End of the War

The collapse of the Central Powers proceeded. Bulgaria was the first in September 1918, in October the Ottoman Empire capitulated at Mudros. In October the Italians recovered territory that was lost after the Battle of Caporetto. Then came the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which created the end of the Austro-Hungarian Army as a fighting force, their Empire then collapsed. During the last week of October declarations of independence were made in Budapest, Prague and Zagreb. On October 29th, the authorities asked Italy for a treaty, But the Italians continued advancing. On November 3rd Austria-Hungary sent a flag of truce to ask for a treaty. The terms, arranged by telegraph with the Allied Authorities in Paris, were communicated to the Austrian Commander and accepted. The Habsburg monarchy was then overthrown.


Following the outbreak of the German Revolution, a republic was created on November 9th. The Kaiser (Emperor) fled to the Netherlands. On November At 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month) a ceasefire occurred. Opposing armies on the Western Front began to withdraw from their positions. “Canadian, Private George Lawrence Price, is traditionally regarded as the last soldier killed in the Great War: he was shot by a German sniper at 10:57 and died at 10:58.”


The West Front and East Front continued to fight for more than seven months. Then the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on June 28, 1919 was signed. Later treaties with Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire were signed. In the Ottoman Empire the Turkish Independence War created the Republic of Turkey in July 1923.