ARMISTICE, a temporary suspension of hostilities by mutual agreement between two nations at war, or their respective forces. An armistice may be either general or particular: in the first case, there is a complete cessation of hostile operations in every part of the dominions of the belligerent powers; in the second, there is merely a temporary truce between two contending armies, or between a besieged fortress and the force besieging it. A general armistice cannot be concluded by the commanders-in-chief unless special authority has been previously delegated to them by their respective governments; otherwise, any arrangement entered into by them requires subsequent ratification by the supreme powers of the states. A partial truce may be concluded by the officers of the respective powers, without any special authority from their governments, wherever, from the nature and extent of the commands they exercise, their duties could not be efficiently discharged without their possession of such a power. The conduct of belligerent parties during an armistice is regulated by the following general conditions, which, however, may be set aside by special agreement:—(1.) Each party may do, within the limits prescribed by the truce, whatever he could have done in time of peace. For example, he can raise troops, collect stores, receive reinforcements, and fortify places that are not actually in astate of siege. (2.) Neither party can take advantage of the armistice to do what he could not have done had military operations continued. Thus he cannot throw provisions or reinforcements into a besieged town, and neither besiegers nor besieged are at liberty to repair their fortifications or erect new works. (3.) All things contained in places, the possession of which was contested, must ...