The Christmas Truce Story Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. By the end of the war, 20 million would be dead and 21 million would be wounded. Many see the Christmas Truce as an inspirational act of peace and humanity. A combination of seeing the enemy as real and familiar and yearning for Christmas back home made the idea of celebrating Christmas in the trenches a more appealing proposition, especially during the bitter and lonely cold. After the truce, commanders not only ordered soldiers to resume firing but also vowed that a similar truce would not begin again. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches. My Inspiration behind THE FOUR BELLS: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Brodie Curtis. Trench warfare made it possible for them to shy away from battle indefinitely. Blank’s life was … Christmas Truce by the Men Who Took Part Letters from the 1914 Ceasefire on the Western Front by Mike Hill We all know the story of Christmas Day 1914 when Allied and German troops had an … At the same time, Pope Benedict XV was pleading with national leaders to hold a Christmas truce themselves. Commanders started actively looking for areas with fewer casualties and ordering bombardments and night raids to spur their soldiers into action. Perhaps it's even better, then, that it appears that there were no scores taken and no referees, according to CNN. The "war to end all wars" was unprecedented in scale. Episode 9: Hear the story that lead to the unofficial, spontaneous truce which took place along some parts of the Western Front during Christmas 1914. In what was known as the 'Live and Let Live' system, in quiet sectors of the front line, brief pauses in the hostilities were sometimes tacitly agreed, allowing both sides to repair their trenches or gather their dead. The war began in the summer of 1914. Soldiers who engaged in the Christmas Truce may have been expecting that the war might be over within a few weeks or even days, and, consequently, they may not have felt any particular compulsion to continue aggression. In 1914, an informal ceasefire between German and Allied soldiers during World War I would later come to be known as the Christmas Truce of 1914. Report abuse. The Christmas Truce of 1914 remains a moment of enduring fascination more than a century after the day the First World War guns fell silent. The distance between trenches in World War I was anywhere from 50 to 250 yards. Soldiers weren't just in close physical proximity to their enemy, they were also experiencing everything their enemy was experiencing. How did soldiers from Germany understand Allied troops — and vice versa? Episode 38: Those who lived through the First World War experienced Christmas in a variety of ways. Some believe this accounted for the uncharacteristically Christmas-like feel of the battlefield. Either way, both the Germans and the Allied troops were soon celebrating Christmas in the No Man's Land. After all, if they aren't shooting at us, why would we start? So why is the idea of a great World War I soccer match so compelling? early on during the truce — at least, in one instance documented by a lieutenant in the British Royal Berkshire Regiment. Today, even after a decade and more of war, only a few understand the burdens of fighting, being on guard constantly, and … Journalists share a meal with troops at a roadside … Instead, it was just young soldiers enjoying a sport that they enjoyed back home, and speaking a common physical language. The soldiers certainly tried their best. The Great War, more commonly … Many found it remarkable that soldiers in the heat of war would ever choose not to fight. Americans found themselves discouraged that no such truces occurred in 1915, perhaps hoping that the spirit of peace and kindness would prevail. This is also what had contributed to the number of yuletide traditions shared between the two groups. Though the Christmas Truce occurred relatively early in the war, there had already been a number of peace initiatives. Of course, the commanders weren't fond of this; they needed their kills if they were ever going to get home again. It had become mechanized and efficient. Read more. Late on Christmas Eve 1914, men of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) heard German troops in the trenches opposite them singing carols and patriotic songs and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. The Christmas Truce wasn't unique, but instead part of a much larger, more significant, and meaningful trend. But on Christmas of 1914, there was a small moment of hope. Snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain; soldiers were subject to it all. Eventually, the Christmas Truce would include British, some French, and German troops. A beautiful moment of celebration was represented by the carols sang by the English and German troops. Some soldiers used the time to collect the bodies of the fallen, which were laying frozen within No Man's Land. One of the most famous Christmas-time events was the truce that took place along some parts of the line on the Western Front in 1914. After the start of the truce on Christmas Eve in 1914, about 100,000 soldiers from both German and English armies have started celebrating Christmas together. Many know the basics of the truce: Both sides refused to fire upon each other, instead choosing to celebrate Christmas. Soldiers, long away from their families, friends, and the ones that they loved, looked for comfort with the other side. Journalists share a meal with troops at a roadside mobile army kitchen on the Western Front in October 1914. They certainly weren't happy about it. How did the Christmas Truce begin? Frostbite occurred frequently, sometimes leading to amputation. Editor's note: This article was originally published on Dec. 16, 2015. The legendary story of the 1914 Christmas truce. There were good and bad things to come of the Christmas Truce of 1914 — and not everything that was reported was true. Of course, it is. In some places, evidence suggests that firing never ceased — and that some soldiers who were attempting to fraternize were shot by opposing forces, per Time. Some believe that when the Germans began to sing Christmas carols, those songs were returned by the Allied side — broaching the silence between the two and paving the way for further positive relations. Ultimately, soldiers wanted to be able to return home. Soldiers on both sides … One person found this helpful. It makes sense to stop shooting. But … In fact, many had been promised that the war would be over by Christmas. All this contributes to a greater understanding: The soldiers weren't the only ones interested in ending the war during World War I. By Matt Battaglia December 24, 2020 . When fighting resumes, they promise to reunite on the first Christmas after the war ends if they're both … Great learned more about the Christmas Truce, through this lovely story. But that's not all it was. The area between these trenches was known as the "No Man's Land." I re-run this diary every year. Still, for most, it appears that the time was truly used as a time of celebration, and a brief respite from all the killing. It was unfathomable that a world war could go on for so long if only because of the sheer amount of resources devoted toward it. They also wrote signs saying not to shoot, pleading for peace, per History. Soldiers and commanders had differing opinions on the war, with commanders wanting to push forward aggressively, and soldiers lacking the inspiration to fight. Consequently, the act of fraternizing could be seen not as an act of friendship but rather an act of rebellion on all sides. Some academics believe that this had to do with the close proximity of the trenches. Frequently, those who are fighting are the last who want to be — and the last who benefit. Troops did have soccer balls with them, and it's very likely that small games broke out, or that troops kicked the ball with each other. German soldiers began lighting their trenches and singing carols. Historically, it's unlikely that there was any type of organized match. Providing inspiration for songs, books, plays, and movies, it has … Soldiers, long away from their families, … Within only a few months, hundreds of thousands of soldiers had been killed in heavy fighting. It was Christmas Day in 1914 and World War I had been raging on for five brutal months. Most people have heard the story of the front-line, Christmas-time, truce in France during World War One, partially due to its retelling in the 2005 movie, Joyeux Noël, but not many have heard of the small Christmas Eve truce … That's not to say that no truces ever occurred, just none at so wide a scale. Truces, fraternization, and other small acts of rebellion have always existed and will always exist. Moreover, they couldn't encounter the enemy without intentional acts of aggression on their side. About the Story. Knowing what we know about the conditions, it's easy to see why soldiers might have awakened Christmas Day and realized they really weren't in the proper mindset to shoot against other soldiers — especially other soldiers as lonely and far away from home as themselves. While not many of the British troops spoke German, there were Germans who spoke English, as they had worked in Britain before. Elsewhere the fighting continued and casualties did occur on Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve at around 8:30 pm, the truce began. The human story behind the extraordinary events of Christmas Eve 1914, when fighting stopped - and a lone soldier's exquisite voice made history. In fact, they avoided combat whenever possible. So, now we've set the stage. It seems exponentially harder with a language barrier. Commanders were already having issues with the "live and let live" philosophy — they were definitely not going to provide for soldier-driven truces. Christmas Truce, (December 24–25, 1914), impromptu cease-fire that occurred along the Western Front during World War I. They could have simply stopped firing at each other, rather than celebrate with each other. By 1914, it was still early in the war. The Christmas Truce story goes against most of what we have been taught about people. Happy Holiday to you, whatever winter holiday it is that you choose to celebrate. The beginning of one of the most destructive wars humankind has seen. Orders were sent that said "on no account" were British soldiers allowed to have communication with the German soldiers. Soldiers were already hesitating to shoot at each other because they really didn't have to; the entire issue with trench warfare is that both sides could turtle down indefinitely. This disconnect between soldiers and their superiors is part of what fed into the feelings of betrayal and disobedience within the troops to begin with — and a great deal of what would later take a heavy toll on even those who survived. The truce … This, again, was unprecedented; never before had a war been conducted on so wide a scale with the enemy so close for so long. Some officers were unhappy at the truce and worried that it would undermine fighting spirit. It makes less sense to become friends. These women questioned the very idea of the war, asking whether it was not instead the mission of all women to "preserve life." After 1914, the High Commands on both sides tried to prevent any truces on a similar scale happening again. We have a war in which troops were not eager to fight — and far less eager to die. During the World War I Christmas truce of 1914, British and German soldiers along the Western Front initiated a spontaneous ceasefire to celebrate the holiday. Hear from some of those who experienced the first months of war explaining just how wrong that prediction was. The trenches themselves were cold and hard, and often vehicles and machinery failed to work. None of the soldiers wanted to be in combat with each other. Once again, it appeared the truce was initiated by German soldiers on the Western Front, and that it was honored among Allied forces. Days or weeks of waiting understandably bonded soldiers not only to their own side but to the other, giving way to a cautious camaraderie. While it's impossible to know exactly how many British troops were involved in the Christmas Truce, it's estimated that about half the British frontlines eventually participated. The Christmas Truce was part of a "live and let live" philosophy that had emerged early during the First World War, according to the Imperial War Museums. Fritz Vincken and Ralph Henry Blank meet in 1996. When the Germans have started singing their version of “Silent Night, Holy Night”, the English did not hesitate to respond with carols of t… Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The photographs, letters and interviews in IWM’s collection tell the real story of the Christmas Truce. They even kicked around a soccer ball. The pause in fighting was not universally observed, nor had it been … Episode 9: Hear the story that lead to the unofficial, spontaneous truce which took place along some parts of the Western Front during Christmas 1914. And the ripples of the war would lead directly into WWII just a couple of decades later. The Christmas Truce was also always a truce, not a real ceasefire; it was always known that troops would be shooting at each other the next day, even if it was suspected that the war would be over shortly. The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is often considered “played out,” especially in historical circles, but it is a compelling tale; its best and most impactful role is on the young minds of … It gives us a glimpse of the world as we wish it could be and says, “This really happened once.” It reminds us of those thoughts we keep … Christmas Truce by the Men Who Took Part: … It gives us a glimpse of the world as we wish it could be and says, “This really happened once.” It reminds us of those thoughts we keep hidden away, out of range of the TV and newspaper stories … The Christmas Truce began when Germans approached Allied lines singing Christmas carols. They had no reason to risk their own lives prematurely. But apart from the obvious sentimentality of the season, there were some practical reasons for the Christmas Truce. One might wonder: Why? It may have seemed futile — and unnecessarily dangerous — to even continue fighting when awaiting orders to return home. But at least during the Christmas Truce, there was obvious evidence of German camaraderie. If you've heard a single thing about the Christmas Truce of 1914, it's likely that there was a football — specifically, soccer — match in No Man's Land. But in 1914, it was still believed that the war would soon be over. The following day, British and German soldiers met in no man's land and exchanged gifts, took photographs and some played impromptu games of football. Small Christmas … The Christmas truce (German: Weihnachtsfrieden; French: Trêve de Noël) was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of the First World War around Christmas 1914. The Remarkable Story Of The Christmas Truce The WW1 Christmas Truce of 1914 is a now legendary story; a spark of peace and goodwill between two nations amidst the chaos of war. War isn't just terrible; it's weird. And when the German soldiers appeared in No Man's Land without their guns, the Allied soldiers dropped their guards and began celebrating in earnest. My debut novel, The Four Bells, tells the story of ex-Tommy Al Weldy’s Great War experiences with his … German troops were decorating their areas by placing candles on Christmas trees and around their trenches. After all, why break ranks and fraternize with enemy soldiers when you know that you will be back at their throats again the next day? But there had to be a somber mood as well; the truce would not last forever and, eventually, the troops would need to start shooting again. By all accounts, it was initiated by the Germans. On the day of the truce, snow fell, and the weather conditions were below freezing. In true Christmas spirit, troops exchanged gifts like food, buttons, hats, and cigarettes, as Time reports. Even with all other factors in mind, a Christmas Truce still feels unlikely. It was further an entreaty to British, German, and Austrian women to see all women as sisters and to relate to each other's goals. Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce of 1914 German and British troops celebrating Christmas together during a temporary cessation of WWI hostilities known as the … They also buried casualties and repaired trenches and dugouts. What were the commanders doing when the Christmas Truce was occurring? 4.0 out of 5 stars Christmas … But by 1915, it was evident that the war was going to continue for some time; truces would only have prolonged the inevitable. The True Story Of The 1914 Christmas Truce, 20 million would be dead and 21 million would be wounded, Open Christmas Letter had been signed by 101 British women, those songs were returned by the Allied side, truth is a little more complex than the myth, half the British frontlines eventually participated, the weather conditions were below freezing, provided almost no protection against the cold, never another widespread truce on the frontlines, was recorded by a soldier named Robert Keating. With the "live and let live" policy there was already a sort of unofficial truce; it didn't require mutual celebration. An American soldier and a Belgian woman fall in love during a brief holiday truce amid the Battle of the Bulge. And after the Christmas Truce of 1914, there was never another widespread truce on the frontlines. One such order to this effect was preserved and auctioned in September 2016 and was originally sent to a British commanding officer in Flanders, according to BBC. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. But it's also important to realize that some of the opposing troops didn't just have neutral relationships with each other, but friendly ones. Episode 8: One of the most popular sayings of 1914 was that the war would be ‘over by Christmas’. Not all of the truces were upheld, but the vast majority were. Not only would freezing soldiers not feel like fighting, but they would have likely felt uniquely discouraged. Signs were written in English as well — and carols were sung in it. In this video, Head of Documents and Sound Anthony Richards explains how the truce came about, its impact on the course of the First World War and why it never happened again after 1914. A significant number of Christmas traditions had been imported from the British to the German side. After Boxing Day, meetings in no man's land dwindled out. © IWM (Q 53384). Later, its dark legacy would include the origins of both trench warfare and shell shock. The surreal “Christmas truce” ended as abruptly as it began – a small blip in a war that would end four years later with 8.5 million military deaths – but for a few short hours, no more than a … Christmas truce At least as famous as the story of the carol’s origin is that of its role in the Christmas truce of 1914. With all that being said, it's possible that there wouldn't have been any fighting on Christmas Day regardless. In quieter areas, where there was little exposure to fire, soldiers had a mutual understanding — they didn't shoot unless they were shot at. But as with most things, the truth is a little more complex than the myth, per the New Republic. In 1914, an informal ceasefire between German and Allied soldiers would later come to be known as the Christmas Truce of 1914, according to History. How do you celebrate Christmas when you're in the middle of a battlefield? 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