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The centenary of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 was an international series of events marking the 2018 anniversary of the armistice which ended hostilities in World War I. It concluded the series of commemorations marking the wider First World War centenary beginning in 2014. The date of the centenary was marked by numerous events were scheduled in conjunction with the series of related annual memorial days (Armistice Day, Remembrance Day and Veterans Day) and also as part of commissions established for the purposes of marking the four year centenary of the First World War.
Commemorations in France were led by President Emmanuel Macron, and included an international ceremony in Paris which attracted many world leaders, in addition to the first Paris Peace Forum. In London, a service of thanksgiving was hosted at Westminster Abbey, with a German representative invited to participate in the annual National Service of Remembrance for the first time. Other military ceremonies and events elsewhere throughout the United Kingdom and in key members of the Commonwealth which participated in the war, as well as across the world.
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was signed near the French town of Compiègne, between the Allied Powers and Germany—represented by Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch and civilian politician Matthias Erzberger respectively—with capitulations having already been made separately by Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary. The agreements made by both sides included the cessation of all land and air hostilities on the Western Front. It was agreed upon at 5 am (Paris time) and came into effect later that morning at 11 am. [1]
Formal peace negotiations only took place during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and 1920. With three extensions to the armistice having already been made, a state of peace was ratified with a series of treaties between the Allies and the former Central Powers, beginning with the Treaty of Versailles on 10 January 1920. [2] [3]
Following the end of the war, 11 November was designated a memorial day initially dedicated to the anniversary of the armistice and the military dead of World War I, known as Armistice Day. The first such observance took place in 1919. [4] Following World War II, it was renamed under different titles in several countries (e.g. Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States).
Several national governments drafted plans to mark the First World War centenary with commemorative events, beginning with the 2014 anniversary of the outbreak of World War I and also marking key dates of the war such as the Gallipoli campaign in 2015 and the battles of Verdun and the Somme in 2016. [5] [6]
The official programme for the centenary was announced on 18 September 2018, during a press conference hosted by education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer and Geneviève Darrieussecq, secretary of state to the Minister of the Armed Forces. [6] It included an international ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe followed by the inaugural edition of the newly founded Paris Peace Forum, plans which were already mentioned by French President Emmanuel Macron in a speech published in July. [7] The government's Mission Centenaire committee was responsible for the organisation of the events. [6]
On 4 November, Macron and his spouse Brigitte Macron hosted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Strasbourg Cathedral. Following a military ceremony, they attended a concert inside, conducted by the orchestra of the Académie supérieure de Strasbourg. [8] The flags of France, the European Union and Germany were hoisted outside the cathedral. [9] [10]
On 6 November, Macron announced that writer Maurice Genevoix, author of numerous books on the First World War, would be posthumously listed on the Panthéon in 2019, alongside fourteen other French civilians and soldiers who participated in World War I. [11] Separately, he and Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta opened a memorial for fallen colonial soldiers in Reims. [12] Throughout the course of the week, he visited symbolic Western Front locations across eleven departments in the north and east of the country. [10] [13] The visits were the subject of anger from local voters over what the Financial Times described as his "perceived metropolitan disregard for their pocketbook concerns." [14]
On 10 November, invited international guests to the Arc de Triomphe ceremony, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, began arriving in Paris. Around 10,000 police officers, gendarmes and soldiers were placed on duty in the lead up to the events. [15] Merkel visited the Glade of the Armistice at Compiègne alongside Macron, where they laid a wreath, unveiled a plaque dedicated to Franco-German reconciliation and signed a book of remembrance in a replica of the railway carriage where the armistice was signed. The visit was symbolic as it marked the first time that French and German leaders had visited the site since 1945. [16] [17]
Macron later held a bilateral meeting with Trump at the Élysée Palace, which took place a day after Trump tweeted that "Europe should first pay its fair share" of NATO defence expenditures in response to the former's suggestions for a continental European army. [18] [19] A similar meeting was planned between Trump and Putin, but it was ultimately scrapped due to the forthcoming G20 Buenos Aires summit. [20] [21] [22] Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, participated in separate commemorations at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in northern France. [23] An official reception dinner for invited guests took place in the evening at the Musée d'Orsay. [24]
At 11 am (CET), bells across France rang simultaneously to mark a century since World War I ended, including at Notre-Dame de Paris and at churches in overseas France. [25] [26] Guests for the international ceremony had been received by Macron at the Élysée Palace in the morning before departing in unison by way of coaches. [27] Trump, Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted for their own transportation due to security concerns. [27] [28] [29]
The commemoration began shortly after 11 am, following a presidential inspection of troops, a roll call of French soldiers killed in the preceding year and an army choir rendition of the French national anthem. [30] [31] [32] [33] The event included a performance by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who played the sarabande from Bach's Suite No. 5 in C minor . A group of testimonies dating to 11 November 1918 were read out by a group of teenage students in between, after which Ma performed the second movement of Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Cello with French violinist Renaud Capuçon. [34] Beninese musician Angélique Kidjo sang a variation of the song Blewu by Bella Bellow, paying tribute to colonial troops. [35] [36] Macron delivered a keynote speech in which he denounced nationalism as a "betrayal of patriotism", and warned of the resurgence of "old demons". [37] [31] The European Union Youth Orchestra followed with a performance of Ravel's Bolero . [38] The end of the ceremony included a rekindling of the Tomb to the Unknown Soldier, where Macron also laid a wreath, culminating in the "Sonnerie aux morts" and a moment of silence, followed by the "Cessez-le-feu" bugle call. [39] [27]
All international guests were invited immediately afterward to a luncheon at the Élysée, with their consorts gathering at the Palace of Versailles. [28] [40] The inaugural Paris Peace Forum was opened at the Grande halle de la Villette in the afternoon, with Macron, Merkel and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres giving remarks at its plenary session. Trump declined to attend, instead visiting the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial as the forum took place, where he made an address before returning to the United States. [41] [30]
The European Broadcasting Union organised a concert at the Royal Opera of Versailles with performances by the Vienna Philharmonic, entitled the "Concert for Peace." [42] During a concert in La Force, Dordogne, violinist Pierre Hamel from the Colonne Orchestra performed using a metal violin assembled by soldiers in the trenches. [43] A series of religious memorial services were organised for the day, including an international mass at Notre-Dame de Paris, conducted by Archbishop Michel Aupetit. [44]
Marshal Pétain, when he led France during the Second World War, was complicit in profound crimes which were recognized, and the responsibility of the French state was recognized. [...] I forgive nothing, but I erase nothing from our history.
In October 2018, it was reported that tributes to World War I marshals at the Hôtel des Invalides would include one to Philippe Pétain, who served in the Battle of Verdun and later headed Nazi-aligned Vichy France. It resulted in criticism from French Jews, the opposition and on social media. [46] In response, the office of the Élysée said it was not part of their official schedule and did not understand how Pétain "ended up" on the list. [47] Macron in particular described Pétain as a "great soldier", while remarking that he made "disastrous choices" during the Nazi occupation of France. [14] This tribute was eventually withdrawn. [46]
A planned visit by Trump to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, scheduled for 10 November, was cancelled due to what the White House termed "bad weather". [48] The decision was met with criticism, particularly from former Obama national security advisor Ben Rhodes; British Conservative politician Nicholas Soames, a grandson of Winston Churchill; and former secretary of state John Kerry. [49] [50] [51] A later article by The Atlantic surfacing in 2020 said Trump had refused to attend and also described the cemetery as being "filled with losers". He subsequently described the report as "fake news". [52] [53]
Three Femen members staged a protest at the Arc de Triomphe on the morning of 10 November welcoming "war criminals", and were arrested by French police. [54] [55] In a later statement, the feminist activist group listed Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as examples of this description, along with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was not invited. [56] Femen also claimed responsibility for an incident on the day of the ceremony in which the motorcade carrying Trump passed by a topless woman who ran towards it and was then dragged out by French police. [57] Anti-Trump demonstrations were held at the Place de la République in response to the US president's visit. [58]
The seating arrangement caused a major controversy in Serbia. As the Serbian army had a pivotal role in forcing both Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary out of the war, with Serbia itself having the most extensive casualties compared to its population number and a historical friendship with France, the positioning of Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić away from the frontline seating areas in place of representatives of countries which were on the opposing side in the war or didn't even exist as separate states at the time, was taken as an insult in Serbia. [59] [60] [61]
The Paris commemorations were attended by over 120 foreign dignitaries, including 72 heads of state and government and representatives of several international organisations. [6] [62] The French presidential office said it had invited representatives only from countries "which sent troops or workers to the European theaters of war". [63]
Present at the Arc de Triomphe ceremony unless stated otherwise. [64] [65] [66] [24] [67] [68]
The government of the United Kingdom announced that it would allocate a £19 million package to mark the centenary, with an additional £10 million being added to the annual budget made to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, [85] while individual local events were coordinated by the Imperial War Museum. [86] The BBC planned a week-long series of dedicated programming across its platforms, as part of its World War I centenary season. [87]
Beginning on 5 November, 10,000 torches were lit in the moat of the Tower of London, in an artistic exhibition entitled Beyond the Deepening Shadow which would repeat nightly until Armistice Day (11 November). [88] The Shrouds of the Somme , designed by artist Rob Heard and comprising 72,396 shrouded figures representing all servicemen from the British Commonwealth with no known grave, was laid out at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, being on display from 8 to 18 November 2018. [89] [90]
Prime Minister Theresa May visited the Thiepval Memorial in northern France and the St Symphorien Military Cemetery in Belgium on 9 November, laying wreaths at the graves of John Parr and George Edwin Ellison, respectively the first and last British soldiers killed during the war. The wreaths were engraved with handwritten messages from May, invoking wartime poems to express gratitude to the dead for being "staunch to the end". [90] Key members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, attended the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance on 10 November at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which included performances by Sir Tom Jones and Sheridan Smith. [91] [92]
As Remembrance Sunday in 2018 fell on 11 November, the National Service of Remembrance was held concurrently with other commemorative events in Europe. The service at the Cenotaph in London began at 11 am (GMT), with a two-minute silence being observed, after which the Prince of Wales then laid the first wreath on behalf of the Queen. [83] [93] Thousands were able to pay respect to relatives and soldiers killed in the war during a march past the memorial. [94] Despite ongoing renovations, the Big Ben rang eleven times at 12:30 GMT. [95] [96]
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was invited to attend as a special guest, becoming the first German leader to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph. [37] The invitation was reportedly planned as early as September 2018. [97] The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport described his presence as "a symbol of the friendship that exists between the two countries today". [93] A memorial service was held in the evening at Westminster Abbey, which was attended by members of the royal family and Prime Minister Theresa May. During the service, Steinmeier read out a passage from 1 St John 4:7–11 in German. [37]
Similar events were held across the United Kingdom's constituent countries and Crown Dependencies. In Scotland, Princess Anne attended a service at Glasgow Cathedral, while First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other officials laid wreaths. [98] The government of the Isle of Man released a series of commemorative coins. [99]
Commemorations took place in Canada to mark Remembrance Day. The annual service at the National War Memorial was attended by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, representing the Government, and Governor General Julie Payette. [100] [101]
In Australia, a Remembrance Day service was held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, alongside a national minute of silence in remembrance of Australian soldiers who fought and died in overseas conflicts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed a crowd of more than 12,000 attending the ceremony. An extension of the Anzac Memorial in Sydney was opened to the public for the occasion. [102] [103] In addition, over a thousand people attended a commemoration at the Australian National Memorial in the French town of Villers-Bretonneux. [102]
In New Zealand, a national service took place at the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, which was organised as part of the wider New Zealand WW100 commemorations. A 100-gun salute was held at the Wellington waterfront, and two minutes of silence were observed at 11 am (NZDT), followed by a cacophony of noise replicating how the public initially reacted to the news of the armistice a century prior. Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave speeches at the event. [104] [105] [106]
Memorial services were held across South Africa, including a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria and the annual National Civic Remembrance Service in Johannesburg. [107]
In India, a memorial service was held at the Delhi War Cemetery, where Indian and British delegates laid wreaths. Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat led the British delegation and was joined by Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India, and defence attaché Brigadier Mark Goldsack. [108] In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Indian troops and pledged to "further an atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood". [109] [110]
In Ghana, a luncheon was organised by the British High Commission and the Ghanaian government on the occasion of Remembrance Day. On the same day, President Nana Akufo-Addo and a group of ex-servicemen observed a two-minute silence. [111] [112] Earlier, Akufo-Addo participated in a wreath-laying ceremony on 2 November at the Christiansborg War Cemetery in Accra, along with Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Edward, who were touring the country at the time. [113]
Ceremonies in Kenya and Zambia were scheduled for 25 November 2018; German forces fighting in Northern Rhodesia only received news of the armistice on 14 November 1918, three days after it had already came into effect, and eventually surrendered later that month. [114] [115] In Voi, the Commonwealth War Cemetery hosted a small ceremony, which was attended by British and German diplomats; a Kenyan army bugler played the Last Post during the ceremony, and wreaths were laid by a Kenyan general and some local and international visitors. [116] The Zambian government sponsored a centenary event in the town of Mbala organised by the national tourism agency, saying that attraction to the region would unlock the "tourism and investment potential of Northern Province". [115] [117]
Memorial services took place in Myanmar and Russia. [37]
Belgium
National commemorations were held in the capital of Brussels. In an address, King Philippe pledged to keep "the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for us and the values for which they fought", and to "engage together in building a world of peace." A dove and 11 pigeons were released during the memorial service. [118] In Ypres, a series of tributes to Commonwealth veterans was attended by the Minister-President of Flanders, Geert Bourgeois. [119] The Last Post, traditionally performed nightly at the Menin Gate since 1928, was additionally played at 11 am (CET) to mark the centenary. [119]
Celebrations were held in Mons marking the anniversary of Canadian troops taking over the city from the Germans. [120] [121] The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada led a recreated 1918 parade through the city. [122]
Germany
Public memorisation was muted, mainly owing to the defeat of the German Empire and the chronology of events resulting from the aftermath of the war. [123] Some events were privately organised, including a religious service at the Berlin Cathedral, and an exhibition showcasing works by 31 international artists representing countries involved in WWI peace negotiations. [124] [c]
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong and China branch of the Royal British Legion and the Hong Kong Veterans Federation organised a public wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph, which was attended by local dignitaries, international envoys, veterans, and representatives of religious groups and youth uniform teams. A two-minute silence was observed at 11 am (HKT). [125] [37]
Hungary
The Hungarian National Bank released a series of commemorative collector coins on 16 October 2018, which included a silver variant with a face value of 10,000 HUF and a non-ferrous metal variant with a fifth (2,000 HUF) of the face value. [126]
Ireland
A service was held at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. It was attended by President Michael D. Higgins, who was to be inaugurated for a second term on the same day, along with representatives of at least 47 countries. The Last Post was played during the ceremony. [127] [128]
Italy
Italian President Sergio Mattarella and key political figures attended a National Unity and Armed Forces Day ceremony in Trieste marking the centenary of the armistice of Villa Giusti with Austria-Hungary. In a speech, Mattarella described the European Union as the "highest expression of a commitment to common good" to prevent future conflicts, and highlighted the history of antisemitism in the region. [129] [130]
Luxembourg
A ceremony was held at the Gëlle Fra monument in the capital during the late afternoon, in the presence of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, as well as prime minister Xavier Bettel, who also paid tribute to war casualties. [131]
Poland
The date of 11 November coincided with festivities marking the centenary of the foundation of the Second Polish Republic in 1918 (National Independence Day).
Prominent politicians, including president Andrzej Duda and former prime minister Donald Tusk, attended ceremonies honouring Józef Piłsudski, the founding father of the Second Polish Republic. [132] Many marched in the capital of Warsaw, with one led by Duda, prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and leader of the ruling Law and Justice party Jarosław Kaczyński. [133] [134] The annual Independence March, organised by nationalist and far-right groups and which coincided with the other marches of the day, was initially banned by Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz; the ban was later overturned by a local court. [133] [135]
Romania
Army officers, ambassadors and other guests laid wreaths during a ceremony at a local war memorial. [136]
United States
On Veterans Day, the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri hosted a ceremony in which participants and relatives of WWI veterans tolled a "bell of peace" and laid wreaths in memory of those killed in the war. [137] The Washington National Cathedral held a commemorative service, and a gathering took place at the District of Columbia War Memorial. [138] [139]
President Donald Trump proposed that a military parade at the Capitol be held on 10 November to mark the centenary, in admiration of France's Bastille Day military parade (which Trump attended as a guest in 2017). However, Trump cancelled the proposed event in August 2018 over cost concerns, with estimates that the parade would have cost as much as US$92 million. [140] [141] [142]
Vatican City
In remarks made during a weekly Angelus address, Pope Francis appealed for a rejection of a "culture of war", quoting Benedict XV, who served as pope during the majority of the First World War, and reflecting on the occasion of St. Martin's Day, which also fell on 11 November. The bells at St. Peter's Basilica were tolled in the afternoon in unison with other church bells across Europe. [143]
Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as le 14 juillet in French, though la fête nationale is also used in the press.
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non-Commonwealth countries. In most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities. Hostilities ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918, in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. The First World War formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.
Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, at 5:45 am for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at 11:00 am—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918—although, according to Thomas R. Gowenlock, an intelligence officer with the U.S. First Division, shelling from both sides continued for the rest of the day, ending only at nightfall. The armistice initially expired after a period of 36 days and had to be extended several times. A formal peace agreement was reached only when the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year.
Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in November. Remembrance Sunday, within the Church of England, falls in the liturgical period of Allsaintstide.
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official end of World War II in Europe in the Eastern Front, with the last known shots fired on 11 May.
A Holocaust memorial day or Holocaust remembrance day is an annual observance to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews and of millions of other Holocaust victims by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. Many countries, primarily in Europe, have designated national dates of commemoration. In 2005, the United Nations instituted an international observance, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
A remembrance poppy is an artificial flower worn in some countries to commemorate their military personnel who died in war. Remembrance poppies are produced by veterans' associations, which exchange the poppies for charitable donations used to give financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the armed forces.
The Bastille Day military parade, also known as the 14 July military parade, translation of the French name of Défilé militaire du 14 juillet, is a French military parade that has been held on the morning of Bastille Day, 14 July, each year in Paris since 1880, almost without exception. The parade passes down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées from Place Charles de Gaulle, centred around the Arc de Triomphe, to the Place de la Concorde, where the President stands, along with members of the Government, figures from the legislative branch, the Mayor of Paris, as well as foreign ambassadors to France.
Lazare Ponticelli, Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was at 110, the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France and the last poilu of its trenches to die.
The Unknown Warrior is an unidentified member of the British Imperial armed forces who died on the western front during the First World War. He is interred in a grave at Westminster Abbey, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
The Cenotaph is a war memorial on Whitehall in London, England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom's national memorial to the dead of Britain and the British Empire of the First World War, was rededicated in 1946 to include those of the Second World War, and has since come to represent the Commonwealth casualties from those and subsequent conflicts. The word cenotaph is derived from Greek, meaning 'empty tomb'. Most of the dead were buried close to where they fell; thus, the Cenotaph symbolises their absence and is a focal point for public mourning. The original temporary Cenotaph was erected in 1919 for a parade celebrating the end of the First World War, at which more than 15,000 servicemen, including French and American soldiers, saluted the monument. More than a million people visited the site within a week of the parade.
The First World War centenary was the four-year period marking the centenary of the First World War, which began in mid-2014 with the centenary of the outbreak of the war, and ended in late 2018 with the centenary of the 1918 armistice.
The centenary of the outbreak of World War I occurred in the summer of 2014, with events in several European and Commonwealth countries. It marked the beginning of a wider four year centenary period commemorating the war.
Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who is serving as the 25th and current president of France and ex officio one of the two co-princes of Andorra since 2017. He previously was Minister of Economics, Industry and Digital Affairs under President François Hollande from 2014 to 2016 and deputy secretary-general to the president from 2012 to 2014. He has been a member of Renaissance since he founded it in 2016.
The Mémorial de la France combattante is the most important memorial to French fighters of World War II (1939–1945). It is situated below Fort Mont-Valérien in Suresnes, in the western suburbs of Paris. It commemorates members of the armed forces from France and the colonies, and members of the French Resistance. Fifteen representative French fighters were buried here in an elaborate ceremony on 11 November 1945. The present memorial was opened on 18 June 1960. It has a wall in which are set sixteen bronze reliefs that represent in allegorical terms the different phases, places and participants in the struggle.
L'Anneau de la Mémoire is a World War I memorial in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France. Designed by Philippe Prost and inaugurated on 11 November 2014, the 96th anniversary of Armistice Day, the memorial honors the 576,606 soldiers of forty different nationalities who died at Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The memorial is located at the site of the national cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. The monument consists of 500 metal panels that are arranged in an ellipse pattern, each 3 meters in height. Each panel contains approximately 1200 names of fallen soldiers, listed alphabetically by last name. The 500th panel remains blank so that any newly discovered names may be inscribed. The most noteworthy aspect of the Ring of Memory is that it is the first memorial to list alphabetically, with no regard to rank nor nationality.
Since Emmanuel Macron was elected President of France on 7 May 2017, a series of protests have been conducted by trade union activists, left-wing activists and right-wing activists in opposition to what protesters consider to be neoliberal policies and globalism, his support of state visits by certain world leaders, his positions on French labour law reform, as well as various comments or policy proposals he has made since assuming the presidency.
The Paris Peace Forum is a French non-profit organisation created in March 2018. The organisation hosts an annual gathering of world leaders and heads of international organisations, as well as leaders from civil society and private sectors and thousands of individuals from around the globe, on creating forms of collective action. The Paris Peace Forum completes the existing world agenda of multilateral gatherings by creating a specific event for global governance issues, as economic and financial issues are dealt at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and security issues at the Munich Security Conference.
The National Service of Remembrance is held every year on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London. It commemorates "the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts". It takes place on the second Sunday in November, the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m. in 1918.
Jean Castex is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 3 July 2020 to 16 May 2022. He was a member of The Republicans (LR) until 2020, when he joined La République En Marche! (LREM). Castex served for twelve years as mayor of the small town of Prades prior to his appointment as prime minister by President Emmanuel Macron. He resigned his post ahead of the 2022 legislative election. He has been president of the state-owned RATP since November 2022.
Na czele polskiej delegacji stał minister spraw zagranicznych Jacek Czaputowicz.[The Polish delegation was headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacek Czaputowicz.]
Ambassadors, Romanian army officers and others laid wreaths at a war memorial as Romania marked the end of World War I a century ago.
Trump has been fixated since early in his term on putting on a military-heavy parade or other celebration modeled on France's Bastille Day celebration, which he attended in Paris in 2017.
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