Gary L. Knepp
It was remarkable; unimaginable actually. All across Flanders, Belgium soldiers dressed in grey and khaki uniforms climbed out of their trenches and poured into No Man’s Land, the land between the trenches. First they came by the hundreds, thousands and then tens of thousands. They came not to kill each other but to mutually celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.
The Great War began in August of 1914. At first it appeared that the war would be one of grand moves, dashes, and decisive strikes. But Belgium’s heroic defense blunted the German offensive, enabling the French to gather its forces at the River Marne. The Germans were stopped, but not defeated.
The combatants dug in. They constructed an elaborate system of trenches that cut 450 miles across the face of Europe. The conflict had become a bloody war of attrition.
Life in the trenches was nightmarish: pools of foul water, life-sucking mud, collapsing trenches, ferocious rats, lice, fleas, rampant disease, snipers, machine guns, rapid firing, accurate artillery, screams of the wounded, moans of the dying, and the overpowering, ever-present stench of death. One German artist wrote of the war “… It is the work of the devil.”
One million men were killed by the war during its first five months.
December 24, 1914, Christmas Eve. Just after dark, British soldiers up and down the lines began to see strange flickering lights hovering over the German trenches. It turned out that the lights were candles tied to pine trees. The Germans were sharing their centuries-old tradition of Christmas trees with their enemies. Greetings of “Merry Christmas!” drifted across the lines, followed by the singing of “Silent Night” and other favorite carols. One British soldier recalled how special the night was: “It was a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere, and then there were those lights… And then they sang “Silent Night”… I shall never forget it. It was one of the highlights of my life.”
In some sectors where the lines were close, chocolates, tobacco and other goodies rained down on British trenches. One German proposed “WE NO SHOOT. YOU NO SHOOT” The British soldiers readily agreed. An informal truce was established. Men climbed out of their trenches and heartily greeted each other. The Germans gifted sausages, cheese, and of course, beer. The Brits exchanged Christmas gift packages, chocolates, plumb pudding, orange marmalade, and pipe tobacco. One reveler tippled too much cognac behind enemy lines, and passed out. He was taken home by an accommodating German officer.
The festivities continued on Christmas Day. The men ate meals together, visited and continued exchanging gifts. Soccer games and informal kick-arounds were held in No Man’s Land.
The top brass on both sides were not pleased with this unauthorized truce. There was a war to fight after all; medals and glory to be won. The men were ordered to return to a war status. Courtsmarial were threatened. Order was restored. The great Christmas truce was over. The war continued. Nine million more men were killed along with millions of civilians.