Armistice
From ArticleWorld
Armistice may be defined as a temporary peace agreement between two warring states, and then again it may also mean the end of fighting. The root of the word may be traced to the Latin words ‘arma’ and ‘stitium’ meaning weapons and bringing to an end, respectively. Thus, in today’s terms it means a ceasefire. The warring nations may agree to a cease fire or a truce to allow a little breathing space to the two states to carry on their day to day life. This modus vivendi is an agreement to cease fire in a restricted area for a short period of time.
Armistice day
Armistice Day is observed on 11 November, every year. A two minute silence is maintained at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month because this is when the Great War, or World War 1, came to end in 1918. But now, this anniversary is used to remember all the people who have died in wars since World War I. This includes World War II, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo.
UN intervention
In modern day conflicts, the UN sometimes needs to intervene and impose a compulsory cease fire ruling which the warring states are required to comply with. The draw back with the UN resolution is that it is not binding and not mandatory on the parties involved, who need to come to an unforced decision between themselves for armistice.
Some important armistices
The most important day of armistice is of course the one which proclaimed the end of World War I on November 11th, 1918 but some other notable armistices are as follows:
- armistice with Germany – World War I
- armistice with Austria – World War I
Armistice with France – World War II
- armistice with Italy – World War II
- Korean War armistice.