summed up the situation. i fear that we are hardly more prepared for peace than we were for war the most critical phase begins. now fortunately we won the war. how did germany react to the armistice and the peace talks. the germans were ordered to evacuate the territory they'd occupied in belgium and france including the regions of a sas and ordain german troops pulled back behind the rhine river. german troops returning home after the war found that society had been severely disrupted . the. emperor of the harem the 2nd stepped down as german emperor and king of prussia on november the 9th 1918 as required by the armistice agreement he spent the rest of his life in exile in the netherlands many germans saw the abdication as