 | Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub describes the true events that occurred in 1914 between enemy soldiers on Christmas Eve. British, German, Belgian and French troops stopped their fight, sang carols, exchanged small gifts and even played soccer before recommencing the war.
In past wars—even the Trojan War, according to Homer—truces would be called for negotiation purposes or to bury the dead. Almost always, the superiors in charge would order these breaks in the fight. In this case, in the sodden trenches near Ypres, Belgium, the truce was brought about by the lower ranks that dared defy orders against fraternizing with the enemy. For one brief night, in honor of Christmas, and what that surely meant for the troops, they brought about a momentary pause of the Great War.
This fascinating book by Weintraub makes for spectacular holiday reading. It reads like fiction, but is all quite true and includes testimonials and letters from actual participants and observers of the truce. It also includes a few photographs of drawings, items that were bartered or given as gifts and subsequent newspaper coverage of the event.
When the truce occurred, the war was still in its infancy and many of the soldiers on both sides believed that it would not last long. It is perhaps because of this belief that soldiers of the German Royal Saxon Regiment and Scottish Seaforth Highlanders were able to play a game of soccer (Germans won 3-2). But the truce occurred up and down the Western Front. Some soldiers walked into No-Man’s-Land to exchange gifts of cigarettes and to sing carols.
Unfortunately, the war went on for terrible years and these events were not repeated the following Christmas (sentries on both sides were ordered to shoot anyone attempting a repeat-truce the following year). But for one time during what many called the War-to End-All-Wars, the power of Christmas was felt on both sides.
|  |
|
