In one moment, the world stopped and began again. On November 11, 1918, at exactly 11 a.m. Paris time, bells rang and celebrations broke out all over the globe. After four years and millions of deaths, World War I was over.
The timing had been laid out in an armistice—an agreement to stop fighting—written by the war’s victors, the Allied Powers. Led by France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the United States, the Allies had forced their defeated enemy, Germany, to sign the agreement.
The conflict it ended was so massive, people referred to it simply as the Great War. Up to that point in history, it was the bloodiest war ever. About 20 million people—both soldiers and civilians—were killed. France alone lost 1.4 million soldiers in battle, 17 percent of all the country’s fighting-age men.
“It affected countries for generations,” says Doran Cart, senior curator of the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. “It changed the whole outlay of the globe.”
This November 11, bells will again ring around the world to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The war continues to influence our world. Here are some essential things to know about it.
In one moment, the world stopped and began again. On November 11, 1918, at exactly 11 a.m. Paris time, bells rang and celebrations broke out all over the globe. After four years and millions of deaths, World War I was over.
The timing had been laid out in an armistice—an agreement to stop the fighting. It was written by the war’s victors, the Allied Powers. France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the United States led this group of nations during the war. The Allies had forced their defeated enemy, Germany, to sign the agreement.
The conflict it ended was so massive, people referred to it simply as the Great War. Up to that point in history, it was the bloodiest war ever. About 20 million people—both soldiers and civilians—were killed. France alone lost 1.4 million soldiers in battle, 17 percent of all the country’s fighting-age men.
“It affected countries for generations,” says Doran Cart, senior curator of the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. “It changed the whole outlay of the globe.”
This November 11, bells will again ring around the world. The celebration will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The war continues to influence our world. Here are some essential things to know about it.