The Christmas truce during World War I, which took place between British and German soldiers in December 1914, is a significant event that is often omitted from official histories of the war. Stanley Weintraub’s book, “Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce,” sheds light on this extraordinary event through letters and diaries of the soldiers involved. The truce began on the morning of December 19, 1914, when soldiers from both sides came together to help wounded comrades and bury the dead.
Weintraub highlights the different reactions of French, Belgians, British, and German soldiers to the war. While the French and Belgians had strong emotional reactions due to the war taking place on their land, the British and German soldiers saw little meaning in the conflict. Despite being at war, they found common ground as many soldiers had friends or relatives on the other side. The truce was largely initiated by the Germans, who had established friendly relations with the British soldiers even before Christmas Eve.
As Christmas Eve approached, the British soldiers observed the Germans setting up Christmas trees and candles in their trenches. The soldiers shouted in English, “We no shoot if you no shoot,” leading to a ceasefire along the trenches. The soldiers then came out of their trenches, mingled in no-man’s-land, exchanged gifts, and even played soccer together. The officers tried to prevent fraternization, but the soldiers ignored orders and continued to interact.
The soldiers buried their dead, removed the wounded, and celebrated Christmas together, singing carols and sharing meals. The truce, although temporary, showcased the humanity and camaraderie that can exist even in the midst of war. Despite attempts to downplay the significance of the truce in official histories, firsthand accounts reveal the profound impact it had on those who experienced it. We approached the trenches and greeted numerous German enemies with a handshake. Many people believe our actions were demeaning,” he continued. “But I believe that if we were left to our own devices, there would have been no need for further violence. The truce lasted for two weeks, during which we were on friendly terms. It was only due to outside control that we were forced to resume fighting. The political system at the time was flawed, and those of us who witnessed the truce vowed to work towards change,” he explained. However, their efforts were in vain.
In the early twentieth century, nationalism and unrestrained democracy became dominant ideologies, stemming from the French Revolution. This clashed with the American Revolution’s ideas of limited government power and individual liberty. The American Civil War saw nationalism prevail, promoting the belief that sacrificing oneself for the nation’s “Greater Good” in war was noble.
Two soldiers, one British and one German, who experienced the brutality of trench warfare in WWI, challenged the notion of sacrificing oneself for the nation. Wilfred Owen’s poignant poem and Erich M. Remarque’s antiwar novel depicted the horrors of war and questioned the glorification of dying for one’s country.
The Christmas truce of 1914 likely inspired Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed,” reflecting on the senselessness of killing an enemy who, under different circumstances, could have been a friend. Weintraub’s hypothetical scenario in his book “What If – ?” explores the potential impact of an early end to WWI, suggesting a different path for the twentieth century, devoid of communism, fascism, and subsequent world conflicts. Wilson, who narrowly won the election in 1916, would not have been campaigning for reelection on a platform of keeping America out of war. If he had not been the incumbent, he would have lost to a powerful new Republican president, Charles Evans Hughes. This shift in leadership could have had significant implications, as suggested by the idea that Germany, in peace rather than war, could have become the dominant nation in Europe and possibly the world. Without a Wilsonian League of Nations, a different geopolitical landscape could have emerged, with a German-led Commonwealth of Europe developing earlier than the European Community.
The threat of Germany’s nationalistic expansion since the 1870s was a concern for many leaders of the British Empire, especially in terms of world trade and Germany’s growing navy. President Woodrow Wilson later identified industrial and commercial rivalry as a major cause of the war, emphasizing the economic roots of conflict. The economist Ludwig von Mises proposed separating the economy from government intervention to prevent business interests from influencing foreign and domestic markets, thereby promoting peace.
In a play by William Douglas Home, titled A Christmas Truce, British and German soldiers engage in a conversation reflecting the futility of war and the orders from political leaders that perpetuate it. The Great War resulted in over ten million soldier casualties and an imposed peace in 1919 that ultimately led to new instabilities and another devastating war. The Christmas Truce, symbolizing a brief moment of humanity amidst the horrors of war, serves as a poignant reminder of the absurdities of conflict.
As Frederick Niven’s poem “A Carol from Flanders” suggests, the Christmas Truce represents a celebration of the human spirit and a hope for a time when peace and goodwill prevail every day. The legacy of this brief respite from war lives on in memoirs, letters, and artistic expressions, serving as a testament to the resilience and compassion of those caught in the midst of conflict.