TERMS PREPARDED FOR GERMANY
On November 4th, 1918, Berlin was notified by the Versailles council that Marshal Foch had in his hands the terms on which armistice would be granted. November 8th, a German commission of five were admitted to audience with Marshal Foch, who read and delivered the document, with notice that it must be accepted and signed within seventy-two hours. A request by Herr Erzberger, one of the German commissioners, that fighting be suspended during that time, was curtly refused; and the armistice terms were communicated by the commissioners to the German revolutionary government, which had come into power by voluntary transfer of the chancelorship from Prince Maximilian of Baden to Friedrich Ebert, Vice-president of the social democratic party.
The revolution began in the German fleet at Kiel, where the sailors mutinied and hoisted the red flag. It spread with great rapidity and very little disorder throughout all the German states.
November 9th the Kaiser was compelled by the revolutionists to abdicate, and the crown prince signed a renunciation of his right to the succession. The abdication of the Kings of Bavaria and Wurtemburg occurred at the same time. The ex-emperor and the crown prince, in an attempt to reach the British line and surrender themselves, were headed off by the revolutionary forces and took refuge in Holland.
ARMISTICE SIGNED BY GERMANY
November 11th, 1918, the armistice was signed by the German commissioners, upon orders from Berlin. On the morning of that day, at 11 o'clock Paris time, fighting ceased on all fronts.
The terms of the armistice were in substance as follows. They demanded:
Evacuation within thirty-one days of Belgium, France, Alsace-Lorraine, Luxemburg, Russia, Roumania and Turkey, all territory that had belonged to Austria-Hungary, and all territory held by German troops on the west bank of the Rhine.
Renunciation of the treaties of Brest-Litovsk and Bucharest.
Delivery to and occupation by American and allied troops within nineteen days, of Mayence, Coblenz and Cologne, together with their bridgeheads. The bridgeheads include all German territory within a radius of eighteen miles on the east (German) bank of the Rhine, at each of these points.