As a result of trench warfare, battles lasted much longer, which meant more men and more casualties. Towards December, a series of battles, notably the First Battle of Ypres, ravaged the both British and German battalions. As the BBC asserts, “Trench warfare in Ypres created an endless demand for men, munitions and supplies with no apparent gains or victories” (“The War To End All Wars”). With severe losses to both armies, there was no sense in launching any decisive strike in the near future or at least until 1915, when new plans would be in place to better react to the war between “No Man’s Land”. As Weintraub asserts, “…the war stalemated on the Western Front…both sides were weary, frustrated and dispirited” (Lopez par. 5). Both sides needed to wait for reinforcements to replenish the dwindling numbers of their divisions. Thus a lull emerged, and “the stalemate halted all but a small number of attacks…soldiers on each side spent a large amount of time dealing with the mud, keeping their heads down in order to avoid sniper fire, and watching carefully for any surprise enemy raids on their trench” (Rosenberg, par. 6). As this “lull” in fighting set in on the Western Front, there were strong reactions from the soldiers. This in turn led to the development of a concept that would disrupt the course of the war and eventually lead to the truce in December: the “live and let live” system.
Live and let live was a tacit agreement between trench fighters, based solely upon survival. It developed due to the “uncomfortableness of living in trenches coupled with the closeness of the enemy who lived in similar conditions” (Rosenberg, par. 8). Simply put, the concept involved the agreement between both armies that they would not attack provided the other side didn’t attack either. This “reciprocal exchange” provided a commanding sense of security to those who participated in it. Once opposing troops began to identify with the each other, letting each other live became more of a moral obligation, a dangerous factor in war and a direct cause of the truce.
Soldiers from both sides lived in these conditions everyday and realized that the enemy lived the same way, since in trench warfare the enemy wasn’t camped miles away or charging towards you, he was only a few yards away. As Andrew Todd wrote, “The trenches are only sixty yards apart…” (qtd. in Rosenberg, par. 8). Such proximity bred curiosity and a snowball effect instigated fraternization between the trenches. Also contributing to the bond between rival soldiers was their cultural and religious affinity (Lopez, par.14). Both sides were predominantly Christian, and the forthcoming Christmas put most soldiers in a festive mood, and instilled in them the Christmas spirit. These common links allowed enemies to identify with each other making it possible to have relations with an opposing soldier.
Before Christmas Eve there had been several premonitions and even requests that a truce would take place on the Front. Accompanying these requests were stern orders from the headquarters of either side, outlawing such fraternization. . The plea came from the newly elected Pope, Benedict XV, who asked the warring nations to respect the time of Christmas and set the differences aside. The plea was recorded by the Russian ambassador of the time in his memoirs: “Pope Benedict XV has asked the Russian Government if it will consent to a suspension of hostilities during Christmas Day” (Paleologue, entry for Sunday, Dec. 6th 1914). This proposal, although accepted by Germany, was not respected by all the nations and was subsequently forgotten. Yet, both British and German commanders were wary of the ever-growing companionship between soldiers at the front so issued instructions intended to counteract such conduct. Such orders can be seen in the diary of Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, Commander of the British II Corps, “The Corps Commander…impresses the absolute necessity of encouraging the offensive spirit of the troops…Friendly intercourse with the enemy and unofficial armistices are absolutely prohibited” (qtd. in Rosenberg, par. 10).
On Christmas Eve 1914, the first signs of fraternization and the truce emerged and were immortalized by the accounts of dozens of troops. It is unclear exactly who initiated the communication, either the British or German soldiers; however what really caught the attention of the British were German customs of trees and carols. Such a sight astounded the opposing armies. As Morgan states, “Lieutenant Johannes Niemann refers to having a Christmas tree in his dugout…” (Morgan, par. 5). Niemann continues in his letter to describe the reaction of the enemy, “Suddenly, for no apparent reason, our enemies began to fire on our lines…they thought that the Christmas lights were some sort of surprise attack…” (qtd. in Morgan, “Sources”). However things soon settled down since there was no attack. Instead of rifle fire, songs of Christmas cheer drifted across “No Man’s Land”. As Private Henry Williamson recounted, “…from the German parapet a rich baritone voice had begun to sing a song…” (Williamson). Such singing was heard along with cries from Germans calling for the British to meet in between the trenches.
On Christmas Eve, the soldiers from either side who would soon participate in the truce began sticking their heads above the trenches. Order began to emerge as officers used the truce as a means to bury the dead. Morgan confirms, “For the most part, the opposing armies took advantage of the opportunity to repair and drain their trenches, and to bury the dead” (par. 12). Although the burial of the dead must have been a traumatic and mentally challenging exercise in itself; but the mutual recognition that both the sides were going through the same thing eased the hatred that must have arisen. Rosenberg says, “Many soldiers enjoyed meeting the unseen enemy and were surprised to discover that they were more alike than he had thought” (par. 20). Towards the close of the night soldiers, began loitering back to their respective trenches and hunkering down for the night. However, this was only a temporary respite from the truce that would fully develop the next day.
Christmas Day began much the same as any other day in the trenches, except for that many soldiers would not have to worry about dodging bullets or taking cover for the next twenty–four hours. Morgan explains the events of the day, “…by and large, the truce was taken as an opportunity to meet, to shake hands, to show family photographs and to exchange small items of food and tobacco” (par. 12). In a letter, Gunner Herbert Smith remembers how on Christmas day both armies clambered out of the trenches and asserts that the decision to have the truce was entirely by the soldiers themselves (qtd. in Morgan, “An Artilleryman Remembers”). Indeed, Captain Sir Edward Hulse even recounts how he gave orders to his men to remain sheltered in the trench, went away for a while, and observed on his return that there was not a single man in his trench, and a crowd of 150 Germans and British soldiers drinking and singing at the Company HQ dugout (qtd. in Morgan, “Sources”). Eventually, the officers and captains had to allow their men to continue the truce; they quite enjoyed the break themselves. Morgan tells how the officers set up a system of rules for the truce to make sure things went smoothly; “Some officers allowed their troops to go out into No-Man’s Land in small groups, so that the trenches were always manned” (Morgan, par. 10).
Victor Chapman, member of the Legion, described his experience on that Christmas day in his “Letters from France.” Edwin Morse quotes Chapman’s accounts: “Christmas morning a Russian up the line who spoke good German wished them the greetings of the season…A truce was established. Burying funerals [were] performed, a German Colonel distributed cigars and cigarettes. No shooting was interchanged all day, and last night absolute stillness, though we were warned to be on the alert” (qtd. in Morse, Ch. VII, par. 5).
Christmas day ended normally in 1914; the truce, however, ended in a far more complicated manner. Indeed, “the duration of the truce seems to have varied according to location – a few hours in some places, many days in others” (Morgan, par. 14). The temporary armistice was ended in a number of different ways, some informal and others formal. In most cases the truce was ended due to the orders of commanders. One of the more famous accounts comes from Captain Charles Stockwell, who supervised the truce in his section of the front. Morgan describes, “On Dec. 26th, at 8:30A.M, he fired three shots in the air. The German captain appeared on the parapet. They both bowed and saluted. He fired two shots in the air—and the war was on again.” (qtd. in Morgan, par. 15). Such a blunt yet precise comment depicted the suddenness with which the truce ended, and the humanity of the soldiers was set aside as war began again.
In late December 1914, many British and German soldiers put down their guns, overcame the aggression and contempt associated with the war, and in a historic display of humanity met each other on the battlefield. This occurrence, although brief, caused serious trouble to the governments and commanders of those involved. There was the potential for a “revolution from the streets” and possibly an end to the war. However this may not have been entirely beneficial. Governments would have failed and there might have been rebellion from conflicting factions (Lopez, par.16). For Christmas 1915, authorities had taken precautions, such as continuous trench bombardments and heavy artillery fire, to constrain fraternization and truces. However, for a few days in one of the worst wars in human history, soldiers identified with each other, shook hands, and maybe even played a little “footy”.
Works Cited
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Lopez, Kathryn Jean. “Christmas on the Battlefield: Interview with Stanley Weintraub.” National Review. 28th December 2001.
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Morgan, Tom. “The Christmas Truce, 1914.” Hellfire Corner. December 1997.
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Morse, Edwin. “The Vanguard of American Volunteers, Part I.” Chapter VII, ‘Victor Chapman as a Legionnaire’.
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Paleologue, Maurice. “An Ambassador’s Memoirs.” 1925: Vol. I, Chapter VII.
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Rosenberg, Jennifer. “Peace in No Man’s Land, Christmas 1914.” 20th Century History, 2002.
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Simmermacher, Gunther. “Christmas 1914: When peace broke out on the war front.” The Southern Cross, 18th December 2002.
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“The Christmas Truce.” BBC News, 3rd November 1998.
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“The War To End All Wars.” BBC News, 14th November 1998.
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Williamson, Henry. “The Christmas Truce.” World War I. November 1998.