Daniel Tyler – The Twenty Year Armistice

The Twenty Year Armistice – How WW1 was finally resolved

Daniel Tyler’s lecture on 20th Oct 2015 was a follow up to his talk in 2014 re ‘how WW1 started’

Mr Tyler  explained in equal detail how  WW1 was brought to an end.

The crucial event was the entry of America into the war, lead by President Wilson in 1917.

The conclusion of the Brest Litovsk Treaty gave Germany an opportunity to move it’s forces to

the western front.  The new Ludendorff offensive was launched on 21/03/1918 which was very

successful but ran out of steam in July;  the Allies launched a major counter offensive which

was very successful.  The Germans were by now completely de-moralised and agreed to

meet the allied commanders to discuss an Armistice on 11th November 1918 which ended

on the ground hostilities.

A peace  conference was held in Paris on 18th January 1919 attended by France, England

and  America but not Germany.  Following on was the treaty of Versailles which increased

the punitive costs for Germany and was followed by the treaties of St Germain and of

Tiranon in 1920.

The Reparations  Committee concluded that Germany should pay 132 billion Gold Marks

to the Allies but, as did other Axis countries,  actually  very little was paid.  Germany never

accepted defeat and the armistice ended in 1939.