Final answer:
The German government applied for an armistice to President Wilson on November 11, 1918, which marked the end of fighting in World War I and began peace negotiations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The German government applied to President Wilson for an armistice on November 11, 1918. This event marked the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, famously coming into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The armistice was significantly different from a surrender as it merely aimed to stop the fighting and start formal peace negotiations, rather than representing complete capitulation by Germany. This allowed Germany to enter discussions without conceding defeat outright, a notion they were not prepared to accept.
Civil unrest and military exhaustion lead to the decision for an armistice. Following intense fighting, notably in the Argonne Forest, and Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication and flight to the Netherlands on November 9, 1918, the armistice was declared two days later, signalling the start of the peace process and effectively ending World War I.