Why did the Entente stop at armistice with Germany instead of seeking unconditional surrender?

Answer 1

The French-British-American decision to negotiate peace terms with Germany in 1918, instead of insisting on “unconditional surrender” as in WW2, was based on the following many considerations: -

• The Armistice terms were very strict. Germany would be incapable of resuming the war once it complied with the Armistice terms.

• America’s leader, Woodrow Wilson, was content that the new German government accepted his Fourteen Points. With that accomplished, Wilson had no interest in “punishing” Germany beyond the concessions made in the Armistice terms. America had not made a treaty of alliance with Britain and France, and so America was legally entitled to make a separate peace with Germany if it chose to do so. Britain and France COULD have continued the war without American military support; but it would not have been easy; and it would have been extremely unpopular.

• Britain was not entranced by Wilson’s Fourteen Points. But Britain was very war-weary by late 1918. As long as Germany abided by the terms of the Armistice, Britain had nothing to gain from continuation of the war.

• France was not so happy to end the war without completely crushing Germany. This was understandable, because of the three western powers fighting Germany, France had suffered the greatest losses in both casualties and in damage to its infrastructure. But France alone did not have the power to continue fighting. So the French settled for the Armistice terms.

• And ... one final consideration. I don’t think that the idea of demanding “unconditional surrender” even occurred to the western powers in WW1. Remember, although four years of war had torn apart much of the old fabric of Europe, there were still relics of the former age of civilized behavior between enemies. The very idea of “unconditional surrender” would probably have been abhorrent to the leaders of Europe from that era.

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By the way, just as a technical point, “The Entente” had ceased to exist by 1918. Russia was gone. France and Britain had become firm Allies of each other. America was not allied with anyone.

Answer 2

From whom would they seek an unconditional surrender? The Kaiser essentially was overthrown and fled to the Netherlands, the new republican government was in early stages of its formation (imagine the mess it must have been, trying to change the government in the middle of a war you're losing). The only logical thing to do was to stop fighting and figure out where to go from there.

Also, don't forget that Germany was not the only player on the other side; there was also the Austro-Hungarian empire, which right around that time was splitting into Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and what was to become Yugoslavia...

Answer 3

Because Germany was still undefeated and occupying part of France. It's just that they felt they could no longer continue the war because it would lead to revolution at home as happened to Russia.