What Happened on November 11

War Desk

1918 — Armistice Signed; Guns Fall Silent at 11 A.M.

Foch's terms accepted in Compiègne carriage — fighting ends at 11 a.m. — 2,738 die on last day.

PARIS, Nov. 11 — Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Allied Supreme Commander, today received the German plenipotentiaries in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne and at 5 o'clock this morning affixed his signature to the armistice which brings the great war to a close. Hostilities ceased at 11 o'clock this forenoon, Paris time.

The German delegation, headed by Matthias Erzberger, departed for France on November 6 and, after two days of parley, accepted the stringent terms imposed by the Allies. The conditions provide for the immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of German forces west of the Rhine, and the surrender of aircraft, warships, and military materiel.

Even as the last hour struck, the guns were not silent. Reports reaching this office state that 2,738 men perished on this final day of fighting, a tragic harvest reaped in the very shadow of peace. The signing took place in the Wagon of Compiègne, a modest carriage that will forever be remembered as the cradle of this armistice. The scene was one of stern formality, with Marshal Foch's staff in attendance and the German envoys signing under protest.

Throughout Paris, the bells of Notre-Dame rang out, and crowds gathered in the streets, their cheers mingling with tears of relief. The war, which has cost the world so dearly, is at an end.

• The armistice was signed in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne, near the town of Compiègne, France.
• The armistice was agreed at 5:00 a.m. by Allied Supreme Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch and came into force at 11:00 a.m. Paris Time on 11 November 1918.
• Fighting continued until 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918, with 2,738 men dying on the last day of the war.
• The German delegation was led by Matthias Erzberger, who departed for France on 6 November 1918.
• The armistice terms included the cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of German forces west of the Rhine, and surrender of aircraft, warships, and military materiel.

Home News

1920 — Unknown Warrior Laid to Rest; Cenotaph Unveiled

King George unveils Lutyens' monument — nameless hero buried in Abbey — state funeral draws immense crowds.

LONDON, Nov. 11 — The Unknown Warrior was buried today in Westminster Abbey, and the Cenotaph in Whitehall was unveiled by King George V, as the nation paid homage to the fallen of the Great War. The ceremony, held on the second anniversary of the armistice, was marked by a silence that enveloped the city.

The coffin, borne from France, traveled to London in South Eastern and Chatham Railway General Utility Van No. 132, a carriage that had previously carried the bodies of Edith Cavell and Charles Fryatt. It was then placed upon a gun carriage of the Royal Horse Artillery and drawn by six black horses through immense and silent crowds.

The grave, capped with a black Belgian marble stone, is the only tombstone in the Abbey upon which it is forbidden to walk. At the same hour, a French unknown soldier was interred beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, a parallel tribute to the fallen of that nation.

• The Unknown Warrior was buried on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interment of a French unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.
• The Cenotaph, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and built from Portland stone, was unveiled by King George V on 11 November 1920.
• The coffin of the Unknown Warrior was carried to London in South Eastern and Chatham Railway General Utility Van No.132, which had previously carried the bodies of Edith Cavell and Charles Fryatt.
• The casket was placed onto a gun carriage of the Royal Horse Artillery and drawn by six black horses through immense and silent crowds.
• The grave was capped with a black Belgian marble stone, the only tombstone in Westminster Abbey on which it is forbidden to walk.

Commonwealth Affairs

1975 — Kerr Dismisses Whitlam, Installs Fraser as Caretaker

Governor-General dismisses prime minister, commissions Fraser as caretaker.

CANBERRA, Nov. 11 — Governor-General Sir John Kerr today dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and dissolved Parliament, commissioning Malcolm Fraser as caretaker prime minister. The action, unprecedented in Australian history, came during a constitutional crisis in which the Senate had blocked supply for the first time since federation, even when controlled by the opposition.

Whitlam had sought Kerr's approval to call a half-Senate election to break the deadlock, but Kerr instead exercised the Crown's reserve power, never before used to dismiss a prime minister against his will. The governor-general's decision was made after secret consultations with High Court Justice Sir Anthony Mason, whose role was not revealed until years later.

Fraser and his Liberal–Country Coalition are expected to win a massive majority in the federal election next month.

• Sir John Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975 and commissioned Malcolm Fraser as caretaker prime minister.
• The Senate had never blocked supply before 1975, even when controlled by the opposition.
• Whitlam sought Kerr's approval to call a half-Senate election to break the deadlock, but Kerr dismissed him instead.
• Fraser and his Liberal–Country Coalition were elected with a massive majority in the federal election the following month.
• The governor-general's power to dismiss a prime minister against his will had never been exercised before 1975.

Foreign Affairs

1918 — Piłsudski Takes Command of Polish Forces

Regency Council names him head of army; national government to follow.

WARSAW, Nov. 11 — Józef Piłsudski, just freed from a German prison, has been appointed commander-in-chief of Polish forces by the Regency Council. He is entrusted with forming a national government for the newly independent Poland.

• On 11 November 1918, the Regency Council of the Kingdom of Poland appointed Józef Piłsudski head of Polish armed forces.
• Piłsudski was subsequently recognized by many Polish politicians as temporary chief of state and exercised extensive powers under the Small Constitution of 20 February 1919.
• Piłsudski served as Chief of State from November 1918 until 1922 and became the first Marshal of Poland in 1920.
• Piłsudski had formed the Polish Legions in 1914, which fought alongside Austria-Hungary against Russia during World War I.
• In 1917, Piłsudski withdrew support for the Central Powers and was imprisoned in Magdeburg by the Germans.

Melbourne

1934 — 300,000 See Shrine of Remembrance Dedicated

Duke of Gloucester unveils Melbourne's war memorial — largest crowd in Australian history

MELBOURNE, Nov. 11 — More than 300,000 persons, the largest crowd ever assembled in Australia, gathered today to witness the formal dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance, a memorial to all Australians who have served in war. The Duke of Gloucester performed the ceremony.

• The Shrine of Remembrance was formally dedicated on 11 November 1934 by the Duke of Gloucester.
• Over 300,000 people witnessed the dedication, the largest crowd ever to assemble in Australia to that date.
• Melbourne's population at the time was approximately 1 million, making the turnout a 'massive' proportion.
• Most of the Shrine's £250,000 cost (£160,000) was raised in less than six months by public contributions, led by General John Monash.
• The Shrine was designed by World War I veteran architects Phillip Hudson and James Wardrop.

Admiralty

1940 — Carrier Planes Cripple Three Italian Battleships

Royal Navy carrier aircraft strike Italian fleet at Taranto on Nov. 11

LONDON, Nov. 11 — In the long annals of sea warfare, a new chapter opened tonight when the Royal Navy, using carrier-borne aircraft alone, struck a devastating blow at the Italian fleet in Taranto harbour. The attack left the battleships Conte di Cavour, Littorio, and Duilio crippled at their moorings.

• The Royal Navy put three Italian battleships out of commission after a carrier attack at Taranto.

Parliament

1965 — Smith Declares Rhodesia Independent; Britain Calls It Treason

Governor dismisses Prime Minister and government — UN imposes sanctions after illegal break

SALISBURY, Nov. 11 — Prime Minister Ian Smith, speaking on the radio this morning, proclaimed Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence from the United Kingdom, a bold stroke that no other colony has attempted since the American colonies broke away in 1776. The British colonial governor, Sir Humphrey Gibbs, immediately dismissed Smith and his government, branding the declaration treasonous. The United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and the United Nations have all condemned the move as illegal, and the UN has imposed its first-ever economic sanctions on the breakaway colony. No nation has recognized the new government, which represents the white minority of about five percent of the population. The Rhodesian High Court, however, in a 1968 ruling, deemed the post-UDI government legal and de jure, a decision that has deepened the constitutional crisis.

• Rhodesia's UDI was the first unilateral break from the UK by a colony since the US Declaration of Independence in 1776.
• The UK, Commonwealth, and UN all deemed Rhodesia's UDI illegal, and the UN imposed its first-ever economic sanctions on the breakaway colony.
• British colonial governor Sir Humphrey Gibbs formally dismissed Prime Minister Ian Smith and his government, calling the UDI treasonous.
• No country recognized the UDI, but the Rhodesian High Court deemed the post-UDI government legal and de jure in 1968.
• The Rhodesian government, mostly comprising the white minority of about 5%, declared independence on 11 November 1965.

Police Courts

1880 — Ned Kelly Hanged at Melbourne Gaol

Bushranger meets death despite sympathetic rallies for reprieve

MELBOURNE, Nov. 11 — Edward Kelly, the notorious bushranger and outlaw, was hanged this morning at the Melbourne Gaol, despite a large body of sympathizers who held rallies pleading for a reprieve. He was the last of the Kelly gang, and his death closes the bushranging era. The sentence was carried out at 10 o'clock.

• Ned Kelly was hanged at the Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880.
• He was the only member of the Kelly gang to survive the shootout with police.
• Historians regard Kelly's execution in 1880 as effectively marking the end of the bushranging era.