Today is Remembrance day. A memorial day observed by Commonwealth member states – and often marked by many other countries – it grew out of Armistice Day, which was a tradition until during the Second World War, when the name was changed. The Commonwealth of Nations chose Remembrance Day, while the United States chose Veterans Day.
Armistice Day was so named for the Armistice of Compiègne which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – November 11, 1918. For many, this marked the end of World War One.
The signing of the Armistice.
Of course, on the Eastern Front the fighting had ended earlier that year. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed by the Bolshevik government following the devastating Operation Faustschlag, where Central Powers forces captured huge swathes of territory to little or no resistance. The Russian Revolution and civil war in Russia had left the country unable to muster any serious defence.
German General Max Hoffmann wrote in his diary on 22 February: "It is the most comical war I have ever known. We put a handful of infantrymen with machine guns and one gun onto a train and rush them off to the next station; they take it, make prisoners of the Bolsheviks, pick up few more troops, and so on. This proceeding has, at any rate, the charm of novelty."
Following this, the Russians had little choice but to sign a treaty and end the fighting on the Eastern Front. In the end, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk would be annulled by the Armistice of November 11th, and Germany's surrender.
The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
The Poppy is a common symbol of Remembrance Day, hence why it’s sometimes also referred to as Poppy Day. It became the symbol of the Royal British Legion, a veterans’ organization. They sell paper Poppy flowers which one can wear on their clothing, in memory of those who’ve fallen. The proceeds will go towards supporting war victims and families who’ve lost a family member during war.
In Verdun & Tannenberg, you’ll be able to commemorate the Armistice as well. There will be 2 minutes of silence when you start up the game, rewarding you with a special Remembrance medal afterwards if you choose to participate.
Furthermore, we have a special poppy emote in our Discord especially for this day. Feel free to share in our Discord if you’re remembering anyone special and how you’re planning to do so.
For the Facebook users, there’s a special Poppy filter that you can use for your profile picture. You can click here to be directed to the filter.