100 YEARS AGO, THIS YEAR, IN 1914 that Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms and came together briefly to exchange gifts, sing carols and play soccer in a few scattered locations on the Western Front for an unofficial truce among soldiers. Through the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches; on occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides – as well as, to a lesser degree, from French units – independently ventured into No mans land, where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing. Troops from both sides had also been so friendly as to play games of football with one another. The truce is seen as a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the most violent events of modern history. It was not ubiquitous, however; in some regions of the front, fighting continued throughout the day, whilst in others, little more than an arrangement to recover bodies was made. The following year, a few units again arranged ceasefires with their opponents over Christmas, but to nothing like the widespread extent seen in 1914; this was, in part, due to strongly worded orders from the high commands of both sides prohibiting such fraternization. The truces were not unique to the Christmas period, and reflected a growing mood of live and let live, where infantry units in close proximity to each other would stop overtly aggressive behavior, and often engage in small-scale fraternization, engaging in conversation or bartering for cigarettes. In some sectors, there would be occasional ceasefires to go between the lines and recover wounded or dead soldiers, whilst in others, there would be a tacit agreement not to shoot while men rested, exercised, or worked in full view of the enemy. However, 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. The World Soccer Federation is hosting a tournament near Flanders Fields in Belgium, and erecting a monument at the centenary of the Christmas truce Proponents of the sport have cherished the Christmas Truce of 1914 as historic proof that there is little that can better bridge mans differences than soccer.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 20:08:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015