On This Day: First World War ends after Germany surrenders and Armistice is signed

NOVEMBER 11, 1918: Fighting in the First World War ended on this day in 1918 after four years of previously unimaginable violence that led to the slaughter of 16million people.

The guns finally fell silent at 11am after a defeated Germany signed the Armistice ceasefire agreement with Britain,France, the United States and their victorious allies.

It triggered a wave a joy across much of the world – with a British Pathé newsreel showing wild celebrations in London,Paris and New York.

Even the Germans, who had not technically surrendered and believed they secured peace with “honour”, welcomed home their troops as heroes.

But the June 1919 Treaty of Versailles,which officially ended the war, forced the losers to pay steep reparations and triggered a burning sense of injustice in that country that many influential historians believe was the root cause of World War II.

Yet, at the time, people almost everywhere confidently believed they had just ended the “war to end all war”.

The conflict - which pitted Britain, France, Russia, Italy and ultimately the U.S. against Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey - changed the face of Europe.

Germany lost its Kaiser along with territory, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up and the Turkish Ottoman Empire was also dissolved.

At the same time, Britain’s brash imperialism – which was given a brief, cosmetic boost after seizing a clutch of new colonies – began its inexorable decline.

The political landscape also changed with the collapse of the once dominant Liberal Party and the rise of Labour following voting reforms.

Meanwhile, France – which suffered almost double Britain’s 995,000 deaths – was left deeply scarred and retreated into itself while seeking bitter revenge on Germany.

And Russia – which surrendered in 1917 and held a communist revolution that led to the deaths of millions in future purges –provided an entirely new spectre of fear.

While across the sea, the U.S., whose 1917entry had essentially won the war by guaranteeing Germany could not win, had become the world’s pre-eminent power and yet was determined never again to be involved in Europe’s affairs.

It all seemed so far removed from the pre-war old order, whose leaders’ rationale for the conflict is so hard for people to understand today.

On the surface, the slaughter was triggered by the assassination of Austria-Hungary’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

The death of the royal heir at the hands of Serbian gunman Gavrilo Princip led the empire, which then ruled the city in Bosnia, to declare war on neighbouring Serbia.

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And, thanks to a series of alliances, Europe’s major powers were all dragged into fighting a war many believed would be jolly adventure and all over by Christmas.

Yet what was really behind the war were the dark aspirations of Germany – which despite its greater military and industrial might – was an imperial minnow.

Germany, which erroneously believed Britain would remain neutral if it invaded France,essentially wanted to shift the balance of power in its favour.

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Its military chiefs planned for a swift and crushing blow against France in which its army would reach Paris before the French or British had fully mobilized their troops.

And the Schlieffen Plan, which entailed tackling slow-to-arm Russia after France had been dealt with, almost worked.

By September 6, 1914, German troops - who twice in the 20^th century surprised the Frenchby invading via Belgium - came within 43 miles of Paris.

And, as with previous wars, they hoped one successful offensive would persuade the retreating army to sue for peace and hand over a little slice of land, cash and glory.

But, it was not to be since the French turned the tide at the Battle of the Marne and the UK and France were determined to eliminate future German aggression.

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So began the stalemate of trench warfare – later characterised as “lions led by donkeys” as soldiers were machine-gunned down for a few inches of land.

This seemingly mindless slaughter – which led to the deaths of 1.7million French, 2.5millionGermans and 2.9million Turks – remained the same until the end.

And, to think, it might have all been avoided if Franz Ferdinand’s chauffeur had taken a different route back in June 1914.