france where one of the the event in france where one of the key commemorations to mark 100 years since the end of the first world war is about to take place. emmanuel macron and angela merkel have just arrived at the scene where the armistice was signed. the armistice was signed a century ago and today's events are focused on the place where that was made, around 80 miles from paris. we will see them sign a book of

remembrance and observe silence for the fallen. let's go live to compiegne. we are here in compiegne 70 kilometres north of paris. it is a quiet moment because emmanuel macron, the french president, has just arrived. he is down a pass to my left, he is talking to them, paying tribute to them and he will bejoined by the paying tribute to them and he will be joined by the german chancellor angela merkel and it will come together up a path flanked by french and german flags to this spot where 100 years ago, germany and the allies sized the armistice that brought an end to the four years of the first world war, a war which kills some 70 million people. there we re kills some 70 million people. there were no terms or negotiation with germany, the delegation were given 72 hours in which to look at the

document and communicate with the forces in berlin and at 12 minutes past five on the 11th of november in the morning, 1918, germany and the allies signs that document to come into force at 11am the same day. emmanuel macron is not yetjoined by angela merkel but it will be an extremely poignant moment when they come up here together because she will be the first german chancellor to visit this spot in 78 years, not 100 years, 78, because in 1940, another german chancellor, adolf hitler, came here to sit at the same spotin hitler, came here to sit at the same spot in the train carriage where the french had sat in 1818 and adolf hitler demanded the surrender of france during the second world war saw 78 years on, the leaders of france and germany, perhaps the closest allies in europe, promoters

of the european union, are here to pay their respects and pay tribute to what is a very poignant moment of reflection. it is extraordinary, isn't it, mark, to look back at the bigger sweep of history and how the relationship of france and germany have changed. things couldn't be closer between emmanuel macron and angela merkel nowadays. they have a very close personal relationship. they very much represent the liberal democracy and european union integration and multilateralism which is also part of this weekend's celebrations and ina way, of this weekend's celebrations and in a way, the are at the opposite end of the global political spectrum to the other world leader who was in paris today, president trump had at bilateral meeting with emmanuel macron but tomorrow when the paris

peace conference opens after the official marking of the armistice at the arc de triomphe, a peace conference which will welcome 70 world leaders which has a message of cooperation and global governance at its core but donald trump will not be attending. that in itself is a very poignant and a very symbolic indication of how you have the two opposite ends of global politics here, of political ideology, emmanuel macron, a young 40—year—old, a real believer in the european union, i believe and multilateralism, in liberalism and liberal democracy, whose championing those values this weekend, then you have donald trump who is, in some ways, an incarnation of the nationalist and the unilateralism, america first, which emanuel macon is fighting against. he says he fears the dark echoes of interwar

europe, the rise of authoritarianism and nationalism, ivery europe, the rise of authoritarianism and nationalism, i very much present in europe today in the form of donald trump —— are very much present, of turkey, of the leaders of poland and hungary, emmanuel macron and angela merkel will be joined today in compiegne. angela merkel is on her way out of politics but emanuel macon is more isolated as an embodiment of those liberal values. emmanuel macron is approaching the spot. it was in this pleading that the site was chosen for the armistice to be signed because it was a relatively isolated spot where news would not lead to early. the

train was brought in a crossfire. northern france where the fighting has continued since 1914, which had seen has continued since 1914, which had seen the battle of the song which had killed millions of people —— battle of the somme. the french leader of the western front sat in the carriage with the british and other delegations and the germans we re other delegations and the germans were given an ultimatum, surrender, he never terms, if you have 72 hours to sign. at 12 minutes past five 100 yea rs to sign. at 12 minutes past five 100 years ago, the armistice was signed. there are dignitaries behind me so i think emmanuel macron is imminently about to walk past. a very poignant moment indeed when he will stand here, he will lay a wreath and sign the book of remembrance with the german leader to pay tribute to the end of the war. they are not

celebrating what he called mass slaughter. this is a silent, quiet, calm, contemplation and commemoration, not for donald trump had wanted, president trump expected military parades, we are told, he was impressed by the bastille day parade in paris with their tanks and military flybys. that is not the tone that president macron wanted to strike today and this weekend, so are quite memorial between he and the german chancellor today, tomorrowjoined by some 70 world leaders at the arc de triomphe in paris where the moment will be marked at 11 o'clock in the morning on the 11th of november, 1918, when the guns fell silent, when the pupils were played and when the end of the great war came about. mark, stay with us, but for now i would like to introduce here in the studio

historian and broadcaster tessa dunlop. welcome to the programme. hello. mark rogers mentioning tone andi hello. mark rogers mentioning tone and i think we can see and feel that tone in compiegne, it is sombre, it isa tone in compiegne, it is sombre, it is a moment for reflection. if you rewind 100 years ago to the moment the armistice was signed, celebrations in cities around the world. absolutely, people were euphoric. this had been a dastardly grind ofa euphoric. this had been a dastardly grind of a war that went on and on, they thought it was great to be over by christmas in 1914 and it went on and guzzled up more and more countries because if you have this military gridlock, both sides are desperately looking for additional allies, wantage desperately looking for additional allies, wa ntage other desperately looking for additional allies, wantage other home nations, look, bulgaria and romania have joined us, so it was important for morale to gain allies but also you

need military power and as a result it just became need military power and as a result itjust became a giant malaise, so when suddenly it ends against expectations, and you wouldn't have the rapid communication of today, actually it is a massive deal that suddenly your boys, the flower of your those young men, because men we re your those young men, because men were held in higher esteem than women immediately after wards, that was really something worth throwing your hat in the airfor. was really something worth throwing your hat in the air for. what changed? your hat in the air for. what changed 7 it was your hat in the air for. what changed? it was the second world war that changed the way we look back on the signing of this armistice and away the tone has changed. no longer celebrations but something that field. although it was a euphoric end of the first world war, quite quickly there where you can nations. the loss had been so almighty and britain wasn't invaded, nobody came

into our country, even our trade wasn't properly threatened like in the second world war saw there were questions answered. 100 years on, we remember the silence. that came shortly in the wake of the armistice because how else do you mark something so horrific? people were left speechless so remember at the end of the first world war, people thought it was the war to end all wa i’s thought it was the war to end all wars so we were thought it was the war to end all wars so we were feeling conflicted evenin wars so we were feeling conflicted even in 1919. we're seeing live pictures in compiegne of german chancellor angela merkeljoining emmanuel macron and there in compiegne is our correspondent mark. more of those 70 leaders arriving, mark. they are now walking up this past to

my left flanked by french and german flags. they are being played the military fanfare. the rain hasjust stopped on the clouds are clearing. a brief moment of calm as the french and german leaders, appearing quiet reflection in a member —— in remembrance of what happened. it is 110w remembrance of what happened. it is now going to be the national anthem is played. the german anthem first and then the french anthem. these two nations that came out of such bloody warfare that tore each other apart, that tore apart a continent just a few decades ago now very much the closest allies, the closest strivers of the european union project, the creators of the

european union, the most successful peace ten since the second world war. contemplating not only the sacrifice of those who fail but also whether countries are headed to now —— were their countries are headed to now some decades on. angela merkel is bowing out of politics, emmanuel macron very much the emblem of the european union, the emblem of the franco german alliance, a believer in the alliance. then the french anthem begins. french national anthem continues.

so the french and german anthem is played there as the two leaders come up played there as the two leaders come up the path through the clearing into this forest in compiegne, some 70 kilometres, 40 miles north of paris, such a pivotal, symbolic place in the history of both nations we re place in the history of both nations were the german delegation 100 years

ago came in by train through the battle scarred areas of northern france, taking the routes to some extent of emmanuel macron over the last few days as he has inspected this area, he has spent the week stopping in cemeteries and talking to locals in the north of the country. this is, of course, his area, he was born close to hear his great—grandfather fought at the somme so it is a personaljourney for france's president. he is now walking solemnly mixed to germany's chancellor, the first german chancellor, the first german chancellor to visit this spot in 78 yea rs, chancellor to visit this spot in 78 years, and the moment also for those two lea d e rs years, and the moment also for those two leaders to think about how europe can come together in the

future, a continent which is fractured, where there is a split between nationalists and the multilateral lists, the eastern bloc, the former eastern bloc countries, hungary, poland, much more hostile to the idea of a close of europe, then france and germany, the founders of the european union, very much believers in a closer, multilateral europe. as they walked side by side, emmanuel macron has the french flag pins to his court, both leaders dressed in black and son now coming through the here in compiegne. it started as a muddy day but it has turned into a beautiful, crisp november day.

he speaks french. and so emmanuel macron, chancellor angela merkel walking side by side here towards the spot where in that train carriage on the 11th of november 1918, the armistice was

signed. into this clearing in compiegne forest, walking past a monument of the word peace written in several languages of the world. saluted by a soldier there, speaking in french. speaking of the symbol of the reconciliation between france and germany. very symbolic indeed, talking about

the franco german brigade, a brigade made up of these two countries, just imagine the difference today, a joint military brigade compared to 70 years ago, these two were on opposite ends of europe, fighting each other. the two leaders paying tribute at the monument to peace. a moment of quiet reflection. woman speaks german..

trumpet plays. bugle plays they sing they sing french national anthem

children sing ode to joy children sing ode to joy studio: france and germany's leaders stood side by side for the national anthems, french and german flags raised beside them, now walking into the museum where a replica of the carriage ready was signed stands.

the carriage was destroyed during the second world war but an almost identical carriage now sits there, thatis identical carriage now sits there, that is ready was sign the book of remembrance. —— that is where they will sign the book of remembrance. this day began very rainy and very cloudy, but rather beautifullyjust as the french and german leaders walked out to the monument, the clouds have cleared and a beautiful sun has lit up the beautiful colours of the forest in compiegne. a moment as the two leaders meet and this, in some ways, has echoes of another

symbolic moment, and other symbolic meeting between the leaders of those two countries in 1984 when the french president at the time stood with german chancellor kohl, holding hands on the site of the battle of verdannes. here we are in 2018, these two leaders in a symbolic act of reconciliation. applause the choir is applauded as they will go into that building and they will see the replica of the carriage where the armistice was signed 100 yea rs where the armistice was signed 100 years ago at 12 minutes past five

tomorrow morning. studio: mark, as we look at that incredible show of unity between the two leaders, i wonder, tessa dunlop joining me in the studio, historian and broadcaster, what is the view from germany of moments like this? it's interesting, the first world war was a very complex one for the germans. 1914, they irresponsibly use what happened between austria hungary and serbia as an excuse to delay bash the french once russia was in the war and in many ways they we re was in the war and in many ways they were culpable, it was the military underpinning that pushed on this massive struggle on both fronts and the health to those two fronts —— they held onto those two fronts and

didn't let go of the ultimate goal untilfailure in didn't let go of the ultimate goal until failure in late 1918, didn't let go of the ultimate goal untilfailure in late 1918, and then in1919 untilfailure in late 1918, and then in 19 19 they really pay for that and lost great swathes of territory and lost great swathes of territory and huge numbers of german people are and huge numbers of german people a re left and huge numbers of german people are left outside germany and that is going to be the breeding ground for what we now becomes the rise of nat —— national socialism. it was one of the key dominoes that led to what was the collapse of german identity in the middle of the century and it has been complicated for germany to mark military events ever since which is one of the