The armistice signalling the end of fighting on all fronts during World War 1 was signed just after 5:00 in the morning on the 11th November, 1918. However, hostilities would only end six hours later at 11:00. 11th of the 11th at 11 was more elegant than 11th of the 11th at 5 in the morning.
For those six hours between 5 and 11 battles raged on. Artillery forces decided it would be easier to fire their munitions than haul them home again. Some soldiers charged enemy lines hoping for medals and glory in the dying moments of the war.
There were over 10,000 casualties that day. Numbers vary greatly, but it is safe to say the deaths on the 11th of November were higher than the average deaths per day throughout the war.
I don’t know what the lesson is here. What I do know is that we should make wars significantly more difficult to start. And we should be far more enthusiastic in ending them.