The Armistice of 11 November 1918, that ended hostiles between the Allied and the Allies, left little for negotiation. The Germans were given a laundry list of terms to agree, but few promises were made by the Allied Supreme Commander, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, in return. One of the conditions of the Armistice was the complete demilitarization of Germany, and the surrender of military material to the Allied.

Germany’s U-boats should be surrendered immediately, the Allied powers decided, but they could not agree what to do with the German surface fleet. It was suggested that they should be interned at Royal Navy’s base at Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, until their fate could be determined.

Scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow. Photo: Imperial War Museum