In the Compiègne Forest in Oise, the Glade of the Armistice is a place of history and remembrance. It was here, in the Rethondes Clearing, that two armistices were signed. The first was the one of 11 November 1918, bringing the First World War to an end. Marshal Foch received the capitulating German plenipotentiaries in a rail carriage that has since become famous. To mark this event, a 250-metre-long avenue was created with a sacred slab placed at the end, in the middle of a roundabout 100 metres in diameter. The second armistice was signed on 22 June 1940 in the presence of Hitler, with the French capitulating this time. To wash away the affront of 1918, Hitler had the carriage brought to Germany and destroyed in 1945.
Complete your visit to the village of Rethondes with the memorial, museum and statue of Marshal Foch. You will find a replica of the 1918 carriage as well as an exhibit about the meeting. The memorial features nearly 800 photos, true testimonies of the Great War.
