No they weren't. Brief breaks from drinking do nothing more than increase the risk of death from withdrawal. Ten days barely got him past the most dangerous part of withdrawal.
As you said yourself nothing really changed at all. So, why bother? Sometimes someone will do these little quits before doing it permanently but everyone I know personally weren't successful until they said to themselves " that is it I am done." That is also how it was for me.
Did he say he was quitting because he wanted to be sober? Was this a real attempt? Or did you two have some argument and he said he would try to quit to make you happy?