Commentary
On the stroke of 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, fighting ceased on the Western Front, bringing an end to what contemporaries were calling the Great War—the most destructive conflict in world history up to that point. Rejoicing and relief were the order of the day, at least on the Allied side.
The headlines of the Ottawa Citizen read: “PEACE! World War Ends; Armistice Signed; Kaiser Is Out; Revolution Grows.” In Montreal, Le Devoir reported: “Workers … arrived at their factories with their hearts light, liberated from a great burden. In the animated streets, pedestrians were brandishing newspapers with large smiles, their eyes brimming with fire.” The Winnipeg Free Press reported, “Winnipeg Goes Wild With Joy of Peace.”…