[59] In some French sectors, singing and an exchange of thrown gifts was occasionally recorded, though these may simply have reflected a seasonal extension of the live-and-let-live approach common in the trenches. Christmas Truce, (December 24–25, 1914), unofficial and impromptu cease-fire that occurred along the Western Front during World War I. 1 (2013): 41–51. [34][35] Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch of the 134th Saxon Infantry Regiment said that the English "brought a soccer ball from their trenches, and pretty soon a lively game ensued. © 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. On December 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary hiatus of the war for the celebration of Christmas. Adolf Hitler, who, as a dispatch runner for regimental headquarters, rarely went as far as the forward trenches, sharply criticized the behaviour of men in his regiment who had opted to join the British in No Man’s Land.

[12] This behaviour was often challenged by officers; Charles de Gaulle wrote on 7 December of the "lamentable" desire of French infantrymen to leave the enemy in peace, while the commander of 10th Army, Victor d'Urbal, wrote of the "unfortunate consequences" when men "become familiar with their neighbours opposite". 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Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. [16], Roughly 100,000 British and German troops were involved in the informal cessations of hostility along the Western Front. [2], Before Christmas 1914, there were several peace initiatives. [12][13], The proximity of trench lines made it easy for soldiers to shout greetings to each other and this may have been the most common method of arranging informal truces in 1914. These included lesson plans, hand-outs, worksheets, PowerPoint slide shows, full plans for assemblies and carol services/Christmas productions. In some areas, both sides would refrain from aggressive behaviour, while in other cases it extended to regular conversation or even visits from one trench to another. These often began with agreement not to attack each other at tea, meal or washing times. In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, continuing until New Year's Day in others. [17], In the Comines sector of the front there was an early fraternization between German and French soldiers in December 1914, during a short truce and there are at least two other testimonials from French soldiers, of similar behaviours in sectors where German and French companies opposed each other. On December 23 German soldiers began placing the trees outside their trenches. "[55] In the evening, according to Robert Keating "The Germans were sending up star lights and singing – they stopped, so we cheered them & we began singing Land of Hope and Glory – Men of Harlech et cetera – we stopped and they cheered us. In the week leading up to 25 December, French, German, and British soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings and talk. These accounts stress that the men themselves could scarcely believe the remarkable events that were transpiring around them and that they recognized, even in the moment, their unique and historic significance. Sobornost 34, no. Men played games of football with one another, creating one of the most memorable images of the truce. In early January an official statement on the truce was published, claiming it was restricted to the British sector of the front and amounted to little more than an exchange of songs which quickly degenerated into shooting.[46]. But what was the real story behind the truce? They said they didn't want to shoot. Some accounts of the game bring in elements of fiction by Robert Graves, a British poet and writer (and an officer on the front at the time)[32] who reconstructed the encounter in a story published in 1962; in Graves's version, the score was 3–2 to the Germans. The war had become increasingly bitter after heavy human losses suffered during the battles of 1915. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. 179–180. But wait.