungary. Modern weapons and huge armies caused terrible losses. The USA joined in 1917. Russia left after its revolution.
By 1918, the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman empires had collapsed or were breaking up. New governments had to win acceptance. People in disputed areas needed to know who would rule them.
The peacemakers had to meet urgent needs and also create terms that countries would accept in the long run. These aims could clash. Weakening Germany might make France feel safe. But it could also make Germans angry at the peace.
- 11 November 1918
- Armistice ends the fighting.
- June 1919
- Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles.
- Collapsed empires
- German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman.
Worked example: Stopping a war versus making peace
Germany signed the armistice in November 1918 and the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919.
- The armistice tells us when the fighting stopped.
- The treaty tells us the terms Germany had to accept.
- Whether peace lasted depends on those terms and later choices.
Watch out for this
The Treaty of Versailles caused every problem in post-war Europe.
Versailles caused some problems, but collapsed empires, new borders and later choices mattered too.
Check your understanding
What did the armistice of November 1918 do?
- It set out all the peace terms for Germany.
- It created the League of Nations.
- It stopped the fighting, but left the peace terms undecided.