The desire for a peaceful Christmas trumped war aims
The joys of Christmas and the horrors of war do not mix. But in 1914, during the first year of the First World War, it happened. British, French and German soldiers made peace over Christmas on the Western Front on their own initiative. The Great Christmas Truce is a heartwarming story of how the love of a common tradition and its bright message could trump a year of slaughter and propaganda.
The first months following the outbreak of war on 1 August 1914 were marked by a rapid advance of the German army into Belgium and France. But when autumn came, the French and the British Expeditionary Force managed to halt the German advance. Neither side succeeded in pushing the other back, and the result was the trench warfare that symbolized the First World War.
It wasn't long before the fall rains turned the trenches into mud pits, and when the winter cold came, everything froze. In addition, soldiers in the trenches were exposed to enemy artillery and dead comrades were scattered in no man's land between the lines.
With the enemy in such close proximity, some contact became inevitable. As the stalemate between the sides continued and life in the trenches became routine, certain expressions of live-and-let-live began to manifest. From time to time, small pauses were made to collect the dead and wounded from no-man's land.
But Christmas 1914 took this a step further.
Songs rather than bullets were fired
Both sides had assured their soldiers and populations that the war would be over by Christmas, when the men would be allowed to go home and celebrate a victorious holiday.
But when Christmas came, victory was still a long way off and soldiers would spend the holidays in the trenches they had made their homes. To keep up morale and build Christmas spirit, soldiers received gifts and decorations from their governments, kings and private collections.
The first steps towards a truce were taken when both sides started singing Christmas carols. These were not quiet utterances, but British, French and German carols, often with the same melodies but different lyrics, echoed across the battlefield.
It developed into a competition between the sides, where the focus was on singing better than the enemy rather than firing at him. Often this took the form of concerts, where talented singers would perform their songs to applause and cheers even from the enemy side.
The episode is very well portrayed in the French movie Merry Christmas from 2005, in which a German opera singer is suddenly accompanied by Scottish bagpipes.
”Both sides advanced further during a piss break than in the coming years”
The blast of Christmas carols that the French, British and Germans could sing along to in their respective languages opened up a sense of community. They were all Europeans, in the same position, celebrating a holiday that both sides cherished.
Although there was no explicit agreement, both sides spontaneously and independently agreed that no shots would be fired during Christmas. Peace and quiet at Christmas would also prevail on the Western Front.
On December 24, spontaneous threats began to be sent out from both sides suggesting a ceasefire over Christmas Eve. This was to be able to bury their dead and experience some dignity and comfort.
When the standstill seemed to become a reality, some brave soldiers stuck their heads above the trench line. When no shots were fired, they stepped out of the trenches and headed into no-man's land. Their comrades quickly followed and suddenly, without weapons or gunfire, both sides advanced to meet each other. Hands were shaken and gifts exchanged, despite the confusion of languages.
In the British comedy series Black snake summarizes the main character Edmund Blackadder (portrayed by Rowan Atkinson) the event with the following words:
”Both sides advanced further during a Christmas break than the following two and a half years of war.”
The war was settled with football
One of the most mythical elements of the Christmas truce is the football matches that took place, mainly between Germans and British. Some soldiers jokingly believed that the war should be decided by ball shots rather than rifle shots, and soon several matches were fought along entire front lines.
Exactly which matches were won is poorly documented, but one Scottish regiment is said to have won a match against the Germans 4-1. There are a number of beautifully decorated German beer steins preserved, which the British are said to have won as trophies in the matches.
Reality caught up
Up to 100,000 soldiers are said to have participated in the standstill and its extent varied along the entire frontline. In some places, it lasted over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25, while in others it lasted for a few more days.
Unfortunately, war soon reared its head and the enemy, who had been friends for a few days, was forced to revert to being enemies. Each country's high command did not look kindly on the incident, although no one was punished for being involved.
However, measures were taken to prevent similar events. The Germans brought in hardened troops from the Eastern Front, so that no friendships would risk remaining at the front. Both sides then ensured that massive bombardments and attacks took place at major holidays, to discourage non-violent contact with the enemy.
The possibilities for spontaneous peace would also diminish with the increasing brutality of the war in the following years, as diabolical weapons such as flamethrowers and poison gas were deployed, as well as the emotional numbness that affected the soldiers.
The press at home was also censored to avoid the risk of the enemy suddenly taking on human characteristics. Censorship varied from country to country. In the UK, some testimonies were allowed to be heard, while German and French censorship was much stricter.
The memory lives on
World War I lasted almost another four years after the Christmas Truce. It cost the lives of 15 million people in Europe, Africa, Asia and soldiers from America and Australia.
But for a few days, goodwill trumped machine gun fire and propaganda, and the Christmas message of peace to all people reached the trenches. It was above all the common tradition between the three countries, Germany, France and Great Britain, which placed Christmas as the most important holiday and therefore opened the way for spontaneous peace on both sides.
At a time when tradition and identity are being eroded and alleged to be the cause of war, it was precisely the tradition and identity of Christian Europeans that paved the way for peace.
The Christmas Truce of 1914 is one of the most mythical events of the war, which otherwise offered a plethora of legends, and is a story that has been celebrated and portrayed in different ways ever since. The movie Merry Christmas has been mentioned above, but a more recent portrayal is the Swedish hard rock band Sabatons song ”Christmas Truce”.
The war that was supposed to end all wars failed to do so and was accompanied by one conflict after another. This Christmas, several armed conflicts are still ongoing, not least the one in Ukraine, which the major powers have designated as their geopolitical chessboard.
Whatever you think of each side, you can always hope that these front sections will also have a peaceful Christmas.
Sources:
Dowswell, Paul - True stories of the First World War, Historical Media, 2007
Willmott, H.P. - The First World War, Albert Bonniers Förlag, 2006
Originally published on 2022-12-24
Amended 2025-12-24
This slightly unbelievable story gives even more truth to my thesis of war as a macro-illusion.
I don't think it's the people who want war, it's the powers that be who want more power and use the people as pawns.
I think that contradictions are orchestrated through misinformation. Nothing new on that front.
War is not necessary. But it benefits industry. The flow of money must maintain a certain pace.
Clearly, it is the rulers who want war, the people want peace.