Museum (FSC) Peace Page 3 of 11
Peace!
By the late summer of 1918, Germany’s armies were exhausted and running out of supplies and German civilians were starving from the food blockades. Germany’s allies, part of the Central Powers, were also abandoning the cause; Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary had all surrendered and signed an armistice with the Allies between September 28 and November 3, 1918. Germany was on its own and on the verge of capitulating. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Germany finally signed an armistice and the war officially ended. Going forward, this meant Kaiser Wilhelm II had to abdicate, no combat could occur between the Allies and Germany, the German armies must withdraw from enemy countries, and any prisoners of war were to be exchanged. Though the world welcomed the news that the war was over, an official peace declaration did not come until after the Paris Peace Conference in early 1919. The presence of Prime Minister Borden at the conference signalled Canada’s important contributions to the war, and her desire to be seen by the international community as a nation independent of Britain.
Across Canada, when news of the war’s end arrived over the newswires on November 11th, men, women, and children celebrated in earnest. In Woodstock, residents actually celebrated the armistice prematurely. On November 7, 1918, four days before the armistice was signed, unconfirmed reports that the war had ended reached the town. Just after 1 o’clock p.m., the news was announced, marked by the shrieking of factory whistles. The sound elicited curiosity amongst Woodstock’s population, who poured out into the streets. A number of employees from Bain’s Wagon Works began parading, shouting, and waving flags; cars flew up and down Dundas Street, their horns honking and occupants shouting. The news, though unsubstantiated, caused an “overwhelming joy” to erupt. In honour of the war’s alleged end, the city declared a half holiday, allowing citizens to leave work and school to celebrate properly.
Armistice Parade on Dundas Street in Woodstock, Nov. 11, 1918 (Credit: Woodstock Museum NHS)
Ingersoll also celebrated the peace news early, over a month early in fact. In early October 1918, the news of a possible peace proposal from Germany prompted a number of rumours to circulate around town. Crowds gathered around the local news office, hoping for clarification. Some soldiers who had recently arrived from London, Ontario, wondered why Ingersoll residents were not celebrating like those in London. Inquiring via telephone, Mayor Buchanan received the news that London was indeed celebrating a possible peace proposal, so he felt it only right that Ingersoll do the same. Buchanan announced that “we should not sit back and let other towns and cities do it all,” so he ordered “someone go and ring the fire bell – let someone look after the factory whistles – and let us make a night of it.” Soon, Ingersoll’s streets were filled with sleepy-headed citizens, many roused from their beds by the noise of tin horns, the Salvation Army band, the L.O.L. fife band, and revellers parading up and down Thames and King streets. Finally, Mayor Buchanan offered a speech from the balcony of McMurray House, recounting the many alleged crimes of the German “Huns,” and emphasized how grateful Canadians should feel now that the conflict was believed to be over.
The official announcement of the armistice on November 11th elicited similar reactions throughout Oxford County. When citizens of Norwich learned of the war’s end in the early morning hours, “the village was suddenly awakened by the merry peals of bells and the blowing of whistles, telling the citizens that it was all over and the whole population thanked God from their hearts.” Norwich business owners stayed closed and residents spent the day celebrating “the most historical event since the dawn of the world.” At 10 o’clock a.m. a service of thanksgiving was held in front of the post office. That evening a “monster” parade full of decorated cars, floats, firemen, and factory employees wound its way through the village. One noteworthy float, from the Broom Factory employees, cheekily suggested that they had “Swept the Kaiser off the Earth.” Norwich’s local band and singers offered musical selections, while Kaiser Wilhelm II himself made an “appearance,” locked in a cage and guarded by members of the Cadet Corps. The Norwich Gazette declared the celebrations “one that the younger generation will never forget.”
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Medal – To commemorate the signing of the peace treaty for WWI, 1919. (Annandale National Historic Site)
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Ribbons – Guest ribbons from the Tillsonburg Peace Celebration, July 19, 1919. (Annandale National Historic Site)
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Ribbon – Committee members ribbon from the Tillsonburg Peace Celebration, July 19, 1919. (Annandale National Historic Site)
In Tillsonburg, similar reactions and celebrations occurred. There the news was received at 3:30 a.m., marked by the loud shrieking of a whistle from a Michigan Central Railway locomotive. Local town officials were notified via telephone, and at 6 o’clock a.m. the town bell “pealed out the joyful news.” Soon, most of Tillsonburg’s own had gathered downtown, eager for more information and to celebrate the news. All over town, bells and whistles could be heard from the various churches, schools, and factories. There was no need to declare a holiday as most businesses remained closed. To celebrate, citizens dressed in costume, played with noisemakers, and paraded up and down Broadway, the antics of which were ignored by Tillsonburg’s police chief. A “monster” parade commenced in the afternoon, full of “amusing sights,” including factory employees marching in costume, Mayor Dean and town council members in cars, many large floats, and the L.O.L. band. Of note was the presence of “hundreds of gaily decorated cars,” which followed the parade as it wound its way through town. After the parade, a thanksgiving service was held at St. Paul’s Methodist church, followed by a second parade in the evening, where “hundreds of torches [made] a very pretty sight.” Another set of floats was constructed, including a notable one from the Huntley Manufacturing Company who had constructed a symbolic coffin for Kaiser Wilhelm II. The day’s final event was a mass meeting at the Opera House, where addresses were given by many local political and religious officials, followed by celebratory musical selections. The Tillsonburg Liberal declared that “taken all in all the celebration was one of the most successful ever held here, and it was kept up until a late hour.”