Posted on 12/23/2018 4:16:51 PM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
2018 marks the 100 year anniversary of the end of WWI.
WWI turned out to be a war more long, bloody, and bogged down than anyone at the time had expected. It wasn't long before both sides became mired down in soggy trenches, with no-man's land filled with barbed wire and pitted with a million muddy shell holes in between.
But in 1914, the fighting ceased for a day, at least along some parts of the line. It was Christmas. The British and French troops heard singing coming from across no-man's land. The Germans were singing "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night). The Germans had also propped a little Christmas tree up against the top of the trench. The British joined in the singing from the other side, and before long, soldiers of both sides came out of the trenches and met together in No-Man's land.
Men mingled and exchanged food and souvenirs. There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps, while several meetings ended in carol-singing. Men played games of football with one another, giving one of the most memorable images of the truce.
Such peaceful behaviour did not occur along the entire front however; fighting continued in some sectors, while in others the sides settled on little more than arrangements to recover bodies. In following years, truces were not nearly as widespread as in 1914; this was, in part, due to strongly worded orders from the high commands of both sides prohibiting truces, as well as soldiers becoming less amenable to truces after suffering devastating human losses.
The Christmas truces were particularly significant due to the number of men involved and the level of their participation—even in very peaceful sectors, dozens of men openly congregating in daylight was remarkable—and are often seen as a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the most violent events of human history.
1914 | Sainsbury's Ad | Christmas Truce 2014
Thanks for the post/video. Wonderful tribute to an era when the enemy believed in the same God as we did and humanity was able to sometimes able to shine through even in the horrors of war.
Yes! Now the enemy is either God-less or followers of middle-eastern death cult.
The Baron then offered a holiday toast
And Snoopy, our hero, saluted his host
And then with a roar they were both on their way
Each knowing they'd meet on some other day.
> truces were not nearly as widespread as in 1914; this was, in part, due to strongly worded orders from the high commands of both sides prohibiting truces <
I’m not a big proponent of fragging. But high command fragging might have solved a lot of problems here.
I’ll probably get some grief for this but last Dr. Who Christmas special’s showing the truce was very good.
Thanks for sharing that!
Haha cute!
The truce was very good. But the damn stupid and egotistical leaders (including the national leaders) didn’t like it. So the flower of Europe had to be destroyed, for no good reason.
There are days when I think those leaders should be dug up, and burned. But maybe that’s a bit too medieval of me.
“Now the enemy is either God-less or followers of middle-eastern death cult.”
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Yeah, throw a soccer ball out on the battlefield these days and the enemy is more likely to behead it than to have a friendly match with it.
“I’ll probably get some grief for this but last Dr. Who Christmas special”
—
I won’t give ya grief, but the idea of “Dr Who Christmas Specials” gave me a laff!
Now, _here’s_ a Christmas Special for ya -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQWUEJh-SVk
That was Beautiful!
This event has been depicted a number of times, but that’s the best one I’ve seen. Thank you for sharing it....sent it to everyone!
Indeed! I think it was one of the most pointless and avoidable wars. It did NOT need to happen. Stupid proud saber-rattling leaders started that nonsense.
It was incredibly well-done, probably their best.
People give Capaldi grief but I liked him very much.
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