An armistice is an agreement made by opposing nations at war to halt the fighting for a specific period of time. It involves a cessation and often accompanies the start of peace negotiations. Yet, an armistice does not necessarily end war. If negotiations to end the conflict fail, hostilities can reignite. In 1918, after four long years of warfare, the belligerent nations of the Great War came together in a train car in the French town of Compiègne. The armistice signed on 11 November 1918 ended hostilities until the Allied Powers secured a peace agreement at the Palace of Versailles in 1919. In 1919, US President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th Armistice Day and Congress officially made it a national holiday in 1938. Armistice Day became Veterans Day in 1954 when Congress and President Eisenhower sought to include all veterans in the remembrance.
“History of Veterans Day.” U.S. Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Accessed November 2, 2018, https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp.