Why did World War 1 end specifically at 11 a.m. on November ll - the same hour as Fasnacht begins in Germany?

Answer 1

The simple answer is that the two events did not coincide - there is no relationship between Fasnacht and the armistice. However this question, with it's inference that the timing of the cease fire was manipulated (presumably by the allies) is intriguing and so requires greater explanation. Fasnacht is an ancient festival of probably pagan origin. When Christianity arrived in Europe Fasnacht was, like many other such festivals, absorbed by the church, recycled and then safely adopted. I am not German and have no first hand knowledge of Fastnacht but it appears to be a time when the Germans behave like fools - basically they have fun. The festival is accompanied by much eating and drinking, dressing up in colourful costumes and masks, street games and impromptu silly acts such as trying to leap through the city gate in one jump or sailing down a river in barrels. It appears to be a cross between a sort of extended April fool and Mardi Gras. It is not exclusive to Germany and is still celebrated in Austria and Switzerland as well. There are even instances of it in the United States (see link) As I said earlier, there is no relationship between Fasnacht and the Armistice because Fasnacht marks the "death of winter" and is timed to take place on the weekend before Lent. As the Armistice occurred in November the two events could not possibly coincide. My own opinion is that this question may relate to comments originating from certain elements of Imperial Germany that regarded the ceasefire and the subsequent peace terms they were forced to accept as being worthy of a Fasnacht escapade - simply a joke.