why did the armistice for wwi come into effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month? Why did they set it to be this poetic date, costing many more needless lives? I don’t get it.

Question

Im autistic, so maybe I’m being too literal or hung up on small details, but why do this?

In: Other

Answer 1

Every part of the high command on both sides was an out of touch politician who would have studied classics at university and found symbolism powerful. If WWI proved anything it was that individual human lives meant nothing to them. The generals and politicians were fools and cowards.

Answer 2

Communication at the time was not instantaneous. For security reasons, military orders were sent on paper, often on horseback. You don’t want the armistice broken by someone who didn’t get the message, that could plunge everyone back into war.

So, if you’re looking for a mid-November time, 11:00 on 11/11 is clearly memorable. Since it’s going to be a history book fact whatever date you choose, choosing this one satisfies both sets of needs.

Answer 3

There was no guarantee that the war would end when it did. The Armisitice was to negotiate, but negotiations could have broken down. That means that all sides want to ensure they’re in the best possible position when things stop, in case things start back up. So, you can’t simply stop; the enemy might keep taking territory. You need to all agree to a certain time to halt operations. Since communication takes time, you set a time in the near future, particularly a time that is easy to remember and communicate.