Rethondes

France

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July 13, 2026

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Rethondes is a village in northern France where the armistice ending World War I was signed on November 11, 1918. An armistice is an agreement to stop fighting, but it does not legally end a war. The armistice that concluded World War I was unique because it included political and financial clauses in addition to military terms, making it nearly impossible for Germany to resume hostilities.12

The signing took place in Marshal Ferdinand Foch's railway coach on a siding near Compiègne. This same railway coach was later used for the signing of the Franco-German armistice in World War II on June 22, 1940.3

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World War II
Italy’s entry into the war and the French Armistice
…on June 22, 1940, at Rethondes, the scene of the signing of the Armistice of 1918, the new Franco-German Armistice was signed. The Franco-Italian Armistice was signed on June 24. Both armistices came into effect early on June 25.
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…on June 22, 1940, at Rethondes, the scene of the signing of the Armistice of 1918, the new Franco-German Armistice was signed. The Franco-Italian Armistice was signed on June 24. Both armistices came into effect early on June 25.
Read More