We approach Christmas, and we carry on the seasonal
narrative of Christmas parties, wassailing, ridiculous gift exchange games,
caroling, and mandatory re-runs of the classics: White Christmas, It’s a
Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, and of
course National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. These are all wonderful
intermissions between one year and the next, between the grind of daily life
and faith, family, and friendship. Interestingly, there is a historical
parallel in war intermissions – the truce.
One such truce, the famous Christmas truce of 1914 is
similarly surrounded in lore, and today we reflect on the human narrative
portrayed in those 24 hours. The severity of WWI war tactics was a shocking shift
in the extreme of the human contest. It is in part why the stories of that
night and day, some of which are questionable, offer a nice relief from the
contrast of the rest of the war. Many resources out there debate the stories
about this period. However, one I found helpful was by historian Peter Hart. He
captures the essence of it in one Captain’s recollection:
“Not a shot all night: our men
had sing-songs— ditto the enemy. He played the game and never tried to touch
his wire or anything. At 8:30am I fired three shots in the air and put up a
flag with “Merry Christmas” on it, and I climbed on the parapet. He put up a
sheet with, “Thank you” on it, and the German captain appeared on the parapet.
We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches—he
fired two shots in the air, and the war was on again!”[1]
I commend Peter Hart’s essay for more background on the
story and stories of that time. Subscriptions might be required, or you can
find it through academic databases.
Hart, Peter. "Christmas Truce." Military
History 31, no. 5 (2015): 64-70.
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Thank you for commenting. I appreciate your interest in the topic. It adds a little more to how we understand our world.