The Peace with Honour (German: Frieden mit Ehre) is the name of the peace treaty between the Central Powers and the Entente that officially ended the Weltkrieg in 1921.

The Armistice Years

Although general hostilities in the Weltkrieg technically ended following the 1919 ceasefire, it continued through various proxy conflicts, such as the Irish Civil War. By 1921, the major players of both the Central Powers and the Entente found themselves unable or otherwise unwilling to resume warfare against their adversaries.

In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire was in shambles and ill-equipped to respond to the revolting Arab population or cross the Suez Canal to strike the British forces entrenched there. In Europe, although France was no longer a concern, the German Empire was unable to mount any form of attack against Britain. The British were unable to quell the Irish rebellion and were in no condition to return to active warfare. The Weltkrieg had critically strained the economy and population of every country involved, and proved the internal weaknesses of both Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The overall situation had remained a total stalemate.

Terms of Peace

In November of 1921, General Erich Ludendorff offered British Prime Minister David Lloyd George a formal white peace, enshrining the terms of the 1919 Ceasefire of Copenhagen. The treaty was formally signed on November 11th, 1921, declaring the end of the Weltkrieg after more than seven years of a war that had changed the destiny of Europe forever.