The Christmas Truce of 1914: Peace and Good Will

Per Scriptum E. Wesley - Mackinac Center Intern

"About 6 o'clock things went positively dead; there was not a sound... The road along there is honestly, as a rule, rather infested with bullets: it seemed so strange to walk along it and never hear a whisper of one."

"Even out here there is a time of peace and good will... Last night a select band of officers and men sang carols to them and they did ditto."

"The most extraordinary scenes took place between the trenches."

"The signing and playing continued all night..."

"What a time? 'Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.' It is hardly to be believed, but nevertheless it is quite true that such was the case this Christmas."

On Christmas Eve, 1914, Germans and English alike threw down their arms to begin a spontaneous, yet far reaching, 48 hour truce. Being pushed by politicians and "high command" through muddy trenches and rotting bodies, the privates of both armies were ready to shake hands with their fellow Christians on the other side. One German stated, "But you are of the same religion as us and today is the day of peace!" An English soldier wrote, "They [the Saxon Germans] said they did not want war, and think the Kaiser is quite in the wrong. They were continually falling out with the Prussians - they are the people who are the cause of the war. They hate the English very much indeed." As high command on both sides caught wind of this erratic truce, they immediately gave orders for the lower officers to rein in the men. But the truce continued despite high command. No earthly prince would destroy the peace of Christ represented in this celebration.

Soldiers who had been shooting at one another a day ago, met in the middle and in each other's trenches; trenches that proved impassible to men with bullets. Men sang carols across the lines, the English sang the "Austrian Anthem," while the German bands played back "God save the King!" This Christmas was far from a silent night. Trench upon trench which once refrained the crack of artillery now rung with praises in many languages and one heart. The "humanness" of the day reminded all of better times. Once Enemies, men gave back the old carols that called all men to hearken to the call. Troops feasted together, exchanged trinkets, rations, and cigars, and even played games. Here are some more accounts.

Lance Corporal Cooper of the 2nd Northampton's wrote:
There was no firing on Christmas Day and the Germans were quite friendly with us. They even came over to our trenches and gave us cigars and cigarettes and chocolate and of course we gave them things in return. Just after one o'clock on Christmas morning I was on look-out duty and one of the Germans wished me Good morning and a Merry Christmas. I was never more surprised in my life when daylight came to see them all sitting on top of the trenches waving their hands and singing to us.

Pte B. Calder, of the 6th Gordons D Coy wrote:
We were in the trenches on Christmas Day. We spent a merrier day than we expected. There was a truce to bury our dead. We had a short service over the graves, conducted by our minister and the German one. They read the 23rd Psalm and had a short prayer. I don't think I will ever forget the Christmas Day I spent in the trenches. After the service we were speaking to the Germans and getting souvenirs from them. Fancy shaking hands with the enemy! I suppose you will hardly believe this, but it is the truth.

Pte Alfred Harding, 1st Leicester wrote:
But there are a decent lot of fellows in front of us now - Saxons; they don't like the Prussian Guards. They haven't fired a shot since the day before Christmas, more (nor?) have we. I believe they will surrender. Our trenches are only 80 yards and we meet each other half way. We give them tins of jam for cigars. It seems strange but it is true.

Rifleman J. Reading wrote to his wife:
I hope you all had a merry Christmas; let me tell you how I spent mine. My company happened to be in the firing line on Christmas eve, and it was my turn - with a non-commissioned officer and four others - to go into a ruined house and remain there until 6.30 on Christmas morning. During the early part of the morning the Germans started singing and shouting, all in good English. They shouted out: "Are you the Rifle Brigade; have you a spare bottle; if so we will come half way and you come the other half." At 4 a.m part of their Band played some Christmas carols and "God save the King", and "Home Sweet Home." You could guess our feelings. Later on in the day they came towards us, and our chaps went out to meet them. Of course neither of us had any rifles. I shook hands with some of them, and they gave us cigarettes and cigars. We did not fire that day, and everything was so quiet that it seemed like a dream. We took advantage of the quiet day and brought our dead in.

A Maryport Private wrote:
Christmas in the trenches! What a time? "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men." It is hardly to be believed, but nevertheless it is quite true that such was the case this Christmas. Who can realise it? It will astound everyone who hears about it, which everyone will do in good time. Of course I am speaking about the part of the firing line we are situated in. On Christmas Eve at four p.m. we had orders that unless the "enemy" advanced we were not to fire, and the same applied to Christmas Day. Whether the Germans had the same order or not I don't know but no shot was fired on either side. In Christmas Eve we shouted "Compliments of the Season" to each other, and passed pleasant remarks. We sang the "Austrian Anthem" and they replied with "God save the King." On Christmas Day after service in the trenches, we went halfway and we shook hands, and had a fine crack with them. Quite a number of them speak English. I got one's autograph and he got mine, and I exchanged a button with another, and exchanged cigs and got cigars galore. Altogether we spent a very pleasant two hours with them, and found them a nice lot of fellows. Men, every one of them, and white ones, too. There is heaps more I should like to tell, but I know it would never get passed so it will have to wait.

Private Dixon, 9100, D Company wrote:
At Christmas we got quite friendly with the Germans. There was no firing on both sides for about ten days, and we used to go over the trenches and talk to them and exchange souvenirs, but every one we spoke to that could speak English said they wished it was over. I was surprised when one told me he had a wife in Piccadilly and another said he drove a taxi at Fulham.

A unknown Highland officer wrote:
You need not have pitied us on Christmas day; I have seldom spent a more entertaining one despite the curious conditions. We were in the trenches and the Germans began to make merry on Christmas Eve shouting at us to come out and meet them. They sang songs (very well); our men answered by singing Who were you with last night? and of course, Tipperary (very badly). I was horrified at discovering some of our men had actually gone out imbued more with the idea of seeing the German trenches than anything else; they met halfway and there ensued the giving of cigarettes and receiving of cigars and they arranged (the private soldiers of one army and the private soldiers of the other) a 48 hours armistice. It was all most irregular but the Peninsular and other wars will furnish many such exploits; eventually both sides were induced to their respective trenches but the enemy sang all night and during my watch they played Home Sweet Home and God Save the King at 2.30am. It was rather wonderful: the night was clear, cold and frosty and across to our lines at this unusually miserable hour of need came the sound of such tunes very well played, especially by a man with a cornet who is probably well known. Christmas day was very misty and out came these Germans to wish us “a happy day”; we went out told them we were at war with them and that really they must play the game and pretend to fight; they went back but again attempted to come towards us so we fired over their heads; they fired a shot back to show they understood and the rest of the day passed quietly in this part of the line, but in others a deal of fraternising went on. So there you are; all this talk of hate, all this firing at each other that has raged since the beginning of the war quelled and stayed by the magic of Christmas. Indeed one German said “But you are of the same religion as us and today is the day of peace! It is really a great triumph for the church. It is a great hope for future peace when two great nations hating each other as foes have seldom hated, one side vowing eternal hate and vengeance and setting their venom to music, should on Christmas day and for all that the word implies, lay down their arms, exchange smokes and wish each other happiness.

An officer from the Royal Army Medical Corps wrote:
This has been a strange Christmas. All has been peaceful except for some occasional sniping on our right but none on our front. The most extraordinary scenes took place between the trenches. In front of our bit our men and the Germans got out of their trenches and mixed together talking, exchanging cigarettes etc. Some of our people actually went in to their trenches and stayed for some time being entertained by the enemy! The Colonel and the Adjutant of the 107th Saxon Regiment came out and talked to our people in a very friendly manner. All joined together in a sing-song each side taking it in turns to sing a song and finally they ended up with “God Save the King” in which the Saxons sang most heartily. This is absolutely true. One of our men was given a bottle of wine in which to drink the King’s health. The regiment actually had a football match with the Germans who beat them 3-2. These people said they would not shoot our men but warned them against those on their (Saxons) left. Some men of one of our regiments opposite them then went out of their trenches just as the others had done, but the enemy - now thought to be Prussians - told them to go back and fired on them before they had regained their trenches. The Saxons and our people opposite them have arranged a sing-song for tonight having mutually agreed not to reopen hostilities before midnight. The men in the trenches were singing carols last night. All the chickens in the countryside have been bought up for their Christmas dinner and yesterday I saw a machine gun wagon going through laden with barrels of beer! After all this has been almost a happy though strange Christmas.

Someone from the London Rifle Brigade wrote:
On Christmas Eve, the Germans burned coloured lights and candles along the top of their trenches...

J C Dunn, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers wrote about the end of the truce:
At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with "Merry Christmas" on it, and I climbed on the parapet. He [the Germans] 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, and he fired two shots in the air, and the War was on again.

Christmas of 1914 was an island of civility in a sea of destruction. Yet the singing of the men would not have been so audible to us now had they not been carrying arms in the first place. The Christmas of 1914 will be remembered far clearer than many a Christmas amidst a peaceful year, because vast hosts truly gave way to kindness for a time.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Sources:
Image of Christmas_Truce from Wikipedia
http://www.historicaleye.com/xmastruce.html
http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1915-01-01-03-001&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1915-01-01-03
http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/letters.html
http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/beds.html
http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/bucks.html
http://www.christmastruce.co.uk/cumbria.html
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/itcameup.htm