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November 11, 1918, 3:15 p.m.
Western Front, Bastogne Sector
Although the head of state of the German Empire, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had fled from Berlin to the Netherlands, and German representatives had announced their surrender to the Entente, the war was not yet over on the Western Front.
Boom boom!
Da-da-da-da!
The incessant explosions, the roar of countless machine guns, and the low-flying French bombers sweeping through the sky all showed the determination of the French to attack.
"They can't get away so easily!"
"That's right! After four years of war, the Germans rushed into our country, killed so many of us, and smashed France to pieces—and now they want to surrender? Not so simple!"
"Kill them all! March on Berlin and raze it to the ground!"
"Revenge, revenge!"
The French soldiers were furious. Thinking of the suffering and losses their country endured in four long years, resentment burned in their hearts. Now that Germany had collapsed, this was the chance for payback.
By late 1918, the tide had completely turned. With the entry of the United States into the war, the balance of power shifted decisively in favor of the Allies.
On September 29, 1918, Bulgaria surrendered.
On October 30, the Ottoman Empire capitulated.
Four days later, Austria-Hungary surrendered.
And on November 4, uprisings erupted inside Germany. Tens of thousands of sailors mutinied in Kiel, workers revolted in Berlin, and soldiers stormed the Imperial Palace shouting revolutionary slogans.
Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands, seeking refuge with his distant cousin, Queen Wilhelmina.
His flight marked the collapse of the German Empire. Not only had Germany lost its emperor, but Prussia itself had lost its king. Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, and other constituent kingdoms soon sought independence, plunging the empire into turmoil reminiscent of the pre-1871 era.
The French, who had been humiliated since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, saw their chance. For fifty years they had carried the shame of losing Alsace-Lorraine. With Germany in ruins and backed by Britain and the United States, they now marched forward with confidence.
On the Bastogne Front, French infantry climbed out of their trenches, shouting as they advanced across no man's land.
Yet the German position ahead was eerily silent—no machine-gun bursts, no artillery fire, only smoke and the hiss of bullets striking sandbags.
Even now, discipline and pride held German soldiers steady. Their commander had not ordered retreat or surrender. Instead, they held fast.
"Major Mainz von Lewinsky, the enemy has entered machine-gun range. Do we open fire?"
A soldier looked to his commander. Through his binoculars, Major Lewinsky saw the French closing in, massed in tight formations.
A sneer tugged at his lips. Such dense ranks were perfect targets for German firepower. Yet… Germany had already surrendered. A telegram from Berlin that morning ordered all units to lay down their arms.
His deputy reminded him:
"Major, Berlin has ordered unconditional surrender. If we fire now, is that disobedience?"
Lewinsky said nothing, only raised his glasses again. The French were less than 500 meters away—rifle range. The perfect distance for Mausers, mortars, and machine guns to unleash devastation.
He had no intention of surrendering.
The major raised his right hand. His voice rang out, cold and final:
"Fire!"
On November 11, 1918, this was the last battle order of the German Empire.
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