Am 11. November 9 Uhr morgens, meldet der Fernsprecher die schweren Worte:„Um 12 Uhr heute Mittag Waffenruhe auf ganzer Front“.
Das Regiment 86 erlebte die Durchführung dieses Befehls nicht an der Front, sondern als Divisionsreserve bei Chaudeville an der belgischen Grenze. Manches Ohr horchte um Mittag nach der Front, wo noch einmal die Kanonen donnerten. Dann trat Stille ein. Der Weltkrieg war zu Ende.
Der jahrelang heißersehnte Augenblick war da. Von solcher Größe und Schwere war seine Bedeutung, daß sie kaum zu fassen war. Heil aus diesem vierjährigen Grauen, diesem vierjährigen Totentanz herausgekommen zu sein! War dies Wunder oder Wirklichkeit?
[…]
Ein kurzes Glücksgefühl verauchte. Es konnte nur kurz sein. Gleichzeitig kamen andere Nachrichten: Die Waffenstillstandbedingungen, Revolution in Deutschland. Wer weiter dachte und sein Vaterland lieb hatte, bei dem ertrank die Freude über die Erhaltung des lieben Ich bald in bitteren Zorn und Schmerz um Deutschland.
[…]
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| Britische Offiziere inspizieren die Truppe |
An dieser Stelle seien die Gesamtverluste des Regiments genannt. Sie betragen an Toten die ungeheure Zahl von 97 Offizieren und 3899 Mann. Das ist erheblich mehr als die Gefechtsstärke des Regiments bei Ausmarsch, welche damals 70 Offiziere, 3025 Mann betrug.
November 11th 9:00 a.m., the telephone announces the serious words:"Today 12:00 p.m. weapons truce for all the front".
Regiment 86 saw the execution of this order not at the front, but as a divisional reserve near Chaudeville close to the belgian border. Many ears listened around noon over to the front, where only for once the guns would thunder again. Then, silence. The world war had come to an end.
The moment we had longed for since years, finally had come. Its meaning was so great and serious, that one could hardly realize it. To have escaped unscathed from this four-year dance of the dead! Was this miraculous fiction or reality?
[...]
The short feeling of happiness went away. It could only have been short. At the same time, there were other new: The conditions of the truce, revolution in Germany. Those who thought further and loved their home country, soon drowned their happiness about having rescued the loved self in bitter anger and pain for Germany.
[...]
We were forced to bear the indignities of a snootily enemy. But what was worse by far: At home no greatness erected from the catastrophe. Cowardice and dishonourableness took the lead. Would this spirit jump over to the men of the front? Would the bands of obedience and order dissolve and the army of millions savage into Belgium and the homeland like a horde of lawless looters? That was a feary question. It turned out not to be so. Indeed, one could see some car columns in the rear area, red flagged and manned with shouting deserters. But this was thank god only a small minority. The majority of the front soldiers rejected the false ideas and remained with plight, faithfulness and obedience, knowing well that only this way the worst could be avoided. The spirit of the front had prevailed.
At this point, the total amount of lthe regiment's losses should be stated. They mounted up to the enormous number of 97 officers and 3899 other ranks. That is more than the regimental size of 70 officers and 3025 ranks when initially marching out into combat.
FRA
11 novembre, ore 09.00, il telefono annuncia queste gravi parole:"Oggi alle 12.00 tregua delle armi su tutto il fronte".
L'86° Reggimento vide l'esecuzione di quest'ordine non al fronte, ma come riserva di divisione vicino a Chaudeville, presso il confine belga. Molte orecchie udirono la notizia verso mezzogiorno al fronte, dove solo per qualche istante le armi avrebbero tuonato ancora. Poi, silenzio. La guerra mondiale era finita.
Il momento che avevamo aspettato per anni, finalmente era arrivato. Questo significava una cosa così grande e seria, che si faceva fatica a rendersene conto. Essere sfuggiti illesi da questa danza di quattro anni con la morte! Era una miracolosa finzione o la realtà?
[...]
Il breve breve senso di felicità se ne volò via. Non poteva che essere breve. Allo stesso tempo, c'erano altre notizie: le condizioni della tregua, la rivoluzione in Germania. Coloro che avevano pensato troppo e troppo avevano amato il loro paese, ben presto soffocarono la loro felicità nella amara rabbia e pena per la Germania.
[...]
Eravamo stati costretti a sopportare l'oltraggio di un nemico arrogante. Ma il peggio, di gran lunga, fu: a casa, nessuna magnanimità dopo la catastrofe. La vigliaccheria ed il disonore presero il sopravvento. Sarebbe questo spirito salito anche sulle spalle degli uomini provenienti dal fronte? Si sarebbero dissolti i legami dell'obbedienza e dell'ordine e l'esercito di milioni di selvaggi sarebbe entrato in Belgio e in Patria come un'orda di di vandali senza legge? Era una domanda spaventosa. Non doveva finire così. ed invero, si vedevano colonne di auto nelle retrovie, con bandiere rosse, guidate da disertori urlanti. Ma questi erano, grazie a Dio, una sparuta minoranza. La maggior parte dei soldati al fronte
rifiutarono le false idee e tennero duro nelle difficoltà, con fedeltà ed obbedienza, ben sapendo che questa era l'unica via per evitare il peggio. Lo spirito del fronte era prevalso.
A questo punto, si doveva stabilire l'ammontare totale delle perdite del reggimento. Esse arrivarono all'enorme numero di 97 ufficiali e 3899 dei vari gradi. Era più del numero degli effettivi del reggimento, 70 ufficiali e 3025 graduati e soldati che inizialmente si misero in marcia per combattere
Novemer 11th 9:00 a.m., the telephone announces the serious words:
AntwortenLöschen"Today 12:00 p.m. weapons truce for all the front".
Regiment 86 saw the execution of this order not at the front, but as a divisional reserve near Chaudeville close to the belgian border. Many ears listened around noon over to the front, where only for once the guns would thunder again. Then, silence. The world war had come to an end.
The moment we had longed for since years, finally had come. Its meaning was so great and serious, that one could hardly realize it. To have escaped unscathed from this four-year dance of the dead! Was this miraculous fiction or reality?
[...]
The short feeling of happiness went away. It could only have been short. At the same time, there were other new: The conditions of the truce, revolution in Germany. Those who thought further and loved their home country, soon drowned their happiness about having rescued the loved self in bitter anger and pain for Germany.
[...]
We were forced to bear the indignities of a snootily enemy. But what was worse by far: At home no greatness erected from the catastrophe. Cowardice and dishonourableness took the lead. Would this spirit jump over to the men of the front? Would the bands of obedience and order dissolve and the army of millions savage into Belgium and the homeland like a horde of lawless looters? That was a feary question. It turned out not to be so. Indeed, one could see some car columns in the rear area, red flagged and manned with shouting deserters. But this was thank god only a small minority. The majority of the front soldiers rejected the false ideas and remained with plight, faithfulness and obedience, knowing well that only this way the worst could be avoided. The spirit of the front had prevailed.
At this point, the total amount of lthe regiment's losses should be stated. They mounted up to the enormous number of 97 officers and 3899 other ranks. That is more than the regimental size of 70 officers and 3025 ranks when initially marching out into combat.