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Just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I cease firing their guns and artillery and commence to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.
At the first light of dawn, many of the German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.
The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. In 1915, the bloody conflict of World War I erupted in all its technological fury, and the concept of another Christmas Truce became unthinkable.
At the first light of dawn, many of the German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.
The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. In 1915, the bloody conflict of World War I erupted in all its technological fury, and the concept of another Christmas Truce became unthinkable.
The Christmas Truce | December 25, 1914 | HISTORY
Posted from history.com
WWI
Christmas
World History
Edited 2 d ago
Posted 2 d ago
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@john mcclellan thank you for this post. I knew I had read this from somewhere many years ago. I am printing this from the site.
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Hoping for a truce in some places around the world where people are currently fighting.
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The 1914 Christmas Truce on Screen: Every Movie and TV Project That Recreates the WWI Ceasefire
The 1914 Christmas Truce wasn’t universal, and it didn’t last, but it’s become one of war’s most retold on-screen moments: carols over the wire, a cautious walk into no man’s land, and the hangover when command reasserts control. This guide rounds up the movies, TV projects, documentaries, and short films that recreate the truce, and breaks down what each version chooses to sentimentalize, and what it refuses to soften.
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